Anyone familiar with a study that was done not long ago in regards to when the brain starts to associate actions to an outside cause (ie, the supernatural)..?
I'm trying to find it. I saw a video about it a few months back. I forgot to bookmark it and have been trying to find it recently.
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Is it Richard Dawkins Sex Death & the Meaning of Life?
Theres a part where they demonstrate how children learn the concept of the 'soul'.
They use mice in boxes
Permalink Reply by Rob Klaers on March 21, 2013 at 7:59pm This wasn't mice or Dawkins. :)
Permalink Reply by Branden on March 21, 2013 at 1:10am I know Michael Shermer has done a few presentations on "The Believing Brain"... he may have mentioned it.
Do you recall anything about the video's style i.e. was is a lecture, interview, one with a narrator and animations, etc.?
Permalink Reply by Rob Klaers on March 21, 2013 at 2:12pm The narrator, if I remember it was the person who ran the experiment, explaining the premise and as the video was show the corresponding parts of the experiment,.
The idea of the experiment was that someone would be lead into a room and told a story about a person who had died in the building. The participant was then told that some believed that the dead person's ghost would help people from time to time. The participant was then shown two boxes in a table. Only one of the two boxes had a something under it. The participant was then told the assistant would leave the room after which the participant was to wait 30 secs (or a 1 min, i forget the timing involved) before choosing a box. They had no idea they were being monitored.. Now, when they went to reach for a particular box that wasn't the correct one, a light in the room would flash. Some people noticed this and then changed which box they were going to choose. Some older participants were likely to attribute to flashing of the light to the ghost helping them choose the right box. Younger participants (under 8 years) noticed the light but didn't connect it to the presence of a ghost. It was just a light flashing.
Permalink Reply by Branden on March 22, 2013 at 2:59am Found this article, talks about the experiment on the last page:
http://155.97.32.9/~bbenham/Minds%20and%20Morals/Cognitive.pdf
This is the actual article:
http://qub.ac.uk/schools/InstituteofCognitionCulture/FileUploadPage...
Don't know the video but I bet if you just search 'Jesse Bering' on YouTube you'll find it.
Permalink Reply by Rob Klaers on March 24, 2013 at 6:56pm That's the experiment. Very cool. Thank you. :)
Ok, so it wasn't a ghost. I was on the overall right track. LOL
Permalink Reply by Nate Lundgren on March 21, 2013 at 3:56am http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience_of_free_will
This is not a video but it may have some names of studies etc. that might help you find it.
I think I recall something like this from one of Nelson's "Sunday School" about 6-8 weeks ago. I am looking for something around then myself so will keep an eye out for it.
Permalink Reply by Rob Klaers on March 21, 2013 at 2:12pm That might be where I saw it.. not sure.
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