MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'ideology'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:09:49 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181919&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F09%2F01%2Fthe-situation-of-the-inequality-getting-inequalitier%2F From PBSNewsHour: Financial gains over the last decade in the United States have been mostly made at the “tippy-top” of the economic food chain as more people fall out of the middle class. The top 20 percent of Americans now holds 84 percent of U.S. wealth, as Paul Solman found out as part of a Making Sen$e series on economic inequality. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181919 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:34:21 +0100 5181919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159222&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F21%2Fsarah-haskins-on-ladyfriend-stereotypes%2F From Current: The best part about being a girl is your girlfriends. They keep you happy when you’re sad and make you laugh when you want to cry, and most importantly, tell you what to buy. Related Situationist posts: Barbie Commercials Across the Decades and the Implications on Female Identity and Objectification The Gendered Situation of Math, Humanities, and Romance Sexism: The Worst Part Is Not Knowing Unlevel Playing Fields: From Baseball Diamonds to Emergency Rooms Susan Fiske on “Inclusive Leadership, Stereotyping and the Brain” Sexual Harassment at Wal-Mart? The Situation of Sexual Harassment Susan Fiske’s New Book Susan Fiske Discusses her Work on Different Types of Prejudices “The Situation of Objectification,” “Women’s Situational Bind,” and “Y... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159222 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 04:01:11 +0100 5159222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050744&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F18%2Fthe-situation-of-the-climate-change-debate%2F Situationist Contributor Dan Kahan, Maggie Wittlin, Ellen Peters, Situationist Contributor Paul Slovic, Lisa Ouellette, Donald Braman, and Gregory Mandel, recently posted their paper, “The Tragedy of the Risk-Perception Commons: Culture Conflict, Rationality Conflict, and Climate Change” on SSRN. Here’s the abstract. The conventional explanation for controversy over climate change emphasizes impediments to public understanding: Limited popular knowledge of science, the inability of ordinary citizens to assess technical information, and the resulting widespread use of unreliable cognitive heuristics to assess risk. A large survey of U.S. adults (N = 1540) found little support for this account. On the whole, the most scientifically literate and numerate subjects were slight... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050744 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:31:20 +0100 5050744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028487&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F12%2Fcolorblind-really%2F From Sister Blog, Law and Mind (by HLS student, Rachel Funk): Aunt Vivian: Gee, when Janice described him she didn’t mention that he was…tall. Not that I have a problem with people who are…tall. Uncle Lester: My cousin used to date a girl who was…tall. Uncle Phil: Heck, the boy go to a predominantly…tall school. Will: Now, am I alone on this or didn’t y’all notice he was white? ~ Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Episode #2.6, Guess Who’s Coming to Marry) In a short article in the February/March 2009 issue of Scientific American Mind, Siri Carpenter discusses two studies done by psychologists at Tufts and Harvard indicating that people who avoid mentioning race may actually appear more prejudiced. In the experiment, one white participant was paired up... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028487 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:42:25 +0100 5028487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008324&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F07%2Fthe-situation-of-heroism%2F From NPR’s Morning Edition: In 1971, at Stanford University, a young psychology professor created a simulated prison. Some of the young men playing the guards became sadistic, even violent, and the experiment had to be stopped. The results of the Stanford Prison Experiment showed that people tend to conform — even when that means otherwise good people doing terrible things. Since then, the experiment has been used to help explain everything from Nazi Germany to Abu Ghraib. Now, in a new project, [Situationist Contributor] Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist who created the prison experiment, is trying to show that people can learn to bring out the best in themselves rather than the worst. An Unwanted Legacy Four decades after he created the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo says h... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008324 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 04:01:39 +0100 5008324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997629&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F04%2Findependence-day-celebrating-courage-to-challenge-the-situation-2%2F First Published on July 3, 2007: With the U.S. celebrating Independence Day — carnivals, fireworks, BBQs, parades and other customs that have, at best, only a tangential connection to our “independence,” — we thought it an opportune moment to return to its source in search of some situationism. No doubt, the Declaration of Independence is typically thought of as containing a dispositionist message (though few would express it in those terms) — all that language about individuals freely pursuing their own happiness. Great stuff, but arguably built on a dubious model of the human animal. That’s not the debate we want to provoke here. Instead, we are interested in simply highlighting some less familiar language in that same document that reveals something... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997629 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:00:45 +0100 4997629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960128&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2Ftrampling-people-while-whistling-rights-normative-visions-judicial-realities-in-times-of-terror%2F Rio Pierce wrote this post for Law & Mind Blog: Marbury v. Madison, Miranda, and Brown v. Board of Education are hallmarks of a judicial canon that preaches a heroic vision of Constitutional Law arbitrated in our highest tribunal. These cases tell a story of the judicial process that reflects a flattering normative vision of the American government. These are the cases that may be most likely to be emphasized when a middle or high school student is first introduced to judicial review. Running concurrently alongside this set of cases is an antinomian canon, constituted of cases such as Dred Scott, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Bush v. Gore, that tells a story of the court as a political institution, embedded in the culture of its time. A particularly notable subset of these decisions occur d... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960128 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:05:59 +0100 4960128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911586&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideos.videopress.com%2F9gXsPnud%2Frep-anthony-weiner-lewd-photo-scandal-woman-who-forced-confession-speaks-to-2020_dvd.mp4 During the summer of 2007, we published the post below in response to the sex scandal du jour involving U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-LA). We republished it in the wake of former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s (D) “indiscretions.”  Former U.S. Senator and Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee John Edwards’ confession had us dusting off this post yet again.  We published it again when Senator Jon Ensign (R-NV)–who in 1998 urged President Clinton to resign following the Monica Lewinsky scandal–was added to the list and then again in response to the Mark Sanford scandal and for Chris Lee’s Craig’s List shenanigans.  We’ve decided to republish the post yet again in recognition of the recent revelations regarding Arnold Schwarzen... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911586 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:43:24 +0100 4911586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893578&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F02%2Fgroup-influence%2F From the instructional video series Psychology: The Human Experience: Influence explains individuality, group behavior, and deindividuation. Related Situationist posts: The Power of the Situation “Video on the Original Milgram Experiment,” Gender Conformity “Solomon Asch’s Classic Group-Influence Experiment,” “The Situational Effect of Groups,” Milgram-Inspired Movie “The Situation of Stanley Milgram’s Obedience Experiments,” “Milgram Replicated on French TV – ‘The Game of Death’,” “A Shocking Situation,” “Zimbardo on Milgram and Obedience – Part I,” “The Case for Obedience,” “Replicating Milgram’s Obedience Experiment – Yet Again,” “Jonestown (The Situation of Evil) Revisited,” “Milgram Remake,” “The Situation... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893578 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:44:16 +0100 4893578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883687&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F29%2Fthe-situation-of-donations%2F From BBC: We give more to a drought victim than a war victim because we suspect the latter may be partly to blame for their plight, the authors say. It could explain why the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami sparked a huge response but the Darfur appeal received less. The study was published in the European Journal of Social Psychology. “These conclusions are borne out by our experience,” said Brendan Paddy of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a UK body that co-ordinates aid appeals. “Appeals for a humanitarian disaster arising from conflict tend to get significantly less response than natural events.” * * * In the study, the psychologists invented a fictitious famine. They then told test groups the famine was caused either by a “drought” or “armed ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883687 Mon, 30 May 2011 01:44:12 +0100 4883687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852954&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F22%2Fideology-and-grading%2F From Inside Higher Ed: Republican professors and Democratic professors presumably produce different outcomes when they enter the ballot box, but what about when they record grades? A forthcoming study finds that there may be notable differences. Democratic professors appear to be “more egalitarian” than their Republican counterparts when it comes to grading, meaning that more of the Democratic grades are in the middle. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to award very high grades and very low grades. While the study documents those differences, the work will not satisfy political partisans hoping to demonstrate that Republicans are trying to encourage Darwinian competition with grading or that Democrats are Lake Wobegon graders afraid to suggest anyone did poorly. That&#... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852954 Sun, 22 May 2011 15:12:59 +0100 4852954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829003&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F14%2Fthe-situation-of-donald-trump%2F Michael Barbaro had an article in the New York Times earlier this week exploring several lawsuits against Donald Trump stemming from his educational ventures and real estate endeavors.  With respect to the latter, [o]ver the last few years, according to interviews and hundreds of pages of court documents, the real estate mogul has aggressively marketed several luxury high-rises as “Trump properties” or “signature Trump” buildings, with names like Trump Tower and Trump International — even making appearances at the properties to woo buyers. The strong indication of his involvement as a developer generated waves of media attention and commanded premium prices. * * * But when three of the planned buildings encountered financial trouble, it became clear that Mr. Trump had essentiall... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829003 Sat, 14 May 2011 18:50:58 +0100 4829003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820931&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F13%2Fself-fulfilling-doomsday-prophecies%2F In a world experiencing global climate change and massive environmental degradation, could it be that doomsday prophecies are a cause and consequence of the seeming indifference and recalcitrance of so many Americans? From NPR’s Here and Now: * * * Margaret Pease stands on a corner in downtown Pittsburgh, handing out doomsday pamphlets. “JUDGMENT DAY FOLKS!” she yells with a volume that would make a drill sergeant proud. “May 21, 2011!” For the past seven months, Pease has been crisscrossing the country in a caravan with eight others, warning anyone who will listen that God’s wrath is near. “I might be a little loud, but I want people to get the message,” she says. “I don’t want anybody’s blood on my hands. … JUDGMENT ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820931 Fri, 13 May 2011 04:01:57 +0100 4820931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794903&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F06%2Fsituational-sources-of-the-holocaust%2F From the Harvard Gazette: The table slab was cold and hard beneath 6-year-old Irene Hizme as doctors and nurses took measurements and blood samples. She didn’t know what was happening to her, and by the time it was all over, she wouldn’t care. She was found lying nearly comatose on the ground by a woman who brought her home to begin her recovery. Though it’s routine for children to be examined by physicians, that was hardly the case here. Her doctor was Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi who conducted cruel experiments on inmates at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. Hizme, who survived both her imprisonment and Mengele’s experiments, told her story to a rapt audience at Harvard Medical School’s Joseph Martin Conference Center in the New Research Building on Apri... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794903 Fri, 06 May 2011 12:37:11 +0100 4794903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768050&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F30%2Fon-money-and-motivation%2F This lively RSAnimate, adapted from Dan Pink’s talk at the RSA, examines some the ways that money doesn’t always buy motivation. Related Situationist posts: Shocking for Money The Situation of High Marginal Income Tax Rates and Motivation Money and the Situation of Happiness “The Situation of Money and Happiness,” “Receiving by Giving,” and  “Something to Smile About.”  To review a collection of Situationist posts exploring the causes and consequences of happiness, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768050 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:01:58 +0100 4768050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734223&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F19%2Fthe-informational-situation-of-voters%2F We present a model of an election with uninformed voters and experimentally test the effect of political information. Our results suggest that the lack of information in the American electorate typically biases election results toward the Republican Party. When uninformed citizens receive political information, they systematically shift away from the Republican Party. * * * Download the paper for free here. Related Situationist posts: Reporting Social Facts vs. Pining for Jim Crow: No Comparison Between Reid and Lott Racial Attitudes in the Presidential Race “The Situation of Pollworkers and Voting Booths – Abstract,” “The Racial Situation of Voting,” “The Interior Situation of Undecided Voters,” “On Being a Mindful Voter,” “Implicit Associations in the 2008 Presi... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734223 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 04:01:26 +0100 4734223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704722&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F13%2Fmemory-biases-as-source-of-prejudice%2F From Miller-McCune: A recent poll finding nearly half of Mississippi Republicans disapprove of interracial marriage is a disturbing reminder of the continuing prejudice faced by minority groups in 21st-century America. Why is such bias seemingly immune to eradication, and why does it seem to be more prevalentamong social conservatives? A fascinating new study from Italy suggests at least part of the answer can be traced to the way we process information and form political attitudes. Psychologists Luigi Castelli and Luciana Carraro of the University of Padua present evidence that our perception of minority groups is often distorted due to inaccurate recall of information. This phenomenon, they add, is more pronounced among social conservatives. Presented with a series of facts abou... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704722 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:01:12 +0100 4704722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696698&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fthe-disorderly-situation-of-stereotyping%2F From Los Angeles Times: Picture yourself in a well-kept room — pictures neatly hung on walls, books organized on a shelf, floors clear of junk. Now sit yourself in a room with crooked pictures, scattered books and dirty laundry on the floor. Feeling any different? In the second room, you might be more apt to keep your distance from a person of another race, believe that Muslims are aggressive or think that gay people are creative, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. The idea, said researchers from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, is that people in messy environments tend to compensate for that disorder by categorizing people in their minds according to well-known stereotypes. Testing the relationship between disorder and discrimination in real-life situa... