sixes_and_sevens comments on Open Thread, October 16-31, 2012 - Less Wrong

5 Post author: OpenThreadGuy 16 October 2012 10:43PM

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Comment author: sixes_and_sevens 17 October 2012 01:17:17PM 1 point [-]

The Wason selection task is a good go-to example of confirmation bias.

Comment author: Lightwave 17 October 2012 01:48:23PM 2 points [-]

Well the thing is that people actually get this right in real life (e.g. with the rule 'to drink you must be over 18'). I need something that occurs in real life and people fail at it.

Comment author: sixes_and_sevens 17 October 2012 01:59:29PM 1 point [-]

They get it correct when it's in an appropriate social context, not simply because it's happening in real life. If it didn't happen in real life, confirmation bias wouldn't be a real thing.

Comment author: Lightwave 17 October 2012 02:27:23PM 2 points [-]

Right, but I want to use a closer to real life situation or example that reduces to the wason selection task (and people fail at it) and use that as the demonstration, so that people can see themselves fail in a real life situation, rather than in a logical puzzle. People already realize they might not be very good at generalized logic/math, I'm trying to demonstrate that the general logic applies to real life as well.

Comment author: Vaniver 17 October 2012 05:42:23PM 0 points [-]

Well the thing is that people actually get this right in real life (e.g. with the rule 'to drink you must be over 18'). I need something that occurs in real life and people fail at it.

No, people are more likely to get it right in real life. Some fraction of your audience will get it wrong, even with ages and drinks.

Comment author: faul_sname 22 October 2012 06:17:45PM 1 point [-]

To a first approximation, people get it right in real life.