Re: virus: (un)selfishness
Tony Hindle (t.hindle@joney.demon.co.uk)
Thu, 24 Apr 1997 01:03:44 +0100
In message <c=GB%a=_%p=uk.ac%l=STIRLAN/EXCHANGE/0014857A@findhorn.stir.a
c.uk>, Robin Faichney <r.j.faichney@stir.ac.uk> writes
>
>>I'm reminded of an experiment
>>which was done (in the 60s I think, if anyone can jog my memory on this
>>I'd be grateful) where a number of volunteers had little receivers
>>placed in their brains. When the doctor pressed a button a small
>>electric charge was delivered. One one patient this would cause him to
>>look over his left shoulder. Every time the button was pushed, he'd
>>glance to the left. When he was asked what he was looking for he always
>>had a sensible reason; "I was looking for my slippers" or "I heard
>>something". What does this say about motivation?
>
>It tells us that small electric currents come into the picture.
>But then we knew that, didn't we? :-)
This is more interesting than that. It is evidence that our
explanations for our actions can be retrospectively made up. The act of
asking a person why they did something may cause them to invent and
believe a reason that did not exist prior to the action.
Tony Hindle.
On the day he listened to Rant in E minor for the first time.