Ulterior Motives

How goals, both seen and unseen, drive behavior

Art Markman is a cognitive scientist at the University of Texas whose research spans a range of topics in the way people think. See full bio

June 2, 2009

I don’t remember your name, but your pace looks familiar: Marathons and memory

I enjoy running. On a good week, I might get out and run 3 or 4 times, and run between 10 and 20 miles total. I collect a few t-shirts by running in races, but I have made a clear decision not to run a marathon. Four hours of running just seems like too much wear-and-tear on the body. The stress of running a marathon also has an effect on your mind. Read More

May 28, 2009

If you want to succeed, don’t tell anyone.

I am a regular reader of the New York Times obituaries. Read More

May 21, 2009

Fast, happy, and impulsive II: Speed makes you impulsive

Credit cards are much in the news these days. Consumer debt is high, and many people have been forced to declare personal bankruptcy to get away from high-interest credit card loans. Lawmakers are working to tighten the rules on credit cards to protect people from themselves.

There are many reasons people rack up consumer debt, of course. But as I was reading yet another story about the proposed regulations on credit cards, I started thinking about the role of impulsivity in consumer spending, and how credit cards may help feed that process. Read More

May 19, 2009

Fast, happy, and impulsive I: Speed makes you happy

I went to see the movie Duplicity a while back. That's the one starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen as spies who get involved in corporate espionage. The movie is not brilliant, but it is fun. Part of the fun comes from scenes of rapid-fire dialogue between the stars. In that way, it reminded me of the old show Moonlighting (with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd) that also involved these rapid exchanges.

In retrospect, the plot of the movie was filled with holes and logical gaps. There was probably one plot-twist too many. Yet, the movie was undeniably fun. Why is that? Read More

May 13, 2009

Get energized about your future…just compare it to your life now.

It is easier to set goals than to achieve them. Setting goals requires only thinking about the future, and envisioning what you would like that future to be. If you want to learn to sing, you can imagine yourself as a successful singer and how rewarding it would be to sing for a group of people who are enjoying your music. If you want to become a better student, you can think about studying or passing tests or getting a good report card. Actually satisfying your goals, though, requires effort. It requires the energy to move forward and actually carry out a plan to achieve the goal.

Where can that energy come from? Read More

May 8, 2009

Forecasting your future: Good things will happen, bad things won’t.

It is important to be able to think clearly about the future. We often make big plans now that affect us for years to come. For example, when you contemplate buying a house, you are making a guess about your future income over the next 30 years. There are many positive things that can happen in your financial future. You might get a big raise, or develop a fantastic new invention that brings you fame and fortune. Of course, there are lots of negative things that can happen. You could lose your job, or get sick, or be the victim of a crime. So good long-term decision making requires you to do a reasonable job of predicting what will happen. Read More

May 6, 2009

Fits of creativity II: Approach and avoidance

What factors make people more creative? One school of thought is that people are most creative when they are comfortable. For example, people and companies are often more likely to take risks when times are good and there is a cushion to fall back on if a creative venture fails. On the other hand, we also believe that "Necessity is the mother of invention," and so the need to avoid a real problem may spur people to be more innovative in their thinking.

They can't both be right, can they? Read More

May 4, 2009

Fits of creativity I: Arm movements and flexibility

As a culture, we clearly admire creative people. At MOMA in New York last winter, there was a line out the door to see a collection of Van Gogh paintings. Last night, saxophone great Sonny Rollins played a sold-out show here in Austin. We still place Einstein on a pedestal for his immense scientific creativity.

One reason we admire creative people is that we know how hard it is to be creative ourselves. We may spend a lot of time gaining expertise in our chosen profession, or in a hobby like art or music, and yet still feel that we have fallen short of real creativity. So, anything that looks like it might influence our ability to be creative is real news. Read More

May 1, 2009

If we successfully avoid a swine flu pandemic, what will happen next time?

Unless you have already locked yourself into a sealed container with lots of food and water and no communications with the outside world (in which case you're not reading this post), you can't avoid news about the potential for a swine flu (H1N1) pandemic. The media is reporting a stream of government and expert recommendations including washing hands frequently, avoiding unnecessary travel, and staying home if you are feeling sick. Read More

April 29, 2009

I like you, because I always feel good around you and I don’t know why.

How do you know that you like someone or something? Often, seeing a person you like gives you a good feeling inside or makes you smile. You have that reaction far before you could say exactly why you like that person. Indeed, you might find it hard to put into words exactly why you like them, but you know you do. Read More

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Quite simply, cognition refers to thinking. There are the obvious applications of conscious reasoning—doing taxes, playing chess, deconstructing Macbeth—but thought takes many subtler forms, such as interpreting sensory input, guiding physical actions, and empathizing with others. The old metaphor for human cognition was the computer—a logical information-processing machine.

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