Your brain might be lying to you about your own desires
In short: We like to believe we are the captains of our own intentions, making conscious choices based on our true preferences. However, psychological research suggests a startling alternative: we often convince ourselves we want something only after we have already been influenced to choose it.
Experimental psychologist Petter Johansson explores a phenomenon known as 'choice blindness.' This occurs when individuals are led to make a specific decision but subsequently convince themselves that the choice was their own original intent. The core of the issue lies in the gap between our actions and our self-knowledge; we possess a narrative of agency that may not align with the underlying mechanics of our decision-making. This specific psychological effect reveals how people can be deceived into believing they are getting what they want. It suggests that our internal sense of self-knowledge is not as accurate as we might assume.
To study this, Johansson’s research group utilizes a diverse range of methodologies, including standard questionnaires and more unconventional techniques like close-up card magic. By collaborating with magicians, the researchers can observe how subtle manipulations can shift attitudes and choices in real-time. These experiments aim to uncover how easily our internal sense of 'wanting' can be reshaped by external factors without our conscious awareness. The research group specifically investigates how attitudes can change through these varied methods. These studies were designed to answer the fundamental question of why humans do what they do.
The implications of choice blindness are significant for understanding the nature of the human self. If we can be steered toward certain outcomes and then retroactively justify those outcomes as our own desires, it challenges the traditional view of autonomous willpower. This research highlights a vulnerability to manipulation and suggests that our self-knowledge is far less certain than we typically assume, raising profound questions about how we perceive our own identities. The findings have major consequences for how people react when they face external manipulation. This work was presented at an independent event called TEDxUppsalaUniversity in November 2016.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Do you really know why you do what you do? | Petter Johansson
- Also: Do you really know why you do what you do?
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