Mental Mishaps

Errors in perceiving, remembering, and thinking.

by Ira Hyman

Doorways Cause Forgetting

Why am I here? I don’t mean this in the deep existential sense of why am I alive. I am simply wondering why I came into this room. What am I looking for? There must be a reason I left that other room and came into this one. But I can’t remember why I am here. Read More

In Praise of The Cyborg Generation

My students have become cyborgs. They are constantly wired in and uncomfortable if they don’t have continuous access to the internet. As they leave class, the smart phones glow immediately. The cyborgs will soon replace the old humans. Read More

The Risk of Becoming an Expert Multitasker

Are you an expert multitasker? Check your email, answer that text, talk with your co-workers, drive your car—how many things can you track at one time? In our busy modern environment, people constantly multitask. But just what are expert multitaskers expert at doing? Read More

Intrusive Memories of Happy Experiences

My good friend and mentor, Ulric Neisser, passed away recently. Since hearing the news, I’ve been flooded with memories – intrusive memories of happy experiences. Losing my friend was devastating, but remembering him has been wonderful. Sometimes the purpose of involuntary memories is mood regulation. Read More

Is She Interested?

Can men accurately see if a woman is sexually interested? The ability to perceive and remember a woman’s interest or rejection is certainly important to men. But some men experience difficulty recognizing sexual interest and these difficulties may predict sexual aggression. Read More

Shopping Procrastination on Christmas Eve

I am a shopping procrastinator. I tend to wait and wait before I buy. Maybe I should check one more website or one more store. Maybe I can find a better deal. So when Christmas Eve appears, I will still be shopping for gifts. Santa and I will race to get our gifts under the tree. Read More

Brain Freeze

Rick Perry’s brain froze on national TV. He was trying to remember the third federal department he would cut and he completely failed. He knew the answer, struggled mightily to remember it, but nonetheless failed. We have all experienced similar moments, but his is a video sensation. Does it tell us anything about Perry's cognitive abilities? Read More

Are We There Yet?

You’ve probably heard the perennial question from the backseat: “Are we there yet?” As the family was riding over the river and through the woods, the children were in the back asking: “When do we get to grandmother’s house?” Why does it take so long to get there? Read More

The Power of Narrative in Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

Our first crisis in dementia care struck recently. A seizure, a hospitalization, invasive tests and a horrific drug reaction were the beginning of our experience. But the real crisis was in the understanding of events. The path to survival involved a new story – a narrative of Alzheimer’s disease. Read More

Executing the Innocent? Eyewitness Memory Errors Lead to Injustice

I’ve often been a proponent of the death penalty in some cases. Some crimes are so heinous, so horrific, that the death penalty feels like justice. But as a cognitive psychologist, I worry that we create injustice by condoning a system that allows execution. Sometimes we may execute the innocent. Read More

Human versus Machine: A Victory for the Underdog

We’ve been losing. And the machines have been winning. Robots control manufacturing. Computers control all our communications. We’ve been losing the games too. Recently, Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings lost to IBM’s Watson. He then “welcomed our new computer overlords.” Should we all bow down to the new computer bosses? Read More

Zoned Out While Drinking: A Drink Can Lead the Mind to Wander

When you drink you can’t walk straight. You can’t think straight either. Your body wanders along that straight line the police want you to walk. Your mind wanders from that straight line you intend to think. Read More

From Mindless to Mindful: Taking Conscious Control of Eating

I am a mindless eater. Maybe you are too. Unfortunately, most of us engage in mindless eating – eating without awareness of how much we eat and the factors that really control our eating. If you want to control your weight, you must first take control of your eating. To take control, you must transition from mindless to mindful eating. Read More

America’s Most Wanted: Be on the Lookout

News Alert! Keep your eyes open for this man. The police believe he is armed and dangerous. We are often asked to watch for something or someone. But can we actually perform these tasks and help the police? Read More

A Cop, a Chase, and a Fight: Inattentional Blindness on the Beat

Could a cop run past an assault and fail to notice it? When Kenny Conley, a Boston police officer, was chasing a shooting suspect, he ran past a brutal assault. Other cops were attacking someone they mistakenly believed was involved in the crime. Conley was eventually asked to testify about what he saw of the police assault. He claimed he saw nothing. Read More

Loose Lips Sink Friendships: Cell Phones Impair Inhibitory Control in Social Situations

