In Class
During class, each of us were given a piece of paper with children's drawings on it. The drawings were divided into two categories - drawn by city children and farm children. Then, we were given the instructions to describe the characteristics of the two categories. After a short moment, Ms Jackson asked us to talk about what we wrote. Oddly enough, the students on the left side of the classroom talked about city and farm children whilst the students on the right side of the classroom talked about creative and non creative children. We then realized that the descriptions on our paper about the drawings we different.
I think it was interesting how we managed to describe the drawings without much difficulty although the class was given different categories. This reminds me of confirmation bias. As I believed what I was told on the paper, that the drawings were drawn by city and farm children, I was still able to find characteristics from the drawing to support my belief. All I saw was evidence that can confirm what I believe was true. This was caused by the idea of city and farm children drawings before I could make a judgment by myself of who had drawn the drawings. If I wasn't told that city and farm children had drawn those drawings, I might have drawn a different conclusion, possibly that creative and non creative children had drawn those drawings.
December 1, 2010
A Whiff of Experience
In Class
As we were learning about sense perception in class, we were divided into groups of three and assigned a type of sense perception to read and make a skit of. The sense perception that I was responsible of was smell. In the article "A Whiff of Experience", I learnt several important facts about the sense of smell. The facts include odors will become less noticeable after we are exposed to them frequently, odors affect what we do and how we feel, certain sicknesses have their unique smells, and the power of smells to bring back the most vivid memories.
I think the smell of a place is very unique. Once I walked into a place (I've forgotten where) and I was stunned. The place smelt like my former school. It was a wonder that another place in another country would smell like my old school. At that moment, I felt as if I didn't want to leave that place because of the smell that brought back nostalgic memories. I tried to find what was the thing or things that created the amazing smell of a place of old buildings, grass, trees, food, students, cars, and newspapers. It was as if I was suddenly brought back in time, to 2008 when I was still a student of my previous school.
Source of image:
Synesthesia
In Class
Synesthesia is the combination of two or more senses of perception. One of the most common characteristics of synesthesia is the assigning of colors to numbers. For example, a person who has synesthesia will always see red color surrounding the number 5. In class, we did a synesthesia test. As Ms Jackson read out a series of numbers, we had to write down the color that we associate with the numbers. We did the test again after a week. I did not have synesthesia, because the colors that I wrote were different.
I think it would be interesting if someone had synesthesia. Does it affect the person's lifestyle? I think this depends on the symptoms of each individuals who has synesthesia. A few weeks ago, Mai Vi told me about a character in an American drama Lost who has synesthesia. The character can associate sounds with colors. Other than that, the character later also realized that certain colors are related to certain emotions. For example, if the character's mother was shouting, the sound of the mother shouting creates red sound wave. In some ways, this is an advantage for the character because the character is able to know the emotional state of people who are speaking. I personally would want to have that characteristic of synesthesia. It would help me to identify people's emotions and it would be a great help when I'm interacting with people.
Source of image:
At First Sight
In Class
As we watched a 10 minute clip of At First Sight, we were learning about sense perception. In the movie, the main character was blind since birth and in the clip that we watched in class, Virgil had just did an operation and the doctor was opening his wound dressing. It was a very nervous moment for Virgil's sister and girlfriend, Jennie and Amy.
After Virgil opened his eyes, he was very frightened as he couldn't understand what he was seeing. Even if his closest sister was standing in front of him, Virgil did not know who she was because he had never perceived his sister's physical appearance. Hence, he had to associate his sense of touch to help him believe what he is seeing is what it is. In addition, one interesting moment that was shown in the clip was that Virgil did not recognize himself when he saw himself in the mirror. He thought that the figure in the mirror was another person until he saw the reflection followed his actions then he only realized that it was himself.
Firstly, I think that people who used to be blind and regain their sight would not have a sense of beauty. They wouldn't know if a person or thing is beautiful or ugly. This is because their minds are not affected by different factors - commercials, artists, culture, etc. For example, a very traditional Chinese may think that single eye lids women, with their eyes slightly diagonal (phoenix' eyes) are beautiful.