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696698 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:01:36 +0100 4696698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631522&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F25%2Fpsychology-of-inequality%2F Elaine McCardle wrote a terrific review of last month’s Fifth Annual PLMS Conference.  Her article is the spotlight piece on the Harvard Law School website and includes several excellent videos, photos, and links.  Here’s the story. * * * While equality is a fundamental principle of American law and the bedrock of the national psyche, inequality has actually increased in the past four decades in the distribution of wealth, power, opportunity, even health. Yet the topic of inequality has received relatively little attention from legal theorists, and, for the most part, it is ignored in the basic law school curriculum. A conference last month at HLS, “The Psychology of Inequality,” presented by the Project on Law & Mind Sciences (PLMS), stepped into that vacuum, bringi... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631522 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 04:01:28 +0100 4631522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615203&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F19%2Fpaul-bloom-on-disgust%2F * * * Related Situationist posts: “Yuck!” “EWW!” and Other Conservative Expressions “Unclean Hands” “The Situation of Political Disposition” “The Situation of Reason,” “Ideology is Back!,” “The Situation of Confabulation,” “Social Psychology and the Unconscious: The Automaticity of Higher Processes,” “Jonathan Haidt on the Situation of Moral Reasoning,” “The Unconscious Situation of our Consciousness – Part IV,”and “Unconscious Situation of Choice.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615203 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:28:03 +0100 4615203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600598&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F16%2Fkennedy-and-pronin-on-the-spiral-of-conflict%2F A group of  Harvard Law students are blogging over at the Law & Mind Blog.  Here is one of their posts about a chapter by Situationist Contributor Emily Pronin and Kathleen Kennedy (forthcoming in from Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson’s  book, “Ideology, Psychology, and Law”).  The post is authored by HLS student Michael Lieberman. * * * In their chapter, Bias Perception and the Spiral of Conflict, Kathleen Kennedy and Emily Pronin examine what they see as a major cause of breakdowns in negotiation, both small- and large-scale: a tendency of each side to view the other side’s position as biased and preference-driven (rather than based on objective facts). Kennedy and Pronin explain that we tend to see signs of bias all around us – some even posit t... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600598 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 01:53:16 +0100 4600598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536141&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F02%2Fideological-bias-in-social-psychology%2F On January 27th, moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt gave a provocative talk at the annual convention of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.  His presentation has since received a lot of press (including John Tierney’s New York Times article on the talk). Edge has posted a version of Haidt’s talk as well as a variety of responses (here).  Below, we’ve posted the response by Situationist Contributor, John Jost. * * * Social psychology is not a “tribal-moral community” governed by “sacred values.” It is wide open to anyone who believes that we can use the scientific method to explain social behavior, regardless of their political beliefs. Nor is our “corner” of social science “broken” when it comes “race... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536141 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:01:10 +0100 4536141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4527779&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F27%2Fsalms-liveblogs-plms-conference%2F Read James Wang’s excellent notes from yesterday’s terrific conference here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4527779 Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:40:44 +0100 4527779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525057&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F27%2Flegal-socialization-and-the-news%2F Over at the new Law & Mind Blog, several Harvard Law students have been blogging about a chapter (forthcoming inIdeology, Psychology, and Law, edited by Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson) by Mitchell Callan and Situationist Contributor Aaron Kay. In the second post on the topic (copied below), LLM candidate David Simon discusses legal socialization. * * * Imagine you and your neighbor share a fence along a common border, part of which demarcates the boundary between both properties and “the wilderness.” The fence benefits both of you because it keeps out the livestock-killing coyotes. One day, a shared and critical part of the fence collapses onto your property, leaving your yard open to coyotes, who may eat your livestock. Without legal recourse, how might you resolve... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525057 Sun, 27 Feb 2011 04:20:50 +0100 4525057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477823&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F15%2Flaw-competition-self-interest%2F Over at the new Law & Mind Blog, several Harvard Law students have been blogging about a chapter by Mitchell Callan and Situationist Contributor Aaron Kay. In the first post on the topic (copied below), 1L student Becky Ding summarizes the chapter (forthcoming in Ideology, Psychology, and Law, edited by Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson). * * * In Association between Law, Competitiveness, and the pursuit of self-interest, Mitchell Callan and Aaron Kay discuss how law and the way our legal system functions affect and shape our thinking and interpersonal relations. In particular, it fosters the assumption that people are self-interested, competitive and untrustworthy. Callan and Kay supports their theory through theories and research results from various social cognition studies. Calla... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477823 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 04:01:54 +0100 4477823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4472984&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F14%2Fdavid-vitter-eliot-spitzer-john-edwards-jon-ensign-mark-sanford-and-now-chris-lee-the-disposition-is-weaker-than-the-situation%2F During the summer of 2007, we published the post below in response to the sex scandal du jour involving U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-LA). We republished it in the wake of former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s (D) “indiscretions.”  Feormer U.S. Senator and Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee John Edwards’ confession had us dusting off this post yet again.  We published it again when Senator Jon Ensign (R-NV)–who in 1998 urged President Clinton to resign following the Monica Lewinsky scandal–was added to the list and then again in response to the Mark Sanford scandal.  For Chris Lee’s Craig’s List shenanigans (video below), we’ve decided to republish the post yet again.  (We have omitted many smaller scandals from our list... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4472984 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 04:01:57 +0100 4472984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4460010&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F10%2Fdivided-loyalties-symposium%2F Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson will give the keynote at an interdisciplinary symposium:“Divided Loyalties: Professional Standards and Military Duty“ Hanson’s talk is titled “Shock Therapy: Changing Unethical Behavior by Understanding its Sources.” The symposium is being held at Case Western University Law School, and is funded in part by the Arthur W. Fiske Memorial Lectureship Fund. It it co-sponsored by: Center for Professional Ethics, Frederick K. Cox International Law Center, Institute for Global Security Law & Policy, Law-Medicine Center, and Center for Social Justice. The symposium website summarizes the focus of the conference this way: There has always been some tension between the ethical, legal, and professional obligations of professionals and the ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4460010 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:29:26 +0100 4460010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450338&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F08%2Freactions-to-the-repeal-of-dadt%2F Over at the new Law & Mind Blog, several Harvard Law students have been blogging about about System Justification Theory.  Here is one of those posts, written by first-year student Michael Lieberman. * * * In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama proudly proclaimed: “Starting this year, no American will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love.” Referencing the recent repeal of the U.S. Military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Policy (DADT), Obama expressed confidence in a relatively swift timeline for the repeal of the longstanding policy. In the days that followed Obama’s address, multiple government officials have echoed this sentiment, eliciting praise from long-time critics of the policy. Alexander Nicholson, exe... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450338 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:01:21 +0100 4450338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4386305&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F22%2Fregister-now-for-the-2011-conference-2%2F The time to register for the Fifth Law and Mind Sciences Conference, “The Psychology of Inequality,” is upon us. The conference will be held on February 26, 2011 at Harvard Law School. To register, click on the image above or here for the online registration. For more information about the conference, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4386305 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 04:01:31 +0100 4386305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382804&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideos.videopress.com%2Fpn0rNzqV%2Fsarah-palin-responds-to-tucson-shooting_hd.mp4 Last week The Situationist asked this question: Was Sarah Palin exhibiting the naive cynicism dynamic in her remarks about the shooting in Tucson (see video)? * * * * * * Several readers responded thoughtfully in brief comments, but Paul Rosenberg provided an outstanding, painstakingly thorough response over at Open Left. We highly recommend his post. * * * For some related Situationist posts, see: “Sarah Palin a Naive Cynic?,” “A Horror Movie for Palinites?,” “The Tragedy in Tucson: What Do You Think?,” “The Great Attributional Divide,” “Naive Cynicism,” “Legal Academic Backlash – Abstract,” “Emily Pronin on the Situation of Bias,” “Asymmetric Introspection and Extrospection,” and “The Si... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382804 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:40:28 +0100 4382804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372096&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fa-horror-movie-for-palinites%2F Despite my love of cinema, I tend to always fall behind on catching the latest movies. Case in point: during the past weekend, I finally had the opportunity to see The King’s Speech, which my own grandmother watched and wrote me about . . . last year. As a sort of New Year’s resolution, I’m attempting to be a bit more up-to-date on this front, and, thus, I’m going to dedicate this blog post to a film that hasn’t even been released yet, but that should be of interest to Situationist readers. What caught my attention about the preview for the film was that it seemed as if it could easily be modified into a Sarah Palin 2012 political advertisement. In the opening frames, we watch Senate candidate David Norris (Matt Damon) as he first crosses paths with the ballet dancer Elise Sellas... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372096 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:01:22 +0100 4372096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4352753&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F15%2Fmartin-luther-king-jr-%25e2%2580%2599s-situationism-2%2F This post was originally published on January 22, 2007. * * * Monday’s holiday provides an apt occasion to highlight the fact that, at least by my reckoning, Martin Luther King, Jr. was, among other things, a situationist. To be sure, King is most revered in some circles for quotations that are easily construed as dispositionist, such as: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Taken alone, as it often is, that sentence seems to set a low bar. Indeed, some Americans contend that we’ve arrived at that promised land; after all, most of us (mostly incorrectly) imagine ourselves to be judging people based solely on their dispositions, choic... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4352753 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:53:07 +0100 4352753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343208&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideos.videopress.com%2Fpn0rNzqV%2Fsarah-palin-responds-to-tucson-shooting_hd.mp4 Situationist Contributors Adam Benforado and Jon Hanson have written extensively about a dynamic they call “naive cynicism.” Their work explores how dispositionism maintains its dominance despite the fact that it misses so much of what actually moves us. It argues that the answer lies in a subordinate dynamic and discourse, naive cynicism: the basic subconscious mechanism by which dispositionists discredit and dismiss situationist insights and their proponents. Without it, the dominant person schema – dispositionism – would be far more vulnerable to challenge and change, and the more accurate person schema – situationism – less easily and effectively attacked. Naive cynicism is thus critically important to explaining how and why certain legal policies manage to carry the da... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343208 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:34:30 +0100 4343208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331067&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F10%2Fthe-tragedy-in-tucson-what-do-you-think%2F The unfolding news and debates about causes and consequences of yesterday’s tragic violence are raising many of the issues and themes common to this blog.  We hoped our readers would weigh in and share their thoughts and reactions to the events themselves and media discourse that has followed:  Bad Apple? Disposition? Context?  Situation? Spiraling conflict? Naive cynicism? Below you’ll find some excerpts from today’s Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh programs.  What do you think?  Please comment. * * * * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Situation of Presidential Death Threats,” “Motivated Skepticism,” “Interview with Professor Eric Knowles,” “Naive Cynicism,” “The Situation of Talk Radio,”... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331067 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:52:15 +0100 4331067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314062&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fthe-unequal-situation-of-seperation%2F From Rice News (by Mike Williams): However much people choose to live in a segregated society, the trend is a losing proposition for all. That was the takeaway message delivered by Rice’s Michael Emerson in a presentation to the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP) last week. Members came to campus to hear him discuss select results from the Houston Area Survey, particularly as they relate to housing preferences among blacks, whites and Hispanics. Emerson, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and co-director of the university’s new Institute for Urban Research (IUR), gave a brief summary of segregation in Houston based on the 2000 Census that showed distinct separation between black and white neighborhoods, with Hispanics somewhat more integr... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314062 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:49:32 +0100 4314062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294728&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F27%2Fmotivated-skepticism%2F Ezra Klein recently wrote a great post for the Washington Times about some of the political-psychological dynamics shaping current policy debates.  Included in it was as a helpful summary of the research commonly featured on the Situationist.  Here are some excerpts. * * * When we’re faced with information or ideas that accord with our preexisting beliefs about the world, we accept them easily. When the ideas and information cut against our beliefs, however, we interrogate them harshly, subjecting them to endless scrutiny and a long search for contrary evidence which, when found, we accept uncritically. Let’s start with an amusing experiment that [Situationist Contributor] Peter Ditto, a political psychologist at the University of California at Irvine, and David Lopez, a psyc... