Throughout this semester there have been a lot of psychological ideas and concepts that were thrown our way. The science of psychology is a very interesting one and, like all science, we engage in it daily. Though there were a lot of concepts that we learned, one that I think will stick with me and benefit me in my daily life is Correlation vs. Causation. A lot of times it is very easy to jump to conclusions about what happened without verifying who truly did what.
Another thing is that people come up with these ridiculous superstitions because they fall prey to correlation vs. causation. What I mean by this is there are many examples of athletes who have to wear their lucky shorts or eat their special pregame meal for every game because they think that is the reason they play well. They fail to realize that the reason the play well is because they practice and do everything that it takes to get ready for the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP9JCfCIh1c
Everyone falls victim to this from time to time, but I will make an effort to look for the facts as oppose to jumping to unverified conclusions. I mean it is not like I just get angry about little things all of the time or have all of these superstitious ways, but a friendly reminder never really hurt anyone.
I think that Correlation vs. Causation will stick with me for awhile also. While superstitious habits may make us feel more confident, like wearing our lucky shorts for a big game, there isn't much scientific proof behind these beliefs.
It's also funny how this concept has seeped into my daily life, because now it is common for someone in my friend group to say, "Now is that CAUSATION, or just CORRELATION?"
First, I would like to say that I love the toddler meme picture. And second, I also agree that correlation vs causation is something that will be helpful later in life to have a solid grasp of. There are so many times where advertisers and whatnot try to sell you on something based on false claims that they claim to be causation, when in reality, it's only correlation. It is important to be able to see the difference between the two.
This was interesting! I have superstitions that I used to do before I performed a dance routine. I think that they can actually help people becuase then they believe that they can actually do better
Correlation versus causation is a great topic to have stick with you! It's important to recognize that. I wouldn't count out the importance of superstitions, though. There's a lot of mental processes that come into play when someone "thinks" something is lucky. Sometimes even physical processes: like you said, eating a certain pregame meal. Well, if that meal is nutritious then yea, it probably helps a lot!
I agree that preparation and pre-game planning is 10x more important than a lucky tube sock on your left foot. However, athletes do this because they feel comfortable when they have this special thing they do every game. It may be the Placebo Affect, but if they play better with that lucky dollar in their pocket, who's going to stop them? This is a great topic to discuss not only in sports, but in life and ways things happen from other events and knowing those connections.
This topic can have a lot of arguments arise. Some people might actually do better in their performance with a special sock because they've actually trained their minds to think that it's a "luck charm" of sorts. It's just a mindset. It is a very debatable topic to me. P.S. LOVE THE TODDLER PICTURE!
I think correlation vs. causation is a really interesting topic and one that has to be thought about a lot to determine which is which in any given situation.
You are correct, I always find it funny when you hear a famous athlete talk about his rituals prior to a game or contest. But I have to say that with rowing this year I have found that there are a few things I do because I had success when I did them once so now I have to do them before each race.