In addition, I also came up with a question: how do blind people dream? Usually when we dream, we have visions. The visions are created from our imagination, or settings that we have seen before. Given the fact that blind people cannot perceive the material world, I assume that they won't have visions in their dream. Then what do their dreams consist of? The touch of things, sounds, and voices of people?
Sources of images:
http://www.firsttvdrama.com/show2/history/atfirst.jpg
http://cimg2.163.com/catchpic/6/60/601B4A7F5509EA9C4DE3B5DC65BA3C5A.jpg
Quarter 2 Terminology
1 Inductive Reasoning
A kind of reasoning in which a general conclusion is drawn from specific examples, usually personal experiences and observations. The conclusion drawn from inductive reasoning may not always be true, but practical for the person used.
Example: All humans cannot breathe underwater for a long time, therefore, humans cannot live underwater.
2 Deductive Reasoning
A kind of reasoning in which a specific conclusion is drawn from general statements. Deductive reasoning is more reliable than inductive reasoning because we can know whether the conclusion is true but sometimes the logic is difficult to follow.
Example: Some fish are silver. A salmon is a fish. Therefore, some salmons are silver.
3 Syllogism
A kind of deductive reasoning that consists of two premises and one conclusion.
4 Premise
Statements that provide information in order to come to a final conclusion. The premises have to have quantifiers and three terms in total.
5 Conclusion
A proposition formed based on two premises. In order for a conclusion to be true, the two premises have to be true and the logic must be valid.
6 Terms
The subjects of premises, usually nouns.
7 Quantifier
Words that tell us the approximate amount of things that are referred to.
8 Fallacy
A kind of reasoning that has flaws; the false reasoning is used to make a invalid conclusion.
Equivocation: A type of fallacy that is caused by words that have double meaning. Sometimes the way how the words are used are ambiguous so it is difficult to know if someone is using the word with the same meaning consistently in an argument.
For example, a paper is light. The light is broken. Therefore, the paper is broken.
9 Inference
The action of drawing a conclusion based on evidence and logic.
10 Argument
A series of statements intended to establish a proposition, to come to a valid conclusion.
11 Logic
A process of reasonable and rational thinking that guides and allows us to judge for what is correct.
12 Hasty Generalization
To make a generalization without enough evidence.
Example: I have never seen Sae Hyun eat bananas, so she hates bananas.
13 Enthymeme
A premise that is not expressed because it is implied that everyone knows it.
Example: James is a businessmen. James is rich. (The premise that is missing is "Businessmen are rich.")
14 Confirmation Bias
When people are unconsciously selecting (to only see) evidence that support their beliefs to confirm that what they believe in is true.
Example: I believe that Asians are good in math and the Asians who are good in math in my school confirm my belief (I ignore the Asians who are not as good in Math.).
15 Belief Bias
16 Synesthesia
The combination of two or more sense of perception. For example, a person who has synesthesia may see certain colors when they see, think or hear certain numbers.
17 Veil of Perception
The idea that we can never perceive how the material world really is, because there are veils or barriers, such as our ideas, impressions, and interpretations that affect how we perceive the world.
18 Naive Realism
The things that we see are how we perceive them to be. For example, an apple is dark red because that is how I see it now.
19 Idealism
Something does not exist unless there is someone to perceive it. For example, if a tree falls on the ground but no one is there to hear the sound of the tree falling, then the sound does not exist.
20 Immaterialism
There is no material world, the only thing that really exists is our mind.
21 Law of Simplicity
We do not invent new names for shapes that are irregular, but categorize them into what they are similar to. A shape that is not a circle but looks like a circle is called a circle.
22 Law of Parsimony
To explain a thing or event with the simplest explanation that fits the data.
23 Context
(a) Based on our understanding of the world, we see something depending on the context in which we see it.
(b) Our mind is set of how things should be so when things are out of our expectations, they become disturbing.
24 Expectations
The tendency for us to overlook the things that are irregular, that do not fit with our expectations.
25 Selectivity
The tendency for us to only notice things that we are concentrating on and unconsciously ignore others because we cannot be aware of everything that is happening around us.
26 Visual Grouping
The tendency for us to look for shapes and patterns in what we perceive in order to make sense of it.
27 Figure and Ground
The tendency for us to draw attention to certain things and treat others as the background. We usually highlight things that are in black (figure) and white as the background.
