tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4703627441238114292.post3087753618424524260..comments2023-05-02T02:56:53.394-07:00Comments on The Praxy Project: The Emotion Research MemeJewishGadflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03531540800635608198noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4703627441238114292.post-73636044262522850042010-08-12T11:48:28.054-07:002010-08-12T11:48:28.054-07:00I remember noticing the disparity between the head...I remember noticing the disparity between the headline and the content of the article. But the headline may have been written by an editor, who thought the article needed some "sexing up."Miles Rindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03733605717776262840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4703627441238114292.post-49338833412770387382010-08-12T11:37:59.863-07:002010-08-12T11:37:59.863-07:00Thanks.
>It is amazing what wildly unwarranted...Thanks.<br /><br />><i>It is amazing what wildly unwarranted conclusions people draw from the results of social-scientific experiments.</i><br /><br />Yes. Although in this case, it was also the fault of the popular science writer who described the research in the article linked to. The title was: "Want to Think Logically? Trust Your Emotions," which is a <i>horribly</i> misleading title. The fact that our brains automatically process things more quickly if they are associated with fear says nothing about what we should consciously do if we want to think logically. It's an awful distortion of science for an interesting headline, although if you read the description of the research in the article itself, you realize that in a few seconds.JewishGadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03531540800635608198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4703627441238114292.post-37274264041177511342010-08-12T10:52:58.353-07:002010-08-12T10:52:58.353-07:00I remember reading that cretinous comment on the o...I remember reading that cretinous comment on the other blog and being tempted to rebut it, but restrained myself from wasting my time, as the writer did not even bother to give a name. (One could not tell which of the numerous anonymous comments on that post came from the same blockhead and which ones from different blockheads.) Than you for addressing the matter in impersonal terms. It is amazing what wildly unwarranted conclusions people draw from the results of social-scientific experiments.Miles Rindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03733605717776262840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4703627441238114292.post-37523765078190071062010-08-11T11:35:02.951-07:002010-08-11T11:35:02.951-07:00That's a great point. Regarding the definitio...That's a great point. Regarding the definition issue--in particular, in this latest example, one way to phrase the research is, "the amygdala sends an emotional signal about a stimulus, and the brain decides that the stimulus is important." Another way to frame it is simply, "the amygdala is signaling that the stimulus is important and should be prioritized."JewishGadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03531540800635608198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4703627441238114292.post-12215788420935832882010-08-11T10:48:02.219-07:002010-08-11T10:48:02.219-07:00Interesting post.
It should be pointed out that ...Interesting post.<br /><br /> It should be pointed out that no one has come up with a good definition of exactly what an “emotion” is. Is it a pattern of neuron firing in the brain? Is it a release of a hormone suite? Is it the physical response (sweating, stomach clenching, relaxation, euphoria, smiling, frowning…)? Is it a subjective experience matching a given definition?<br /><br />Also, emotions are useful as shortcuts and motivators. Fear keeps us from doing dangerous things. Love reinforces pragmatic social and family bonds. Emotions are hardwired reactions or learned responses. Those that are learned responses let us tap into our experience without having to think about the situation, something that’s very useful when thinking could take time better spent doing other things. But emotions aren’t the result of some intelligent faculty giving us a heads up, and certainly aren’t reliable indicators of the truth about empirical questions.G*3https://www.blogger.com/profile/06104739087560005056noreply@blogger.com