Very Bad Wizards Episode 322: A Theater of Simultaneous Possibilities (William James' "The Stream of Thought")
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Dec 9, 2025 David and Tamler dive into William James' concept of 'The Stream of Thought,' exploring consciousness as a continuous flow rather than discrete moments. They dissect the 'Batman Effect' study, questioning if superhero sightings influence altruistic behavior. The duo debates James' rejection of atomistic theories and his views on personal experience, selective attention, and the implications of language on shared understanding. With humor and insight, they connect these psychological ideas to modern research and critical policy discussions.
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The Milan 'Batman' Field Study
- Tamler and David describe a field experiment where a researcher in a Batman suit boarded a train while a researcher with a fake pregnancy belly waited for someone to give up a seat.
- The study reported giving-up-seat rates rose from 38% to 67% when 'Batman' was present.
Pre-Register And Use Clear Field Measures
- Pre-registering field studies helps prevent publication bias and strengthens confidence in surprising results.
- Use simple, direct outcome measures in real-world settings to reduce measurement ambiguity.
Novelty Versus Priming In The Batman Effect
- The hosts critique the study's theory: novelty may boost attention, but Batman might instead prime heroic/prosocial norms or symbolic meaning.
- They highlight concerns about social-priming replicability and the need for boundary-condition tests.