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294728 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 04:01:18 +0100 4294728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275394&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F21%2Fblood-race%2F From the Harvard Gazette: The centuries-old “one-drop rule” assigning minority status to mixed-race individuals appears to live on in our modern-day perception and categorization of people like Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, and Halle Berry. So say Harvard University psychologists, who’ve found that we still tend to see biracials not as equal members of both parent groups, but as belonging more to their minority parent group. The research appears in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. “Many commentators have argued that the election of Barack Obama, and the increasing number of mixed-race people more broadly, will lead to a fundamental change in American race relations,” says lead author Arnold K. Ho, a Ph.D. student in psychology at Harvard. “Our work challenges the ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275394 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:36:58 +0100 4275394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258927&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F15%2Fthe-inherited-situation-of-racial-inequality%2F Discussion about (In)Equality,” “The Interior Situational Reaction to Inequality,” “The Situation of Mortgage Defaults,” “The Situation of the Mortgage Crisis,” and “The Interior Situation of Intergenerational Poverty.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258927 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 04:01:14 +0100 4258927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4205980&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F27%2Fwarming-world-or-just-world%2F From UCBerkeley News: Dire or emotionally charged warnings about the consequences of global warming can backfire if presented too negatively, making people less amenable to reducing their carbon footprint, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. “Our study indicates that the potentially devastating consequences of global warming threaten people’s fundamental tendency to see the world as safe, stable and fair. As a result, people may respond by discounting evidence for global warming,” said Robb Willer, UC Berkeley social psychologist and coauthor of a study to be published in the January issue of the journal Psychological Science. “The scarier the message, the more people who are committed to vi... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4205980 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 04:48:29 +0100 4205980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197149&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F24%2Fthanksgiving-as-system-justification-3%2F This post was first published on November 21, 2007. Thanksgiving has many associations — struggling Pilgrims, crowded airports, autumn leaves, heaping plates, drunken uncles, blowout sales, and so on. At its best, though, Thanksgiving is associated with, well, thanks giving. The holiday provides a moment when many otherwise harried individuals leading hectic lives decelerate just long enough to muster some gratitude for their harvest. Giving thanks — acknowledging that we, as individuals, are not the sole determinants of our own fortunes seems an admirable, humble, and even situationist practice, worthy of its own holiday. But I’m interested here in the potential downside to the particular way in which many people go about giving thanks. Situationist contributor John Jos... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197149 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 04:01:01 +0100 4197149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164557&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F15%2Fthe-situation-of-creating-a-consumer-financial-protection%25c2%25a0bureau%2F In the wake of the worst economic crisis in the United States since the Great Depression, there has been a drive to reconfigure the regulatory state and renegotiate the relationship between Americans, business, and government. In a new article, just posted on SSRN, I argue that the ultimate formulation of that relationship turns, to a significant degree, on our basic attributional tendencies, particularly where we look to assign causal responsibility when things go wrong. Who or what engendered the shanty town that appeared in Sacramento, California in 2008?  Who blackened the pelican and closed the beach of Pensacola?  What lies behind the rise in diabetes in elementary school students? The answers that we give drive our remedial responses and our prophylactic measures—and in doing so... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164557 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 04:01:08 +0100 4164557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164558&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F14%2Fthe-situation-of-the-2008-economic-crisis%2F Charles Furgeson has produced a powerful documentary, “Inside Job,” about the deep capture of financial (de)regulation.  Here’s the trailer. * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Deeply Captured Situation of the Economic Crisis,” “Our Stake in Corporate Behavior,” “Larry Lessig’s Situationism,” “The Situation of Policy Research and Policy Outcomes,” “Industry-Funded Research,” “De-Capturing the FDA,” “The Situation of Talk Radio,” “Deep Capture – Part X,” and “The company ‘had no control or influence over the research’.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164558 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 04:01:20 +0100 4164558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151894&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F09%2Finterview-with-professor-eric-knowles%2F From The Project on Law & Mind Sciences at Harvard Law School (PLMS): Here is an illuminating interview of Situationist Contributor Erid Knowles by Harvard Law student Anna Lamut. The interview, titled “On Moral Judgment and Normative Questions” lasts just over 72 minutes. It was conducted as part of the Law and Mind Science Seminar at Harvard taught by Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson. Eric Knowles  is an assistant professor of Psychology & Social Behavior, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley. The following blurb from his website describes his research: “When does inequality seem like inequity? Broadly speaking, my research examines how people perceive and react to the fact that some groups in society have more than others. I am especially interested in how di... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151894 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 04:01:56 +0100 4151894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133852&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F04%2Fsusan-fiske-discusses-her-work-on-different-types-of-prejudices%2F Situationist Contributor Susan Fiske discusses her research on stereotypes and prejudice and the systematic principles that influence how groups are treated in society. * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Situation of Objectification,” “Women’s Situational Bind,” “Hey Dove! Talk to YOUR parent!,” and “You Shouldn’t Stereotype Stereotypes.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133852 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 04:01:18 +0100 4133852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098075&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Fthe-situation-of-precision-targeted-ads%2F Robert Wright posted an interesting commentary on the New York Times Opinionator last night in which he argued that the arrival of HTML 5, which “will allow sites you visit to know your physical location and will make it easier for them to keep track of your browsing and shopping history,” may be “the salvation of journalism.” As he explains, “The willingness of advertisers to spend the money that sustains journalists has always depended on having information about the reader.”  And modern technology, with its ability to track individual consumer behavior, has made it possible to tailor and target ads towards specific individuals.  In Wright’s words, What if God [or Google or Yahoo], knowing exactly who every Slate reader is, and what kinds of products and services he’s a... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098075 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:01:07 +0100 4098075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074163&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F14%2Fjim-sidanius-terror-intergroup-violence-and-the-law-%25e2%2580%259d%2F In his fascinating presentation at Harvard Law School on September 12, 2010, Professor Sidanius discussed ways in which the legal system has been, and continues to be, used as a means to effectuate intergroup violence, particularly through the criminal justice system.  Here is a video of that that talk [Duration: 54:10]. Professor Sidanius, a Harvard University professor in the departments of Psychology and African and African American Studies, focuses his research on the political psychology of gender, group conflict, and institutional discrimination, as well as the evolutionary psychology of intergroup prejudice. He runs the Sidanius Lab in Intergroup Relations, which conducts research regarding intergroup relations, social inequality, hierarchy, stereotyping, ideology, and prejudice.... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074163 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 05:21:42 +0100 4074163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031317&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F05%2Fthe-situation-of-high-marginal-income-tax-rates-and-motivation%2F A leading rationale against progressively higher income tax rates for top-earners is that high taxes will dissuade them from working hard, being innovative, or trying to be the best at whatever they do. This rationale has seemingly prevented a return of the very high marginal income tax rates used between 1951 and 1963, when taxable personal income over $400,000 was taxed to the tune of 91% by the federal government. Now-a-days, taxable personal income over $373,650 is taxed at 35% by the federal government (the percent will increase to 39.6% in 2011 if the Bush tax cuts are not extended or made permanent.  39.6% was used during the Clinton years.  When combining many states’ income taxes, the effective rate would–at least for those high-earners living in states with progres... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031317 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 04:01:09 +0100 4031317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3895868&cid=t_112697_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fn6mBLZJkmBk%2F Today POLITICO Arena asks: Angry Left Obama’s bête noir? My response: Would the president help himself by making a clearer ideological declaration — as many on the “professional left” are asking him to do? Hardly. POLITICO tells us this morning that those “professionals” lament “the president’s reluctance to be a Democratic version of Ronald Reagan, who spoke without apology about his vaulting ideological ambitions.” One of those professionals, Robert Reich, urges Obama to present “a clear and convincing narrative into which all the various initiatives neatly fit, so that the public can make sense of everything that’s done.” The public is quite capable of making sense of everything that’s been done. It’s doing i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895868 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:09:18 +0100 3895868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845160&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F09%2Frenata-saleci-on-the-paradox-of-choice%2F A common theme of The Situationist and of the scholarship of Situationist Contributors is the “choice myth” in western culture.   Here is a video of Professor Renata Saleci, who employs sociology, psychoanalysis, and philosophy, to offer a slightly different version of that familiar theme. For a sample of related Situationist posts, go to “Sheena Iyengar on the Situation of Choosing,” and the  links in that post.   To review the hundreds of Situationist posts discussing the “Choice Myth” click here., (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845160 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:01:02 +0100 3845160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3831411&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F06%2Fwhy-do-lawyers-acquiesce-in-their-clients%25e2%2580%2599-misconduct-part-iv%2F This is Part IV of my series, exploring the reasons why lawyers acquiesce in their clients’ frauds and other misconduct.  For background, please access Part I, Part II and Part III of this series.  In this segment, I will focus on the relationship between lawyers’ “role ideology”—normative visions about their professional role—and the inclination to “go along to get along” when their high status clients (or, more accurately, high-paying client representatives) want to engage in financial shenanigans that impact our capital markets. Don’t think this is an issue?  It is now 2010 and we are still recovering from the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.  No doubt, some lawyers looked the other way when their client representatives wanted to engage in ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3831411 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:34:13 +0100 3831411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802458&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F30%2Fattributional-divide-top-10%2F This article, the first of a multipart series, argues that a major rift runs across many of our major policy debates based on our attributional tendencies: the less accurate dispositionist approach, which explains outcomes and behavior with reference to people’s dispositions (i.e., personalities, preferences, and the like), and the more accurate situationist approach, which bases attributions of causation and responsibility on unseen influences within us and around us. Given that situationism offers a truer picture of our world than the alternative, and given that attributional tendencies are largely the result of elements in our situations, identifying the relevant elements should be a major priority of legal scholars. With such information, legal academics could predict which indiv... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802458 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:01:43 +0100 3802458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3795004&cid=t_112697_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fcourtship-of-eddies-ideology.html Given the way politics have been drifting in the direction of NeoConservatismand NeoFeudalism, I think Edmund Burke himself would consider crossing the aisle.I get excited when I stumble across something that appeals to my own confirmation bias.... I mean, my nuanced, principled and well-founded view of our social, economic and political landscapes. Nice Guy Eddie brings the heat...Since I don't let an ideology do my thinking for me, I don't really care what positions fall under which label. I really, just DON'T CARE. I'm not trying to Liberal here, I'm just trying to be RIGHT. (As in "correct," not "wing.") And the way I see our modern discourse going, there are really only two groups:One is very strictly and narrowly defined, and I've written about them here here&nbsp... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3795004 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:15:00 +0100 3795004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750117&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F14%2Fsituationist-political-science-and-the-situation-of-voters%2F Joe Keohane wrote an outstanding article, “How Facts Backfire: Researchers discover a surprising threat to democracy: our brains,” for the Boston Globe last week.  Here are some excerpts. * * * It’s one of the great assumptions underlying modern democracy that an informed citizenry is preferable to an uninformed one. “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1789. . . . Mankind may be crooked timber, as Kant put it, uniquely susceptible to ignorance and misinformation, but it’s an article of faith that knowledge is the best remedy. If people are furnished with the facts, they will be clearer thinkers and better citizens. If they are ignorant, facts will enlighten them. If they are mistaken, facts w... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750117 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:16:26 +0100 3750117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3737097&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F09%2Fthe-stressful-situation-of-religious-zealotry%2F From York University: Anxiety and uncertainty can cause us to become more idealistic and more radical in our religious beliefs, according to new findings by York University researchers, published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In a series of studies, more than 600 participants were placed in anxiety-provoking or neutral situations and then asked to describe their personal goals and rate their degree of conviction for their religious ideals. This included asking participants whether they would give their lives for their faith or support a war in its defence. Across all studies, anxious conditions caused participants to become more eagerly engaged in their ideals and extreme in their religious convictions. In one study, mulling over a personal d... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3737097 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:01:57 +0100 3737097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3723352&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F03%2Findependence-day-celebrating-courage-to-challenge-the-situation-2%2F This post was first published on July 3, 2007. With the U.S. celebrating Independence Day — carnivals, fireworks, BBQs, parades and other customs that have, at best, only a tangential connection to our “independence,” — we thought it an opportune moment to return to its source in search of some situationism. No doubt, the Declaration of Independence is typically thought of as containing a dispositionist message (though few would express it in those terms) — all that language about individuals freely pursuing their own happiness. Great stuff, but arguably built on a dubious model of the human animal. That’s not the debate we want to provoke here. Instead, we are interested in simply highlighting some less familiar language in that same document that reve... