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Here is a bizarre example of an emic behavior - cannibalism. Incidents of cannibalism, with the meaning of an animal consuming members of its own kind, can of course be found in all cultures (etic) and even in the animal kingdom, but the reason for it varies. In regards to emics, there may be underlying cultural beliefs behind the behavior. One cultural belief is that one that devours another being will acquire the strength of that individual. Cannibalism as a cultural behavior is almost extinct, although there is some evidence that the Korowai tribe of Papua New Guinea is still practising it.
Some research suggests that the devouring of human flesh may have protected us from brain disease in the early ages: Cannibalism normal for early ages? Most researchers claim that eating of human meat is dangerous, because it can spread infections disease and is full of toxics. It is probably more dangerous to eat than other types of meat because of the genetic resemblance. Amongst the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea (the one that Ekman studied) who used to be cannibals there was a brain disease called Kuru (or the laughing sickness due to the extreme outbursts of laughter in those suffering from it. It was endemic among the Fore people, leds to muscle decay and finally death and was more common in women and children (because they were given the less desirable parts of the human body, such as the brain) The disease was believed to be caused by prions. This is an interesting book that I have never read but known for quite a while. I have always thought that the theory that is put forward in it seemed a bit absurd, but recently I have been reflecting on its' potential validity.
In his book, Origins of consciousness in the breakdown of the bicameral brain, Julian Jaynes proposes that our consciousness of today was different 3.000 years ago. Ancient people was not able to think and introspect in the way we do and their mind was more similar to a schizophrenic's. They tended to hallucinate, see signs and have visions about spirits and gods that were actually reflections of their own thought processes, only that they were not aware of this. This all started to change with the sophistication of human language and the introduction of writing. The sophistication of language enabled the brain's processes to become more integrated. The problem of this theory is that it is not possible to know the anatomy of a brain of an ancient person. 3.000 years is also a very short time for evolution to make major changes. The evidence is mainly based on writings of ancient people and it is therefore difficult to prove. Personally I would assume that the mental abilities of ancient individual were similar to the modern man, but that culture and society affected thought processes and consciousness about thinking. Introspection and metacognition may be abilities that need to be taught through education and reading may have an affect on it as well. Apparently ancient languages do not have a word for introspection. It is very likely that people of the time believed in spirits, gods and visions (as people still do today). It is also possible that leaders used these superstitions for manipulation and social control. Here is a youtube link to a talk about Julian Jaynes theory. This would go under sports psychology. A recent Swedish study suggests that elite football players have better decision making skills than the average population and that it is this decision making skill that make the best football players:
Executive functions predict the success of top soccer players Here are two links where you can try out artificial intelligence programs:
IBM:s Watson Rock, paper, scissors This is an interesting study that suggests that the use of mobile phones may make us less socially responsible.
Smartphones may make people selfish This is an article that cites interesting research that humans may not be fitted for democracy:
People aren't smart enough for democracy The study showed that people who are incompetent on a certain issue, such as economics, are also incompetent to judge which politician that is competent enough to deal with the problem. However, the incompetent also have a tendency to overestimate their ability in making good judgments. My conclusion of this, however, is not that we aren't fitted for democracy, but perhaps that we should only vote when we have sufficient knowledge in what we are voting for. A tin foil hat is a person who believes that the government can control his thoughts through magnetic waves and therefore is wearing a tin foil hat to protect himself. It is most likely a type of delusion or paranoia but interestingly enough, the American military have developed a machine that can transmit messages to the brain externally. The technique is called "voice to skull". Have a look at this article:
mind games This is an RSA animate on Steven Pinker's lecture on language as a window into human nature. Enjoy!
Language as a window into human nature I stumbled upon this funny piece of writing by Harry Harlow on how to write psychology journal articles.
http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Harlow/editorial.htm This may be of "help" for you while you are working on your internal assessments. Harry Harlow, by the way, is famous for his research on attachment. His studies, however, where he isolated baby rhesus monkeys from their mothers are considered to have been very unethical. It didn't help that he had terrible names for the devices that he had made for his animal research, such as the "pit of despair" or the "rape rack". |
AuthorThis is my class blog for IB Psychology. Here I will publish reflections on psychology, reviews of psychology books, recommended links, lecture notes, and information on psychology topics that are not covered by the syllabus. You are free to add comments or ask me questions. Archives
August 2015
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