Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg Conscious Processes and Intelligence (with Richard Nisbett)
Jun 19, 2021
In this enlightening discussion, Richard Nisbett, a prominent psychologist and author of "Thinking: A Memoir," explores the complexities of conscious and unconscious minds. He shares insights on how intelligence is shaped more by environmental factors than genetics, emphasizing the importance of education and upbringing. Nisbett critiques traditional hiring practices, advocating for data-driven approaches over interviews. He also discusses the influence of cognitive biases on decision-making, particularly regarding sunk costs in personal and professional choices.
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Misattribution of Arousal
- Richard Nisbett discusses early experiments on the unconscious mind and emotional responses.
- Subjects misattributed physical arousal caused by a placebo pill, demonstrating a lack of awareness of cognitive processes.
Fabricated Explanations
- People often fabricate explanations for their behavior without conscious access to the actual reasons.
- We are like external observers, trying to explain our actions without internal knowledge.
Pantyhose Experiment
- In experiments, people preferred the last pantyhose they saw, even though they were identical.
- They denied order influenced their choice, illustrating a lack of awareness of cognitive processes.