Sometimes I say the first thing that pops into my head. Whoops. I don’t mean to be rude, but sometimes I can’t stop that comment from flying out of my mouth. Cell phones may cause loose lips and loose lips sink friendships. Read More

Music-Evoked Nostalgia

I found myself falling through my memories backwards in time after hearing a song from my high school days. A single song made me feel like I was 18 again while reminding me that I’m substantially older. Nostalgia evoked quickly and easily by music. Read More

A Bathroom on the Right? Misheard and Misremembered Song Lyrics

When we sing along with a song on the radio, sometimes we sing the wrong words. Often the mistakes are funny: “Scuse me while I kiss this guy” or “There’s a bathroom on the right.” Errors, like these funny song lyrics, provide insights about how people construct their perceptions and reconstruct their memories. Read More

Sexual Selection of Rock and Roll

Your parents warned you: Rock and Roll would lead to sex and other sinful activities. When I was a teenager, I certainly hoped that was true. Your parents might have been right. Maybe sex is the whole point of music. Read More

Does God Have a Mind?

Does God have a mind? Does a dog, a fly, a robot? Does the blob have a mind? How do we make attributions of mental experiences to other entities?

Even true pictures can lie. Nonetheless, we love to add pictures to our stories. Photos enhance a story. Of course, you know that you can't believe everything you see. But even when you can believe the photo, you shouldn't necessarily believe what it leads you to think and remember. Read More

It's Alive! Why Cats Love Laser Pointers

Cats love laser pointers. That little moving dot of light is about as much fun as a dangling string. Although it is funny to watch a cat chase a laser pointer around the room, humans are no better than cats when it comes to moving dots. The single leaf fluttering down on a breeze can confuse us – is it a butterfly, a bird? Read More

Firsts in Memory, Judgment, Wine, and Kisses: Happy New Year

Firsts define important moments, accomplishments, and transitions. A baby's first steps, a first kiss, a first day on a job. Firsts also define memories and judgments. Approaching the new year, I am reflecting on firsts, champagne, and kisses. As the clock counts down New Year's Eve, you might want to plan your first kiss of 2011 carefully.

Rehearsal aids memory. This is a basic psychological law. But sometimes psychological laws get broken. Sometimes our data go flying past that psychological speed limit sign. Sometimes rehearsal, the very thing that we know aids memory, leads people to make more memory errors. Read More

Rock-n-Roll Saved My Life: Driving and Sleep Deprivation

I was more than 100 miles from home. I was tired, closing in on sleep deprivation. It was dark and cold. I knew I was in trouble. There was only one thing I could do if I was going to make it home alive. Read More

Superstitious Birds, Helpless Dogs, and Public School Teachers

Animals do weird things when given random rewards and punishments. Pigeons perform odd superstitious dances for random rewards. Dogs give up and whine when punished inescapably. Why would we expect teachers to be any different when given rewards and punishments that are not linked to their behaviors?

Time flies when you talk dirty to me (and for other erotic material). Nobody has studied time judgments for the sex act itself, but maybe those judgments are wrong as well. Judging how long something lasts is difficult. Sometimes time drags along and the clock seems stuck. On other occasions, time zips along without our awareness. Read More

One Candy Bar or Two? Party or Study? Procrastination Decisions

Ask my students how they will spend Thursday evening - studying for their test on Friday or out playing with their friends. If you ask on Monday, studying is their plan. But where can you find them Thursday evening and why are they so upset with themselves on Friday morning? How did they wind up playing when they knew the test was important? Read More

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Be Biased

I'm not biased, but we can't repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell because ...
   -- it will hurt troop morale and unit cohesion
   -- we should wait for the military's review
   -- some generals oppose the repeal
   -- it shouldn't be included in this legislation.
Choose your excuse. Isn't it nice when the world allows people to follow their biases while stating they are not biased? Read More

Texting Bans Increase Crash Rates: Really?

Texting bans increase crash rates. That headline has screamed from the pages of newspapers and web sites. The Insurance Institute reported: "As well intentioned as they are, these laws (banning texting) haven't accomplished what the legislators intended. They haven't reduced crashes." Adrian Lund, president of the Institute, noted that the laws may increase crashes. So the headlines accurately reflect the claims. But is this the truth of the situation? Read More