Dan Wilson
Senior Member.
Hello, I am new to this web site but I have enjoyed reading the discussions here for a long time now. I often wonder what makes conspiracy theories so abundant and easy to spread. I recently came across a study done by psychologist Jennifer Whitson at the University of Texas testing the influences of uncertainty on pattern recognition. The general hypothesis of her experiment was that when people have uncertainty and lack control, they are more likely to make connections and see patterns that aren't there.
She was featured in Through The Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, her segment starts at 18:02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm971ltF44A
Her experiment results were also published in Science. Here are some quotes from her paper:
She was featured in Through The Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, her segment starts at 18:02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm971ltF44A
Her experiment results were also published in Science. Here are some quotes from her paper: