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Tetronian comments on How is your mind different from everyone else's? - Less Wrong Discussion

31 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 05 December 2011 08:38AM

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Comment author: Morendil 05 December 2011 05:47:04PM *  5 points [-]

An almost trivial but (to me) interesting one: I'd be a great proofreader, typos just jump out at me. This appears to be unusual; most people just mentally paper over any mispellings they encounter. (Random web page turned up by a Google search for affirmations of this principle.)

As a tiny test, did you immediately spot the (ETA: more subtle) typo I deliberately inserted in the above paragraph?

Comment author: [deleted] 05 December 2011 05:55:55PM *  4 points [-]

As a tiny test, did you immediately spot the typo I deliberately inserted in the above paragraph?

Hmph. I was seconds away from typing a snarky reply about it, but then you went and ruined my fun.

On a related note, I suspect that people are better at noticing typos in other people's writing compared to their own, possibly because they know what their own writing is supposed to say and have it somewhat memorized. However, this is unfounded speculation and generalizing from one example.

Comment author: Vaniver 05 December 2011 11:40:45PM 4 points [-]

On a related note, I suspect that people are better at noticing typos in other people's writing compared to their own, possibly because they know what their own writing is supposed to say and have it somewhat memorized. However, this is unfounded speculation and generalizing from one example.

This is a recognized effect called the Proofreader Illusion.