Academic group think, free speech norms, and the psychology of time (with Anne Wilson)
Feb 21, 2024
auto_awesome
Anne Wilson, a social psychology professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, delves into the intricate layers of personal identity and memory. She explores how our perceptions of psychological time shape our narratives and influence our future perspectives. The discussion covers the nuances of free speech in academia, addressing political biases and the importance of diverse viewpoints. Wilson also highlights the psychological implications of historical injustices and the ethical responsibility to foster inclusivity in academic discourse.
Perception of time shapes personal identity and influences memory construction.
Diverse perspectives in academia prevent groupthink and enhance decision-making outcomes.
Inclusive environment fosters healthy discourse and accurate conclusions in scientific research.
Encouraging political diversification in academia can enhance credibility and trustworthiness of institutions.
Deep dives
Subjective Time and Psychological Experience
Psychological time, distinct from chronological time, plays a significant role in shaping our personal history and how we perceive events. The telescoping phenomenon, where events feel closer or further in time than they actually are, highlights the malleability of memory and the cues we use to recollect dates, emphasizing the imperfections in our time judgments.
Establishing Personal Timelines and Memory
Keeping a timeline of significant life events can provide a historical perspective that may affect our experience of time. While reconstructing memories based on available cues and temporal landmarks is a common practice, it can lead to inaccuracies and subjective time distortion, influencing how we perceive past events.
Time and Personal Identity
Memory plays a crucial role in shaping our sense of personal identity. Memory is not a perfect recording but a malleable construction influenced by subjective storytelling. Episodic memory, which forms the basis of our identity narratives, allows us to creatively envision different futures by drawing on past experiences.
Impacts of Time Perception on Social Issues
The perception of time influences how we address issues like historical injustice, sexism in STEM fields, and representation in academia. Differing perspectives on historical events and biases shape policy discussions and solutions. Adversarial collaborations in scientific research aim to reconcile divergent views and explore the multifaceted causes of societal disparities.
The Importance of Diversity of Thought
Having diverse perspectives and intellectual differences is crucial for testing hypotheses thoroughly, reaching closer to the truth. A variety of viewpoints, including political diversity, contributes to avoiding groupthink and blind spots, thereby enhancing decision-making outcomes.
Challenges of Homogeneity in Perspectives
When viewpoints become homogenous or dissenting views are suppressed, the scientific process may deviate from producing random errors to systematic biases, hindering progress towards truth. Upholding an inclusive environment where all perspectives are valued is essential for fostering healthy discourse and achieving more accurate conclusions.
Promoting Intellectual Diversity in Academia
Encouraging political diversification within academia, especially in disciplines like social sciences and humanities, can lead to a richer exchange of ideas and prevent group polarization. Embracing a variety of viewpoints and fostering open dialogue can help address biases and enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of academic institutions.
How does psychological time differ from clock time? How does a person's perception of time relate to their personal identity? How does a person's view of their past shape how they view their future? To what extent do people differ in the degree to which they feel like a single, continuous person across time? What effects does a person's perception of time have on their assessment of injustices? Why aren't there more adversarial collaborations in academia? Is academia generally politically left-leaning? How does lack of political diversity in academia compare to (e.g.) lack of gender or economic diversity? Are liberal or progressive academics openly willing to discriminate against conservative academics when, for example, the latter have opportunities for career advancement? Is anyone in the US actually calling for legal changes around free speech laws, or are they only discussing how people ought to be socially ostracized or punished for expressing certain viewpoints? And is there a meaningful difference between legal and social punishments for those who make illegal or taboo statements? Are we in the midst of an ideological war right now? And if so, ought we to quash in-group criticism to avoid giving ammunition to our ideological enemies? Academia seems to have hemorrhaged public trust over the last few decades; so what can be done to begin restoring that trust?
Anne Wilson is a professor of social psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University. Much of her research focuses on self and identity over time both for individual self and collective identities like nation, race, and gender. Her work illuminates the often-motivated malleability of our reconstructions of the past, forecasts of the future, and subjective perceptions of time itself. Her broad focus on motivated reasoning and cognitive bias has also led to more recent research on intergroup misperception, political polarization, and how speech suppression and censorship can inhibit collective bias correction. Follow her on Twitter / X at @awilson_WLU, email her at awilson@wlu.ca, or learn more about her work at her labe website: annewilsonpsychlab.com.