28 Gestalt Principle
The tendency for our mind to perceive things as how we think they should be, seeing things according to what we already know.
Example: This book is is blue (We omit the second "the".)
A kind of reasoning in which a general conclusion is drawn from specific examples, usually personal experiences and observations. The conclusion drawn from inductive reasoning may not always be true, but practical for the person used.
Example: All humans cannot breathe underwater for a long time, therefore, humans cannot live underwater.
2 Deductive Reasoning
A kind of reasoning in which a specific conclusion is drawn from general statements. Deductive reasoning is more reliable than inductive reasoning because we can know whether the conclusion is true but sometimes the logic is difficult to follow.
Example: Some fish are silver. A salmon is a fish. Therefore, some salmons are silver.
3 Syllogism
A kind of deductive reasoning that consists of two premises and one conclusion.
4 Premise
Statements that provide information in order to come to a final conclusion. The premises have to have quantifiers and three terms in total.
5 Conclusion
A proposition formed based on two premises. In order for a conclusion to be true, the two premises have to be true and the logic must be valid.
6 Terms
The subjects of premises, usually nouns.
7 Quantifier
Words that tell us the approximate amount of things that are referred to.
8 Fallacy
A kind of reasoning that has flaws; the false reasoning is used to make a invalid conclusion.
Equivocation: A type of fallacy that is caused by words that have double meaning. Sometimes the way how the words are used are ambiguous so it is difficult to know if someone is using the word with the same meaning consistently in an argument.
For example, a paper is light. The light is broken. Therefore, the paper is broken.
9 Inference
The action of drawing a conclusion based on evidence and logic.
10 Argument
A series of statements intended to establish a proposition, to come to a valid conclusion.
11 Logic
A process of reasonable and rational thinking that guides and allows us to judge for what is correct.
12 Hasty Generalization
To make a generalization without enough evidence.
Example: I have never seen Sae Hyun eat bananas, so she hates bananas.
13 Enthymeme
A premise that is not expressed because it is implied that everyone knows it.
Example: James is a businessmen. James is rich. (The premise that is missing is "Businessmen are rich.")
14 Confirmation Bias
When people are unconsciously selecting (to only see) evidence that support their beliefs to confirm that what they believe in is true.
Example: I believe that Asians are good in math and the Asians who are good in math in my school confirm my belief (I ignore the Asians who are not as good in Math.).
15 Belief Bias
When people believe an argument to be valid because the conclusion that fit with their beliefs.
Example: I believe that all bears are black because I have never seen bears in any other color.
16 Synesthesia
The combination of two or more sense of perception. For example, a person who has synesthesia may see certain colors when they see, think or hear certain numbers.
17 Veil of Perception
The idea that we can never perceive how the material world really is, because there are veils or barriers, such as our ideas, impressions, and interpretations that affect how we perceive the world.
18 Naive Realism
The things that we see are how we perceive them to be. For example, an apple is dark red because that is how I see it now.
19 Idealism
Something does not exist unless there is someone to perceive it. For example, if a tree falls on the ground but no one is there to hear the sound of the tree falling, then the sound does not exist.
20 Immaterialism
There is no material world, the only thing that really exists is our mind.
21 Law of Simplicity
We do not invent new names for shapes that are irregular, but categorize them into what they are similar to. A shape that is not a circle but looks like a circle is called a circle.
22 Law of Parsimony
To explain a thing or event with the simplest explanation that fits the data.
23 Context
(a) Based on our understanding of the world, we see something depending on the context in which we see it.
(b) Our mind is set of how things should be so when things are out of our expectations, they become disturbing.
24 Expectations
The tendency for us to overlook the things that are irregular, that do not fit with our expectations.
25 Selectivity
The tendency for us to only notice things that we are concentrating on and unconsciously ignore others because we cannot be aware of everything that is happening around us.
26 Visual Grouping
The tendency for us to look for shapes and patterns in what we perceive in order to make sense of it.
27 Figure and Ground
The tendency for us to draw attention to certain things and treat others as the background. We usually highlight things that are in black (figure) and white as the background.
28 Gestalt Principle
The tendency for our mind to perceive things as how we think they should be, seeing things according to what we already know.
Example: This book is is blue (We omit the second "the".)
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