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3723352 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 03:00:32 +0100 3723352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710623&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F29%2Fthe-situational-effects-of-inequality%2F Here is an intriguing (40-minute) interview with Richard Wilkinson co-author of the book The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger and co-founder of The Equality Trust. * * * * * * For a sample of related Stiuationist posts, see “The Situational Consequences of Poverty on Brains,” For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Inequality and the Unequal Situation of Mental and Physical Health,” “The Interior Situation of Intergenerational Poverty,” “Rich Brains, Poor Brains?,” “Jeffrey Sachs on the Situation of Global Poverty,” “The Situation of Financial Risk-Taking,” “The Situation of Standardized Test Scores,” “The Toll of Discrimination on Black Women,” “The Physical Pains of Discrimination,” “The D... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710623 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:16:48 +0100 3710623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3648476&cid=t_112697_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQqfIAk7FrOE%2F By Ilya ShapiroI have written previously about the damnable decision to include a bust of Stalin in the new National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia.  An excerpt of my attack on this misguided move: Memorials are monuments to fallen heroes, not historical dioramas. There is no statue of Stephen Douglas at the Lincoln Memorial, no bust of Wendell Willkie at the FDR Memorial, and no plaques honoring Axis dead at our WWII Memorial. Moreover — and perhaps most importantly from a historical perspective – Stalin had no role in D-Day; the invasion of Normandy by U.S., British, Canadian, Australian, Free French, and other Western forces. While there is no question that Stalin, by virtue of commanding the army fighting on the Eastern Front, played an indispensable role in defeating Hi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3648476 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:36:57 +0100 3648476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633516&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F06%2Fthe-palliative-function-of-ideology%2F Jaime Napier is an Assistant Professors of Psychology at Yale University. Her primary research interest is the effects of societal injustice, including how members of advantaged and disadvantaged groups diverge in their perceptions and explanations of injustice; how political and religious ideologies may ameliorate the outrage associated with perceived injustice; and the consequences of accepting or rationalizing injustice on individual subjective well-being and self-esteem. At the third annual conference on Law and Mind Sciences, which took place in March of 2009, Napier’s fascinating presentation was titled “The Palliative Function of Ideology.” Here’s the abstract: In this research, we drew on system-justification theory and the notion that conservative ideology ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633516 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 04:01:59 +0100 3633516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3617913&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F01%2Ftalk-to-an-iraqi-from-this-american-life%2F From This American Life: “A young Iraqi ends up in America after fleeing Iraq and goes on a road trip to ask Americans questions about the War. But he approaches people in a very specific way, a way you might actually recognize from Peanuts comics. The conversations he has illuminate how we form opinions about a war happening far away.” The roughly sixteen minutes worth of video are, like most TAL stories, outstanding.  We include them on the Situationist, however, because of how powerfully the dialogues illustrate the influence of system justification, in-group bias, and other psychological motives. * * * * * * * * * To read a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Cruelty of Children,” “Racism Meets Groupism and Teamism,” “‘Us’ and ‘Them... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3617913 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:01:21 +0100 3617913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592279&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F24%2Fthe-profits-and-perils-of-public-engagement%2F In my last post, I asked whether it was a threat to academia for academics to make a concerted effort to engage the public with their work. Tamara Piety had a thoughtful response (see here).  She made a number of interesting points about the value of reaching out to non-academics and of risking being wrong.  As she explained, “I think the argument that speaking to the general public somehow undermines your scholarly credentials is often just used as a weapon to try to intimidate and silence those with novel ideas (or ones the critic disagrees with).” Overall, I think Tamara and I are in agreement that the benefits of academics striving to translate their research for a popular audience are worth the (not insignificant) costs.  (I, or course, welcome comments from those who disagree!... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592279 Mon, 24 May 2010 04:01:40 +0100 3592279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3570078&cid=t_112697_154_f&fid=36427&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FABlogAroundTheClock%2F%7E3%2FKjmyznr5rro%2Fpreaching_to_the_choir.php I got this video from Orac's blog where an interesting comment thread is developing. This also goes against those who lament the "echo chambers" but those tend to be the same people who write HeSaidSheSaid articles every day - they live in a binary world where only "who wins the two-horse horserace" matters and anything more sophisticated than that is 'elitist' and to be ignored as 'outside of mainstream' which - the mainstream - they, the savvy Villagers with nice hairdos on TV, get to define. Read the comments on this post... (Source: A Blog Around The Clock) A Blog Around The Clock blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3570078 Sun, 16 May 2010 19:10:03 +0100 3570078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542678&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F07%2Fmind-over-money-nova-pbs-video%2F Below the jump you can watch an outstanding and fascinating  video episode, “Mind over Money,” by PBS’s NOVA, that asks the question “Can markets be rational when humans aren’t?” and that includes significant segments describing some of the work by Situationist friend Jennifer Lerner. (We’ve placed the (52 minute) video after the jump because it plays automatically.) * * * * * * For more detailed information relevant to the episode, you can click on the following links. The Disposition Effect Trust your gut when trading stocks? Do no such thing, argues David Adler, producer of “Mind Over Money.” The Deciding Factor A new study at Harvard is exploring how emotions affect our decisions, whether we like it or not. TV Program Descrip... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542678 Fri, 07 May 2010 04:01:42 +0100 3542678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508175&cid=t_112697_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2eo4GCuWN88%2F By Jim HarperThe Consumerist relates the story of a potential Verizon customer who grew frustrated with his inability to get its high-speed FiOS Internet service. After resorting to emailing the CEO of the company, his service was promptly installed. “Verizon is a corporation who cares about their customers and not only about the bottom line,” wrote the newly happy customer. Now ask yourself: Just how separable are “caring for customers” and “the bottom line”? It’s interesting that many people’s ideological grooves have these concepts in opposition. But business owners know how much time they spend slavishly trying to please customers—because that affects their bottom lines. When big businesses do it badly, that affects their bottom li... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508175 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:56:19 +0100 3508175 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487041&cid=t_112697_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3C8e1lqfINY%2F By David BoazDavid Kirby and I have an op-ed in today’s Politico on libertarians as the “leading edge” of the independent vote: Who are these centrist, independent-minded voters who swung the elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts to Republican candidates and are likely to be crucial in races this fall?… Libertarians seem to be a leading indicator of this trend in centrist, independent-minded voters, based on an analysis of many years of polling data. We estimate that libertarians compose from 14 percent to 23 percent of voters nationally. They are among the few real swing voters in U.S. politics. We note that libertarian voters started to swing against the Republicans in 2004, before most Republicans did. Then independents swung hard to the Democrats ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487041 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:03:56 +0100 3487041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3480830&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F18%2Fbill-moyers-journal-watch-listen-pbs-2%2F Here is an outstanding 30-minute video interview about the sources of the financial crisis.  The interview should resonate with regular readers of The Situationist and those otherwise familiar with the “deep capture” hypothesis. From Bill Moyers Journal: “How did Big Finance grow so powerful that its hijinks nearly brought down the global economy – and what hope is there for real reform with Washington politicians on Wall Street’s payroll? Bill Moyers talks with authors Simon Johnson and James Kwak, two of the nation’s most respected economic experts and authors of the new book 13 Bankers: The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltodown.” * * * Here’s a sample of the transcript: James Kwak: I think there are two things. There’s a... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3480830 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 04:01:26 +0100 3480830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463657&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F13%2Fsam-gosling-snoop-the-secret-language-of-stuff%2F From ForaTV: For the last 10 years psychologist Gosling has been studying how people project (and protect) their inner selves. By exploring our private worlds (desks, bedrooms, even our clothes and cars), he shows not only how we showcase our personalities in unexpected ways, but also how we create personality in the first place, communicate it others and interpret the world around us. Does what’s on your desk reveal what’s on your mind? Do those pictures on your walls tell true tales about your character? Is your favorite outfit about to give you away? * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Situational Power of Appearance and Posture,” “Seeing Your Interior Situation through your Exterior Situation,” “What Our Exterior Sit... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463657 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 04:23:04 +0100 3463657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395195&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fwhat-does-situationism-mean-for-law%2F Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson was recently interviewed by Big Think.  Here is his answer to the following question: “What are some of the changes that the legal system should be making?” * * * * * * To watch the first part of Hanson’s BigThink interview, see “Jon Hanson on Situationism and Dispositionism,” which also contains other related Situationist links. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395195 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 04:16:47 +0100 3395195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370494&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F16%2Ftort-laws-distributional-injustice%2F Anita Bernstein, posted her recent review essay, titled “Distributive Justice Through Tort (And Why Sociolegal Scholars Should Care)” (forthcoming 35 Law of Social Inquiry) on  SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Drawing on two books central to an emerging sociolegal literature about tort-Fault Lines: Tort Law as Cultural Practice, a collection of chapters edited by David M. Engel and Michael McCann, and Torts, Egalitarianism and Distributive Justice, a monograph by Tsachi Keren-Paz–this essay argues that tort law in the United States redistributes wealth in ways that ought to trouble sociolegal scholars and enlist their reformist energy. Read together, the two volumes offer considerable description and critique of a distributive injustice, and lead to important proposa... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370494 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:04:11 +0100 3370494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363699&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F13%2Fjon-hanson-on-situationism-and-dispositionism%2F Situationist Contributor was recently interviewed by Big Think.  Here is his answer to the following questions: “What is wrong with our legal system’s notion of human behavior?”; and “What led you to study the link between law and cognition?” * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Hanson’s Chair Lecture on Situationism,” “Legal Academic Backlash – Abstract,” “‘Situation’ Trumps ‘Disposition’ – Part I,” and ““Situation” Trumps “Disposition”- Part II.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363699 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:38:40 +0100 3363699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3318451&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F01%2Fthe-situation-of-political-and-religious-beliefs%2F Science Daily summarized an intriguing (and, no doubt, soon-to-be-very-controversial study) finding that “Intelligent People Have Values Novel in Human Evolutionary History,” (such as liberalism and atheisim).  Here are some excerpts from that summary. * * * More intelligent people are statistically significantly more likely to exhibit social values and religious and political preferences that are novel to the human species in evolutionary history.  Specifically, liberalism and atheism, and for men (but not women), preference for sexual exclusivity correlate with higher intelligence, a new study finds. The study, published in the March 2010 issue of the peer-reviewed scientific journal Social Psychology Quarterly, advances a new theory to explain why people form particular pr... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3318451 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:59:45 +0100 3318451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311763&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F26%2Fvalue-affirmation-and-the-situation-of-climate-change-beliefs%2F On NPR’s All Things Considered, Situationist Contributor Dan Kahan and Donald Braman were interviewed this week by Christopher Joyce regarding their important work on cultural cognition.  Here is an excerpt. * * * Over the past few months, polls show that fewer Americans say they believe humans are making the planet dangerously warmer, and that is despite a raft of scientific reports that say otherwise. And that puzzles many climate scientists, but not social scientists. As NPR’s Christopher Joyce reports, some of their research suggests that when people encounter new information, facts may not be as important as beliefs. CHRISTOPHER JOYCE: The divide between climate believers and disbelievers can be as wide as a West Virginia valley, and that’s where two of them square... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311763 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:01:47 +0100 3311763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290858&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F20%2Fclarence-darrow-on-the-situation-of-crime-and-criminals-2%2F “Crime and Criminals: Address to the Prisoners in the Chicago Jail” (1902) Preface This address is a stenographic report of a talk made to the prisoners in the Chicago jail. Some of my good friends have insisted that while my theories are true, I should not have given them to the inmates of a jail. Realizing the force of the suggestion that the truth should not be spoken to all people, I have caused these remarks to be printed on rather good paper and in a somewhat expensive form. In this way the truth does not become cheap and vulgar, and is only placed before those whose intelligence and affluence will prevent their being influenced by it. —Clarence Darrow Crime and Criminals If I looked at jails and crimes and prisoners in the way the ordinary person does, I should not spe... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290858 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:43:14 +0100 3290858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283646&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F18%2Fthe-century-of-dipositionism-part-ii%2F From BBC Website : Adam Curtis’ acclaimed series examines the rise of the all-consuming self against the backdrop of the Freud dynasty. * * * To many in both politics and business, the triumph of the self is the ultimate expression of democracy, where power has finally moved to the people. Certainly the people may feel they are in charge, but are they really? The Century of the Self tells the untold and sometimes controversial story of the growth of the mass-consumer society in Britain and the United States. How was the all-consuming self created, by whom, and in whose interests? * * * The Freud dynasty is at the heart of this compelling social history. Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis; Edward Bernays, who invented public relations; Anna Freud, Sigmund’s devoted daughte... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283646 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:10:10 +0100 3283646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3272966&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F15%2Fthe-situation-of-scientific-consensus%2F Situationist Contributor Dan Kahan, Hank Jenkins-Smith, and Donald Braman, have just posted another fascinating paper, “Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus” on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Why do members of the public disagree – sharply and persistently – about facts on which expert scientists largely agree? We designed a study to test a distinctive explanation: the cultural cognition of scientific consensus. The “cultural cognition of risk” refers to the tendency of individuals to form risk perceptions that are congenial to their values. The study presents both correlational and experimental evidence confirming that cultural cognition shapes individuals’ beliefs about the existence of scientific consensus, and the process by which they for... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3272966 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:01:09 +0100 3272966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3271084&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F14%2Foliver-sacks-on-humans-and-myth-making-oliver-sacks-big-think%2F From Big Think: * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see”The Interior Situation of Complex Human Feelings,” “Daniel Dennett on the Situation of our Brain,” “Dan Dennett on our Interior Situation,” “The Situation of Reason,” “The Situation of Confabulation,” “Social Psychology and the Unconscious: The Automaticity of Higher Processes,” “Jonathan Haidt on the Situation of Moral Reasoning,” “The Unconscious Situation of our Consciousness – Part IV,” and “Unconscious Situation of Choice.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3271084 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:01:16 +0100 3271084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254518&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F09%2Fsystem-justification-and-the-meaning-of-life%2F Situationist Contributor John T. Jost and his co-authors Lindsay E. Rankin and Cheryl J. Wakslak recently published a fascinating article, titled “System Justification and the Meaning of Life: Are the Existential Benefits of Ideology Distributed Unequally Across Racial Groups?” 22, Social Justice Research 312 (2009).  Here’s the abstract. * * * In this research, we investigated the relations among system justification, religiosity, and subjective well-being in a sample of nationally representative low-income respondents in the United States. We hypothesized that ideological endorsement of the status quo would be associated with certain existential and other psychological benefits, but these would not necessarily be evenly distributed across racial groups. Results reveale... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254518 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:01:36 +0100 3254518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235913&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F02%2Fthe-constructed-situation-of-race%2F Christian Sundquist’s interesting article,  “The Meaning of Race in the DNA Era: Science, History and the Law” (27 Temple Journal of Science, Technology & Environmental Law 231-265 (2008)) is now available on SSRN. Here’s the abstract. * * * The meaning of “race” has changed dramatically over time. Early theories of race assigned social, intellectual, moral and physical values to perceived physical differences among groups of people. The perception that race should be defined in terms of genetic and biologic difference fueled the “race science” of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries, during which time geneticists, physiognomists, eugenicists, anthropologists and others purported to find scientific justification for denying equal treatment to non-whi... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235913 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:28:50 +0100 3235913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220577&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F29%2Fstereotyping-political-ideology%2F Susan Perry has a terrific article in yesterday’s Minneapolis Post, titled “How we use stereotypes to identify people’s political affiliations.”   Here are some excerpts. * * * . . . . According to a study published this month in the open-access journal PLoS ONE, people can identify with remarkable accuracy (more than by chance guessing) whether another person is a Republican or a Democrat by simply looking at that person’s headshot. How do we do it? By relying on stereotypes, the study found. Republicans, apparently, look “powerful” in our minds, and Democrats appear “warm.” Of course, these kinds of stereotypes can lead to perceptual errors. “Not all Democrats appear warm and not all Republicans appear powerful,” wrote the study’s authors. “How... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220577 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:01:08 +0100 3220577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3185436&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F19%2Fmartha-fineman-on-the-situation-of-gender-and-equality%2F Martha Fineman recently posted on  SSRN her fasinating chapter, titled “Evolving Images of Gender and Equality: A Feminist Journey” examining the changing conceptions of gender and equality and the unjustified privileging of autonomy over equality in American culture. * * * This chapter, which will be included in Transcending the Boundaries of Law, M.A. Fineman, Ed (Routledge 2010) brings a historical and analytic gaze on the concept of equality in the US legal system. Beginning with the establishment of Portia Law School for women and court decisions like Muller v. Oregon, I discuss the tension between seeking equality as sameness of treatment and seeking positive improvements in the lives of women. While women have officially attained legal equality with men, in terms of be... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3185436 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:09:25 +0100 3185436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3182240&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F18%2Fmartin-luther-king-jr-%25e2%2580%2599s-situationism%2F This post was originally published on January 22, 2007. * * * Monday’s holiday provides an apt occasion to highlight the fact that, at least by my reckoning, Martin Luther King, Jr. was, among other things, a situationist. To be sure, King is most revered in some circles for quotations that are easily construed as dispositionist, such as: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Taken alone, as it often is, that sentence seems to set a low bar. Indeed, some Americans contend that we’ve arrived at that promised land; after all, most of us (mostly incorrectly) imagine ourselves to be judging people based solely on their dispositions, choic... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3182240 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:33:30 +0100 3182240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159803&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F11%2Fglobal-climate-change-and-the-situation-of-denial%2F Situationist Contributor John T. Jost together with Irina Feygina and Rachel E. Goldsmith have recently completed a fascinating article examining the motivations behind some people’s unwillingness to take climate change seriously.  The article, titled “System Justification, the Denial of Global Warming, and the Possibility of ‘System-Sanctioned Change’” will be published later this year in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Here’s the abstract. * * * Despite extensive evidence of climate change and environmental destruction, polls continue to reveal widespread denial and resistance to helping the environment. It is posited here that these responses are linked to the motivational tendency to defend and justify the societal status quo in the face of ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159803 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:01:16 +0100 3159803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153442&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F08%2Fulaw-tv-brenda-cossman%2F Brenda Cossman is a Professor of Law, at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. Her teaching and research is in the area of family law, feminist theory, law and film, and sexuality and the law. Her most recent book on Sexual Citizens: The Legal and Cultural Regulation of Sex and Belonging was published by Stanford University Press in 2007. She recently published a fascinating article, titled “The ‘Opt Out Revolution’ and the Changing Narratives of Motherhood: Self Governing the Work/Family Conflict” in the 2009 volume of the Utah Law Review.  Here’s the abstract. * * * “The double shift,” “the glass ceiling,” “the mommy track”: Women’s efforts to balance work and family have given rise to a host of buzz words over... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153442 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:01:56 +0100 3153442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133653&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F31%2Fnicole-stephens-on-%25e2%2580%259cchoice-social-class-and-agency%25e2%2580%259d%2F Nicole Stephens is a Ph.D. student in Social Psychology at Stanford University. Her research focuses on the ways in which sociocultural contexts – such as those delineated by social class, race, and gender – shape the experience and the consequences of choice. In one line of research, she examines how people of different social classes define and respond to choice. In a second line of research, she examines how the common American belief that individual choice drives all actions blinds people to the sociocultural sources of inequality. At the third annual conference on Law and Mind Sciences, which took place im March of 2009, Stephens’s fascinating presentation was titled “Choice, Social Class, and Agency.” Here’s the abstract: Across disciplines we tend to assu... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133653 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:01:24 +0100 3133653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092762&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F12%2F16%2Fpersonality-traits-and-political-attitude%2F The relationship between personality and political preferences is not the simple relation between conservatism and negative personality traits on the one hand and liberalism and positive personality traits on the other hand. Personality is understood as the combination of innate dispositions and personal experiences that guides behavior in a stable and predictive manner. Behavior is also determined by environmental circumstances. In this way it is plausible to presume that personality and politics seem related to each other. More recent research shed some more light on this relationship. The relationship is not assumed to be strictly causal. It seems likely that the relationship between personality traits and political attitude is in part the expression of the same underlying genetic liabi... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092762 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:35:29 +0100 3092762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084844&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F14%2Fjohn-jost-speaks-about-his-own-research%2F This is Part III and the conclusion of an interview of Situationist Contributor John Jost by the Association for Psychological Science Student Caucus.    Part I is here and Part II is here.  This segment focuses on John’s own remarkable and pathbreaking research. * * * APSSC: Much of your research has focused on psychological characteristics of liberals and conservatives. What have you learned that could be applied in the increasingly partisan world of politics? Jost: Well, that is an interview in itself, and I have given several on this topic (including one that is archived at The Situationist). The bottom line is that major differences of opinion (such as the debate over health care reform) are not easy to resolve because they are rooted in fundamental differences not only in pers... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084844 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:01:42 +0100 3084844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3082453&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F12%2Fthe-situation-of-john-jost%2F The Association for Psychological Science Student Caucus recently conducted a fascinating interview of Situationist Contributor, John Jost.    Here are some excerpts. * * * APSSC: What led you to choose psychology as a career? Jost: . . . . I knew at age 13 or 14 that I wanted to be a psychologist, but, like many others, I expected that I would become a clinical psychologist. The reason for that was that as a child and adolescent, I was very close to someone (an extended family member) who had a serious mental illness. I thought — quite unrealistically, of course — that I could understand him better than other people and that I could somehow help him. It wasn’t until college that I decided that I would rather try to fix the “holes” in the social system than force individual �... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3082453 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:01:26 +0100 3082453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048193&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F02%2Fthe-situation-of-violence%2F From BBC’s Horizon: What makes ordinary people commit extreme acts of violence? In a thought-provoking and disturbing journey, Michael Portillo investigates one of the darker sides of human nature. He discovers what it is like to inflict pain and is driven to the edge of violence himself in an extreme sleep deprivation study. He meets men for whom violence has become an addiction and ultimately discovers that each of us could be inherently more violent than we think, and watches a replication of one of the most controversial studies in history, the Milgram study. Will study participants be willing to administer a seemingly lethal electric shock to someone they think is an innocent bystander? * * * * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts about the situation of violenc... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048193 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:01:10 +0100 3048193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039858&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F30%2Fmotivated-judicial-reasoning%2F In her recent book, Law, Politics, and Perception: How Policy Preferences Influence Legal Reasoning (2009), Eileen Braman examines how policy preferences and legal authority interact to influence judicial decision making.  Here’s the book’s abstract. * * * Are judges’ decisions more likely to be based on personal inclinations or legal authority? The answer, Eileen Braman argues, is both. Law, Politics, and Perception brings cognitive psychology to bear on the question of the relative importance of norms of legal reasoning versus decision markers’ policy preferences in legal decision-making. While Braman acknowledges that decision makers’ attitudes—or, more precisely, their preference for policy outcome... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039858 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:01:56 +0100 3039858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3036985&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F29%2Fracial-attitudes-in-the-presidential-race%2F From Project Implicit Blog: An article by Project Implicit researchers published this month in Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy reports evidence that both implicit and explicit race attitudes were related to intended vote in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. 1,057 registered voters completed a study conducted at Project Implicit’s research website during the week before the presidential election. The participants completed multiple measures of racial attitudes including self-reported feelings of warmth toward Blacks and Whites, a measure of “symbolic” racism, two implicit measures of racial attitudes – a brief version of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and the Affective Misattribution Procedure (AMP), and reported their intended vote. Analyses suggested that parti... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3036985 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:01:50 +0100 3036985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3023200&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F24%2Fthanksgiving-as-system-justification-3%2F This post was first published on November 21, 2007. Thanksgiving has many associations — struggling Pilgrims, crowded airports, autumn leaves, heaping plates, drunken uncles, blowout sales, and so on. At its best, though, Thanksgiving is associated with, well, thanks giving. The holiday provides a moment when many otherwise harried individuals leading hectic lives decelerate just long enough to muster some gratitude for their harvest. Giving thanks — acknowledging that we, as individuals, are not the sole determinants of our own fortunes seems an admirable, humble, and even situationist practice, worthy of its own holiday. But I’m interested here in the potential downside to the particular way in which many people go about giving thanks. Situationist contributor John Jos... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3023200 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:25:01 +0100 3023200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008171&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F19%2Faaron-kay-%25e2%2580%259cthe-psychological-power-of-the-status-quo%25e2%2580%259d%2F Situationist Contributor Aaron Kay is an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Professor Kay’s research has focused on the integration of implicit social-cognitive processes with the study of broad social issues. In his primary line of work, he investigates the myriad ways by which people cope with, adapt to, and rationalize social inequalities. At the moment, this research program addresses questions such as: (1) How do people rationalize and justify their good fortune and bad fortune, others’ good fortune and bad fortune, and the social systems that dictate these outcomes? (2) What are the psychological tools employed in aiding people to cope with the internal conflict produced from participating in social systems that are, in many obje... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008171 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:20:31 +0100 3008171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999617&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F17%2Fthe-situation-of-the-invisible-hand%2F Yesterday, Paul Rosenberg published an intriguing situationist piece at Open Left about the context and meaning of Adam Smith’s “invisible hand.”   Here are some excerpts. * * * What if Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” argument doesn’t mean what we think it means?  What if it doesn’t mean that everything else but the “free market” can and should be ignored?  What if if Smith actually depended on social and historical context in order to make his argument in the first place? What if it was an argument deeply dependent on what . . . The Situationist blog calls “the situation”? In fact, that’s exactly what happened! Recently, Berkeley economist Brad DeLong posted “Yet Another Note on Adam Smith’s &#8216... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999617 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:01:50 +0100 2999617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992713&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F14%2Fa-system-justification-primer%2F Here is a worthwhile Blogging Heads clip in which Josh Knobe interviews Situationist Contributor John Jost regarding the success of George W. Bush. * * * * * * To review a related set of Situationist posts, see “The Motivated Situation of Inequality and Discrimination,” “John Jost on System Justification Theory,” “John Jost’s “System Justification and the Law” – Video,” “Independence Day: Celebrating Courage to Challenge the Situation,” “Thanksgiving as “System Justification”?” and “Patriots Lose: Justice Restored!“  To review the full collection of Situationist posts related to system justification, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992713 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:01:18 +0100 2992713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984865&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F12%2Fgeoffrey-cohen-on-%25e2%2580%259cidentity-belief-and-bias%25e2%2580%259d%2F Situationist Contributor, Geoffrey Cohen spoke at the Second Project on Law and Mind Sciences (PLMS) Conference (in March of 2008).  His talk, titled “Identity, Belief, and Bias” summarized research exploring the way in which motivations to protect long-held beliefs and identities contribute to bias, resistance to probative information, and ideological intransigence.  You can watch Cohen’s outstanding presentation in the following videos (each roughly 9 minutes in length). * * * * * * * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Situation of the Achievement Gap,” “The Project’s Second Conference – ‘Ideology, Psychology & Law’,” “Women’s Situational Bind,” and “The Implicit Value of... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984865 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:01:05 +0100 2984865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977360&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F10%2Fbarbara-ehrenreich-on-the-sources-of-and-problems-with-dispositionism%2F From GRITtv: “Barbara Ehrenreich’s new book looks at the downside of looking on the bright side, which she says has undermined America.” * * * * * * * * * To read a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Barbara Ehrenreich – a Situationist,” “The Motivated Situation of Inequality and Discrimination,” “Thanksgiving as “System Justification”?,” “Cheering for the Underdog,” “Ayn Rand’s Dispositionism: The Situation of Ideas,” “Deep Capture – Part X,” “Promoting Dispositionism through Entertainment – Part I, Part II, & Part III,” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977360 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:01:47 +0100 2977360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2970270&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F07%2Fthe-corporate-situation-of-the-prison-population%2F In the video below, Free Speech TV’s news magazine program SourceCode looks inside the private prison boom, and at the growing opposition to for-profit private prisons, jails, and detention centers. * * * * * * Stephen Colbert recently parodied the trend. * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Conference on the Free Market Mindset,” “The Situation of Solitary Confinement,” “The Situation of Punishment (and Forgiveness),” “Clarence Darrow on the Situation of Crime and Criminals,” “The Situation of Punishment,” “Why We Punish,” “The Situation of Death Row,” and “Lessons Learned from the Abu Ghraib Horrors.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2970270 Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:01:34 +0100 2970270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954580&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F03%2Fjim-sidanius-%25e2%2580%259cunder-color-of-authority-terror-intergroup-violence-and-%25e2%2580%2598the-law%25e2%2580%2599%25e2%2580%259d%2F Jim Sidanius is a Professor in the departments of Psychology and African and African American Studies at Harvard University.  His primary research interests include the political psychology of gender, group conflict, institutional discrimination and the evolutionary psychology of intergroup prejudice. At the second annual conference on Law and Mind Sciences, which took place im March of 2008, Professor Sidanius’s fascinating presentation was titled ““Under Color of Authority: Terror, Intergroup Violence and ‘The Law.’” Here’s the abstract: While instances of inter-communal violence and genocide are obvious and immensely tragic, what is not as readily appreciated is the widespread extent and ferocity of the intergroup violence that is channeled through legal and... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954580 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:01:20 +0100 2954580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943887&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F30%2Fbernard-harcourt-on-%25e2%2580%259cneoliberal-penality%2F Bernard Harcourt, the Julius Kreeger Professor of Law and professor of political science at the University of Chicago, presented his fascinating paper “Neoliberal Penality: The Birth of Natural Order, the Illusion of Free Markets” at the third annual conference on Law and Mind Sciences, “The Free Market Mindset: History, Psychology, and Consequences,” which took place on March 7, 2009 at Harvard Law School.  The abstract for his talk is as follows: In the Encyclopédie in 1758, under the entry “Grains,” Francois Quesnay declared that “It is quite sufficient that the government simply not interfere with industry, suppress the prohibitions and prejudicial constraints on internal commerce and reciprocal external trade, abolish or diminish tolls and transport... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943887 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:01:04 +0100 2943887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2931052&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F27%2Fthe-painful-situation-of-guilt%2F From Eureka Alert: The rationale behind torture is that pain will make the guilty confess, but a new study by researchers at Harvard University finds that the pain of torture can make even the innocent seem guilty. Participants in the study met a woman suspected of cheating to win money. The woman was then “tortured” by having her hand immersed in ice water while study participants listened to the session over an intercom. She never confessed to anything, but the more she suffered during the torture, the guiltier she was perceived to be. The research, published in the “Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,” was conducted by Kurt Gray, graduate student in psychology, and Daniel M. Wegner, professor of psychology, both in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Scien... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2931052 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:01:29 +0100 2931052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912270&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F21%2Fgoutam-jois-at-harvard-law-school%2F On Thursday, October 22, the HLS Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences (SALMS) and the HLS American Constitution Society (ACS) are hosting a talk by Situationist Fellos Goutam Jois entitled “Stare Decisis is Cognitive Error”: * * * For hundreds of years, the practice of stare decisis — a court’s adherence to prior decisions in similar cases — has guided the common law. However, recent behavioral evidence suggests that stare decisis, far from enacting society’s “true preferences” with regard to law and policy, may reflect — and exacerbate — our cognitive biases. The data show that humans are subconsciously primed (among other things) to prefer the status quo, to overvalue existing defaults, to follow others’ decisions, and to stick to th... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912270 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:01:18 +0100 2912270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902826&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F18%2Fdan-gilbert-to-speak-at-harvard-law-school%2F For more details, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902826 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:01:32 +0100 2902826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2894577&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F15%2Fthe-categorical-situation-of-money%2F At the Third Annual Law and Mind Sciences Conference at Harvard Law School, titled “The Free Market Mindset: History, Psychology, and Consequences,” (March 7, 2009) Christine Desan’s presentation was titled “Legal Categories of Thought.”  Desan is a  Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where she has taught since 1992. Her areas of interest include American constitutional history, legal and political thought, civil procedure, and statutory interpretation. In her presentation, Professor Desan describess the rich variety of ways that the law categorizes different kinds of liquidity — including coin, banknotes, bonds, dollars, and securities, and explores some of the ways that legal doctrine has disciplined our thought, including our assumptions about ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2894577 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:01:28 +0100 2894577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890715&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F14%2Fbarbara-ehrenreich-a-situationist%2F Barbara Ehrenreich’s terrific, highly situationist, new book is now on the shelves, Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America. From a related Time Magazine article here’s a brief sample of her writing on the topic of optimism. * * * If you’re craving a quick hit of optimism, reading a news magazine is probably not the best way to go about finding it. As the life coaches and motivational speakers have been trying to tell us for more than a decade now, a healthy, positive mental outlook requires strict abstinence from current events in all forms. Instead, you should patronize sites like Happynews.com, where the top international stories of the week include “Jobless Man Finds Buried Treasure” and “Adorable &#821... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890715 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:01:59 +0100 2890715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855655&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F02%2Fgeorge-lakoff-on-the-metaphorical-situation-of-moral-politics%2F From University of California Television: “UC Berkeley professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics George Lakoff explores how successful political debates are framed by using language targeted to people’s values instead of their support for specific government programs in this public lecture sponsored by the Helen Edison Series at UC San Diego.” * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Situation of Metaphors,” “Ideology Shaping Situation, or Vice Versa?,” and “Your Brain on Politics.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855655 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:01:37 +0100 2855655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832224&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F25%2Fposner-on-keynes-and-the-economic-depression%2F Judge Richard Posner just published an essay, “How I Became a Keynesian” in the New Republic.  In it he describes how the economic depression led him to go back to read Keynes’s The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money and his new-found appreciation for Keynes and elements of Keynesianism.  Here are some excerpts. * * * I knew that John Maynard Keynes was widely considered the greatest economist of the twentieth century, and I knew of his book’s extraordinary reputation. But it was a work of macroeconomics–the study of economy-wide phenomena such as inflation, the business cycle, and economic growth. Law, and hence the economics of law–my academic field–did not figure largely in the regulation of those phenomena. And I had heard that... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832224 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:01:50 +0100 2832224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824178&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F23%2Fthe-motivated-situation-of-inequality-and-discrimination%2F Aaron C. Kay, Danielle Gaucher, Jennifer M. Peach, Kristin Laurin, Justin Friesen, Mark P. Zanna, and Steven J. Spencer have recently published their article, “Inequality, Discrimination, and the Power of the Status Quo: Direct Evidence for a Motivation to See the Way Things Are as the Way They Should Be” (97 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 421– 434 (2009).  Here’s the abstract. * * * How powerful is the status quo in determining people’s social ideals? The authors propose (a) that people engage in injunctification, that is, a motivated tendency to construe the current status quo as the most desirable and reasonable state of affairs (i.e., as the most representative of how things should be); (b) that this tendency is driven, at least in part, by people�... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824178 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:01:41 +0100 2824178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766084&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F04%2Ftake-the-policy-iat-4%2F If you haven’t already (or even if you have), we invite you to take, the “Policy IAT.”  We urge  individuals of all political and ideological orientations to participate in the on-line test designed to examine whether and to what extent people have implicit preferences for certain types of policy options.  Please encourage your friends (and, to those of you who are bloggers, your readers) to participate as well. To learn more or to take the Policy IAT (a roughly 15-minute task), click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766084 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:01:25 +0100 2766084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734085&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F26%2Fconstruing-acquaintance-rape%2F Situationist Contributor Dan Kahan recently posted his fascinating paper, “Culture, Cognition, and Consent: Who Perceives What, and Why, in ‘Acquaintance Rape’ Cases.”  Here’s the abstract. * * * This paper uses the theory of cultural cognition to examine the debate over rape-law reform. Cultural cognition refers to the tendency of individuals to conform their perceptions of legally consequential facts to their defining group commitments. Results of an original experimental study (N = 1,500) confirmed the impact of cultural cognition on perceptions of fact in a controversial acquaintance-rape case. The major finding was that a hierarchical worldview, as opposed to an egalitarian one, inclined individuals to perceive that the defendant reasonably understood t... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734085 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:01:05 +0100 2734085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712156&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F19%2Fthe-situation-of-parochialism-abstract%2F Jonathan Baron recently posted his interesting paper, titled “Parochialism as a Result of Cognitive Biases” on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * I discuss several forms of bias, or fallacious thinking, that lead to parochialism, that is, a willingness to sacrifice self-interest for in-group members while neglecting or underweighing negative effects on outsiders, so that an out-group could lose more than the in-group gains from the sacrifice. In the self-interest illusion, people fallaciously think that their contribution to their group comes back to benefit them and make their sacrifice worthwhile. This illusion is larger when an outgroup is affected, and it is specific to group benefits; it is unrelated to the desire to hurt another group out of sheer competition. A se... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712156 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:01:56 +0100 2712156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653806&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F30%2F%25e2%2580%259cyuck%25e2%2580%259d-%25e2%2580%259ceww%25e2%2580%259d-and-other-conservative-expressions%2F As many readers of this blog know, a number of Situationist contributors are interested in the connections between ideology, psychology, and law.  Working with Jon Hanson, my most recent focus has been on understanding how the motivations underlying ideologies may be connected to attributional proclivities that have a profound impact on legal policies. Given the strong backlash that often accompanies attempts to characterize ideology as anything but a free “choice,” I always get a little nervous when I see summaries of research studies in this area in the popular media.  However, it also often leaves me a little excited that these ideas might be gaining some traction. Although I urge readers to check out the actual research paper in the June copy of Cognition and Emotion, here is a n... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653806 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:01:17 +0100 2653806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2641335&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F27%2Fthe-post-obama-situation-of-racism-abstract%2F Ian Haney-Lopez, has recently posted his thoughtful paper, “Post-Racial Racism: Crime Control and Racial Stratification in the Age of Obama” on SSRN.  Here is the abstract. * * * What does the 2008 election of Barack Obama to the United States presidency portend for race in America? This Essay uses the tremendous racial disparities in the American crime control system to assess race and racism as key features of contemporary society. The Essay begins by considering a compelling thesis that racialized mass incarceration stems from backlash to the civil rights movement. If true, this raises the possibility that Obama’s election, potentially marking the end of backlash politics, also represents a likely turning point in the war on crime. The Essay then reconsiders mass impriso... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2641335 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:01:38 +0100 2641335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2637853&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F25%2Fleaving-the-past%2F Sam has been an active racist his entire life.  For decades, he has called blacks demeaning names; he has written about their inferiority; he has threatened them and beaten them; he has attended lynchings. Under great pressure from various acquaintances and friends, in his seventieth year of life, he stops using the “n” word and ends the explicit prohibition on hiring blacks at his factory. Ten years later, however, his business still has an almost all white workforce, despite getting lots of black applications, and no managers. Should we trust Sam that racial bias has nothing to do with the disparity? If you are like me, despite hoping that Sam has changed, you are deeply skeptical.  A person carries his past with him, and it continues to shape his life—even when he genuinely beli... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2637853 Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:01:57 +0100 2637853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2626074&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F22%2Fwhy-are-they-so-biased%2F Last week Sally Lehrman published an interesting op-ed, titled “Why are people of color presumed biased, and we are not?“ in the Oakland Tribune.   Here are some excerpts. * * * On the first day of the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings, one senator after another demanded assurances the judge would not allow her background to influence her decisions on the U.S. Supreme Court. Sen. Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, decried anyone “who believes it is acceptable for a judge to allow their personal background, gender, prejudices or sympathies to sway their decision in favor of or against parties before the court.” It’s certainly fair to demand that members of the high court set aside personal politics and p... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2626074 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:01:31 +0100 2626074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2616722&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F20%2Fthe-situation-of-homogeneity%2F This summer, I have finally gotten around to reading Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein’s book Nudge and, unsurprisingly, there is much in the book that parallels situationist work.  Indeed, many (if not most) of the referenced social psychology experiments and dynamics should already be familiar to readers of this website. One paragraph that I came across this morning particularly struck a chord with me because it took up a topic that I addressed not a month earlier in an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun: the problem with “collaborative filtering,” whereby consumers are given recommendations based on the preferences of others with identical tastes.  As Thaler and Sunstein explain, [S]urprise and serendipity can be fun for people, and good for them too, and it may not be entirely wonderful... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2616722 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:01:47 +0100 2616722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2615377&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F19%2Fbloggingheads-tv-percontations-system-justification-theory%2F * * * To read a selection of related Situationist posts, see “John Jost’s “System Justification and the Law” – Video,” “Independence Day: Celebrating Courage to Challenge the Situation,” “Thanksgiving as “System Justification”?” and “Patriots Lose: Justice Restored!“  To review the full collection of Situationist posts related to system justification, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2615377 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 04:01:26 +0100 2615377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2610985&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F17%2Fcompassion-law-and-judge-sonia-sotomayor%2F Situationist contributor Michael McCann has posted on SSRN a draft of his forthcoming law review essay, Judge Sonia Sotomayor and the Relationship between Leagues and Players: Insights and Implications, 42 Connecticut Law Review __ (forthcoming, 2009). The essay examines two of Judge Sotomayor’s most notable sports law decisions, Silverman v. Major League Baseball Player Relations Committee and Clarett v. National Football.  In doing so, the essay challenges prevailing criticisms of Judge Sotomayor–namely, that her “compassion” distorts her understanding and application of the law.  An excerpt is below. * * * Politicians and commentators are vigorously debating the judicial philosophy of federal appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor, whom President Barack Obama has nominated... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2610985 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:01:53 +0100 2610985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2606023&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F16%2Ffirefighters-and-the-situation-of-merit%2F The following excerpted op-ed, “Trial by Firefighters,” co-written by Harvard Law Professor Lani Guinier and Columbia Law Professor Susan Sturm, was published in the July 11, 2009, edition of The New York Times. They are also the co-authors of “Who’s Qualified: A New Democracy Forum on the Future of Affirmative Action” (Beacon Press, 2001). * * * STANDING on the steps of the federal courthouse in New Haven, the lawyer Karen Torre reveled in her clients’ victory in a recent case before the Supreme Court. She anointed her clients — the white firefighters who scored well on a promotion test — “a symbol” for millions of Americans who are “tired of seeing individual achievement and merit take a back seat to race and ethnicity.” But the Supreme Court’s 5-to-4 decision ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2606023 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:01:55 +0100 2606023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576634&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F07%2Fthe-situation-of-attitudes-about-progress%2F Paul Starobin of CNN.com has an interesting commentary on President Obama’s trip to Russia and how the President, in Starobin’s view, might receive an unenthusiastic welcome.  An excerpt of Starobin’s piece explains why. * * * But if Obama, more ambitiously, hopes to win over the hearts of the Russian people — along the lines of his recent Cairo address, pitched over the heads of the governments of the Islamic world and straight at their citizenry — he can expect to leave disappointed. The Russians, to start with, have never been all that enthralled with the Obama phenomenon. On the eve of his inauguration, a 17-nation poll conducted by the BBC World Service found that in every country except two, a majority of the people believed his presidency would lead to... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576634 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:01:19 +0100 2576634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570573&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F05%2Fbiased-i-know-you-are-but-what-am-i%2F Randy Dotinga, writing for the North County Times, quotes Situationist Contributor Peter Ditto on the bias of our media choices. * * * If you’re a conservative, you’re more likely to listen to Rush Limbaugh than turn to National Public Radio. And if you’re liberal, you’re probably don’t spend your time tuned to Roger Hedgecock, Sean Hannity and Rick Roberts. Pretty obvious, right? Yes, but now researchers have gone and confirmed what we think we know: People like to hear opinions that back up what they already think. In a study published this week in a journal called Psychological Bulletin, researchers say we do indeed turn to sources of information that confirm our biases, especially when it comes to things like politics and religion. * * * Peter Ditto, a pro... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570573 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:01:22 +0100 2570573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570574&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F04%2Findependence-day-celebrating-courage-to-challenge-the-situation%2F With the U.S. celebrating Independence Day — carnivals, fireworks, BBQs, parades and other customs that have, at best, only a tangential connection to our “independence,” — we thought it an opportune moment to return to its source in search of some situationism. No doubt, the Declaration of Independence is typically thought of as containing a dispositionist message (though few would express it in those terms) — all that language about individuals freely pursuing their own happiness. Great stuff, but arguably built on a dubious model of the human animal. That’s not the debate we want to provoke here. Instead, we are interested in simply highlighting some less familiar language in that same document that reveals something special about the mindset and cele... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570574 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:01:43 +0100 2570574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556159&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F30%2Fthe-situation-of-displinary-welfare-programs-abstract%2F We present experimental evidence based on hypothetical vignettes that case managers are more likely to recommend sanctions for Latina and black clients – but not white clients – when discrediting markers are present. We triangulate these findings with analyses of state administrative data. Our results for Latinas are mixed, but we find consistent evidence that the probability of a sanction rises significantly when a discrediting marker (i.e., a prior sanction for noncompliance) is attached to a black rather than a white welfare client. Overall, our study clarifies how racial minorities, especially African Americans, are more likely to be punished for deviant behavior in the new world of disciplinary welfare provision. * * * To download the paper for free, click here.  To read ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556159 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:01:05 +0100 2556159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511024&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F25%2Fit%25e2%2580%2599s-hard-to-step-into-someone-else%25e2%2580%2599s-shoes%2F Stanley Fish has an interesting new post (over on his New York Times blog) that reflects on a panel discussion at NYU Law School on the question of what kind of Supreme Court justices we want.  Do we actually desire a judge with “empathy”? Fish gave particular attention to “Judge Sotomayor’s now famous or infamous speculation that a wise Latina might know something an old white guy did not.” His analysis aligns with op-eds that Jon Hanson and I have written recently for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the anecdote he relates at the end is an excellent demonstration of just how blind we can be to the power of situation and, in particular, how easy it is to become lost in one’s own perspective. Here is an excerpt of the post * * * [If Sotomayor] is being descriptive, if she is say... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511024 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:01:49 +0100 2511024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510436&cid=t_112697_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fclear-headed-defense-of-comparative.html We have tried to argue why comparative effectiveness research is a good idea. To cut and paste what I wrote in a previous post,Physicians spend a lot of time trying to figure out the best treatments for particular patients' problems. Doing so is often hard. In many situations, there are many plausible treatments, but the trick is picking the one most likely to do the most good and least harm for a particular patient. Ideally, this is where evidence based medicine comes in. But the biggest problem with using the EBM approach is that often the best available evidence does not help much. In particular, for many clinical problems, and for many sorts of patients, no one has ever done a good quality study that compares the plausible treatments for those problems and those patients. When the only... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510436 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:18:00 +0100 2510436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473533&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F12%2Fthe-situation-of-human-trafficking-abstract%2F This article suggests that a central reason for the limited success in preventing human trafficking is the dominant conception of the problem, which forms the basis for law developed to combat human trafficking. Specifically, the author argues that “otherness” is a root cause of both inaction and the selective nature of responses to the abusive practice of human trafficking. Othering operates across multiple dimensions, including race, gender, ethnicity, class, caste, culture, and geography, to reinforce a conception of a virtuous “Self” and a devalued “Other.” This article exposes how this Self/Other dichotomy shapes the phenomenon of human trafficking, driving demand for trafficked persons, influencing perceptions of the problem, and constraining legal... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473533 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:01:54 +0100 2473533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473535&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F11%2Femily-pronin-on-the-situation-of-bias%2F In March of 2008, at the Second Harvard Conference on Law and Mind Sciences, Situationist Contributor Emily Pronin presented her fascinating and important work in a talk titled “Implications of Personal and Social Claims and Denials of Bias.”  Below we have pasted the abstract and the four video segments of her presentation. * * * People’s efforts to make accurate, fair, and sound judgments and decisions often are compromised by various cognitive and motivational biases. Although this is clearly a problem, the solution is less clear due to the fact that people generally deny, and often are literally unaware of, their own commissions of bias – even while they readily impute bias to those around them. I will discuss evidence for this asymmetry in bias perception and for the ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473535 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:03:51 +0100 2473535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469569&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F10%2Fthe-situation-of-biased-perceptions%2F Emily Aronson and Ushma Patel recently wrote a nice article (pasted below) about the important work of Situationist Contributor and psychology star Emily Pronin. Pronin’s work takes on special significance this week in light debates about the Sotomayor nomination and this week’s Supreme Court’s decision in Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., in which Justice Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion that “The judge inquires into reasons that seem to be leading to a particular result. . . . To bring coherence to the process, and to seek respect for the resulting judgment, judges often explain the reasons for their conclusions and rulings. There are instances when the introspection that often attends this process may reveal that what the judge had assumed to be a proper, c... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469569 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:00:09 +0100 2469569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464176&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F09%2Fstereotyping-sotomayor%2F Last week, Situationist Contributor Adam Benforado wrote a second op-ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer, titled “Stereotypes on Full Display,” about conservative reaction to the Sotomayor nomination.  We’ve pasted it below. * * * If you thought race and gender politics were put to rest with the historic presidential campaigns of last year, think again. The excitement and controversy over Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court demonstrate both how far we have come and how far we have to go. Although Sotomayor has served on the federal bench for 17 years – longer than any incoming justice in the last 100 years – there is little hope that the confirmation process will focus on her judicial record. The order of the day is Sotomayor’s i... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464176 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:01:16 +0100 2464176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447666&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F02%2Fthe-situation-of-political-disposition%2F Nicholas Kristof recently published a nice column, titled “Would You Slap Your Father? If So, You’re a Liberal,” discussing some of the situationist insights regarding the psychological antecdents of political inclination.   Here are some excerpts. * * * If you want to tell whether someone is conservative or liberal, what are a couple of completely nonpolitical questions that will give a good clue? How’s this: Would you be willing to slap your father in the face, with his permission, as part of a comedy skit? And, second: Does it disgust you to touch the faucet in a public restroom? Studies suggest that conservatives are more often distressed by actions that seem disrespectful of authority, such as slapping Dad. Liberals don’t worry as long as Dad has given permission. ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447666 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:01:41 +0100 2447666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447668&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F31%2Fbrooks-on-the-situation-of-judging%2F New York Times columnnist David Brooks had a nice op-ed, “The Empathy Issue,” picking up some of the themes in the recent op-ed by Situationist Contributors Adam Benforado and Jon Hanson.  Here are some excerpts. * * * The American legal system is based on a useful falsehood. It’s based on the falsehood that this is a nation of laws, not men; that in rendering decisions, disembodied, objective judges are able to put aside emotion and unruly passion and issue opinions on the basis of pure reason. * * * Supreme Court justices, like all of us, are emotional intuitionists. They begin their decision-making processes with certain models in their heads. These are models of how the world works and should work, which have been idiosyncratically ingrained by genes, culture, education... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447668 Sun, 31 May 2009 04:01:46 +0100 2447668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441604&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F29%2Fthe-situation-of-judicial-cognition-and-motivation-abstract%2F Jennifer Robbennolt, Robert MacCoun, and [Situationist contributor] John M. Darley, posted their excellent paper, “Multiple Constraint Satisfaction in Judging,” on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Different models of judicial decision making highlight particular goals. Traditional legal theory posits that in making decisions judges strive to reach the correct legal decision as dictated by precedent. Attitudinal and strategic models focus on the ways in which judges further their preferred policies. The managerial model emphasizes the increasing caseload pressures that judges at all levels face. Each model accurately captures some of what every judge does some of the time, but a sophisticated understanding of judicial decision making should explicitly incorporate the no... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441604 Fri, 29 May 2009 04:01:01 +0100 2441604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441611&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F21%2Fthe-situation-of-judicial-activism%2F Yesterday, Situationist Contributors Adam Benforado and Jon Hanson published an op-ed, “Right or Left, Judges Are Activists,” in the Philadelphia Inquirer. * * * The attack is on. Supreme Court Justice David Souter may still have his robe, but a conservative rabble has already begun its effort to influence who will wear it next. Their weapon is a tested one: the claim of “judicial activism.” Over the last week, conservative pundits and bloggers have set their sights on Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. By most accounts, Sotomayor, who was first nominated to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, is an accomplished, respected jurist with a compelling personal story. Nonetheless, some on the far right have assailed h... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441611 Thu, 21 May 2009 04:01:37 +0100 2441611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398791&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F08%2Fbush-cheney-rumsfeld-and-tenet-guilty-2%2F More than 10,000 people cast their votes during the last year and a half in a virtual voting booth at www.LuciferEffect.com. Their judgments accord with the recent Senate Armed Services bipartisan report that blames Bush officials for detainee abuse. It also finds that the prison guards and interrogators were not the “true culprits.” The vast majority of these voters found all four Bush officials guilty of having created the legal frameworks, laws, and motivational conditions that provided the foundation for the abuses and torture of detainees at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons. The guilty verdicts (for George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and George Tenet) were true regardless of political preference, across all age groups, and whether or not they had read The Lucifer ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398791 Fri, 08 May 2009 04:01:18 +0100 2398791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2381341&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F01%2Fthe-situation-of-stephen-colbert-audienc%2F Taegan Goodard of Political Wire links to an interesting finding from a new study titled “The Irony of Satire: Political Ideology and the Motivation to See What You Want to See in the Colbert Report.”  The study was authored by three Ohio State School of Communications graduate students, Heather Lamarre, Kristen Landreville, and Michael Beam.  Here is Goodard’s take: * * * An Ohio State University study finds that conservatives were more likely to report that Stephen Colbert “only pretends to be joking” on his Comedy Central television show “and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements.” * * * To read an abstract of the study, which has ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2381341 Fri, 01 May 2009 04:01:28 +0100 2381341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306948&cid=t_112697_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fpeta-admits-it-kills-adoptable-cats-and.html The more I observe PETA, the more bizarre it seems to me. It claims to love animals, and yet it euthanizes more than 90% of the animals it takes in. Why does PETA have to do this? Animal shelters are able to euthanize animals too sick, injured, or aggressive to be found good homes. Moreover, it does not have a formal adoption program, it has admitted to the Telegraph, and it kills adoptable animals. From the story:Peta insists that homes could not be found for the dogs and cats, usually because they were in such poor health or because they were "unsocialised" and aggressive, usually because of bad treatment by their owners.But the organisation, which does not run its own animal adoption programme and does not accept animals into its care elsewhere, admitted to The Sunday Telegraph that som... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306948 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:54:00 +0100 2306948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313405&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F02%2Fthe-bias-of-the-bar%2F Is the American Bar Association biased against conservatives? In a March 30 article, the New York Times’ Adam Liptak (“Legal Group’s Neutrality Is Challenged,” March 30, 2009) provides evidence that the answer is “yes”: [A] series of studies have found indications that liberal nominees do better in the [A.B.A. evaluation of judicial nominees] . . . than conservative ones.  The latest, to be presented next month at the Midwest Political Science Association, found evidence consistent with ideological bias.   “Holding all other factors constant,” the study found, “these nominations submitted by a Democratic president were significantly more likely to receive higher A.B.A. ratings than nominations submitted by a Republican president.”   * * *   The bar association says ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313405 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:01:24 +0100 2313405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313408&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F30%2Fthink-progress-or-die%2F Tom Jacobs, on Miller-McCune has a helpful summary, titled “Fearing Death? Think Progress,” of fascinating research on terror management theory.  Here are some excerpts. * * * [M]ost of us cling to the notion of human progress, insisting that our children will inhabit a more just society, or that our own contribution will make the world a better place. Why? Three social psychologists from the University of Amsterdam have come up with a reason: It makes it easier to accept the reality of our own deaths. Not unlike religious faith, “belief in progress provides a protective existential buffer,” according to a paper just published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Expanding on the ideas of Terror Management Theory, lead author Bastiaan T. Rutjens argu... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313408 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 04:01:09 +0100 2313408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287164&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F20%2Ftake-the-policy-iat-4%2F If you haven’t already (or even if you have), we invite you to take, the “Policy IAT.”  We urge  individuals of all political and ideological orientations to participate in the on-line test designed to examine whether and to what extent people have implicit preferences for certain types of policy options.  Please encourage your friends (and, to those of you who are bloggers, your readers) to participate as well. To learn more or to take the Policy IAT (a roughly 15-minute task), click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287164 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:01:25 +0100 2287164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287166&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F18%2Fconference-on-the-free-market-mindset%2F From the Harvard Law School Website (published yesterday and written by Christine Perkins), here is an a nice summary of  the Project on Law and Mind Science’s Third Annual Conference. * * * On Saturday, March 7, Harvard Law School’s Program on Law and Mind Sciences held its third annual conference, “The Free Market Mindset: History, Psychology and Consequences.” Close to 200 people attended the day-long event at HLS, bringing together leading scholars in law, economics, social psychology, and social cognition to discuss their research on the historical origins, psychological antecedents, and policy consequences of the free market mindset. According to HLS Professor Jon Hanson, Director of the Project on Law and Mind Sciences at HLS, the conference’s topic was originally in... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287166 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:01:53 +0100 2287166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272011&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F16%2Fsarah-palin-objectification-reaction-situation%2F Eric Deggans, has a nice article in the Saint Petersburg Times summarizing research by psychologists from Univesity of South Florida, Jamie L. Goldenberg and Nathan A. Heflick.  Their research examined the objectifying effects of thinking about Sarah Palin’s appearance.  Immediately below, you will find excerpts from Deggans’s article.  Below that, you’ll find some reflections from Jamie Goldenberg regarding the negative reaction of some conservative media to her research. * * * Two researchers at the University of South Florida have developed a study that suggests . . . that a random group of Republicans and independents asked to focus on Palin’s attractiveness felt less likely to vote for the GOP ticket in last November’s elections. “The idea is tha... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272011 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:01:07 +0100 2272011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2266675&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F14%2Fwhy-criminals-obey-the-law-abstract%2F This study fills this void by using a unique survey of active offenders in Chicago called the Chicago Gun Project (CGP). Part of a larger evaluation effort of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, the CGP posed a series of individual, neighborhood, legitimacy, and social network questions to a sample of 141 offenders in 52 Chicago neighborhoods. The CGP is designed to understand how the perceptions of the law and social networks of offenders influence their understanding of the law and subsequent law violating behavior. Our findings suggest that while criminals as a whole have negative opinions of the law and legal authority, the sample of gun offenders (just like non-criminals) are more likely to comply with the law when they believe in (a) the substance of the law, and (b) the legitima... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2266675 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:01:19 +0100 2266675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2234134&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F05%2Fjohn-josts-system-justification-and-the-law-video%2F At the 2007 Project on Law and Mind Sciences Conference, John Jost’s presentation was titled “System Justification and the Law.” Here is the abstract for his talk. Although there can be little doubt that individual and group self-interest motivate human behavior to a considerable degree, research in social psychology has revealed a quite different and often powerful motive: the motive to defend and justify the social status quo. This motive is present (at least to some degree) even among those who are seemingly most disadvantaged by the status quo; in some cases, in fact, this motive is strongest among those who are the most severely disadvantaged. System justification theory seeks to elucidate the nature of this motive and the situations in which it operates. * * * Dr. J... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2234134 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:01:37 +0100 2234134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2227661&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F02%2Fconference-the-free-market-mindset%2F Discussion - Presenters and Conference Attendees o    Anne Alstott (HLS) o    James Cavallaro (HLS) o    Gillian Lester (HLS & Berkeley) o    Michael McCann (Vermont Law) o    Benjamin Sachs (HLS) 5:55 – 6:00: Closing Remarks * * * Learn more or register here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2227661 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:25:38 +0100 2227661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2211547&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F25%2Flarry-lessigs-situationism%2F Samuel Jacobs, a senior at Harvard College and associate managing editor of The Harvard Crimson, recently interviewed Larry Lessig for the Ideas section of The Boston Globe.  The conversation illustrated Lessig’s situationist perspective of corruption.  Here are some excerpts. * * * ROD BLAGOJEVICH ACCUSED of trying to sell a Senate seat. Dianne Wilkerson stuffing cash into her shirt. A Harvard doctor taking huge consulting fees from drug companies. This past year ended with a collection of new examples of a very old problem: corruption. Lawrence Lessig, the Stanford intellectual-property scholar recently hired away by Harvard Law School, believes he may have some solutions. Lessig, who has built a reputation as a leading advocate for free culture and loosening copyright laws, surp... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2211547 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:01:30 +0100 2211547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2206876&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F22%2Fterror-management-theory-goes-mainstream%2F In the Colorado Springs Gazette, Debbie Kelly has a nice article about the changing situation of Thomas Pyszczynski, a well known psychology professor at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (”UCCS”) who is one of several scholars behind terror management theory. * * * Two decades ago, Thomas Pyszczynski’s ideas about how people use their cultural beliefs and values to shield themselves from anxiety about death — and how that plays out in international conflict — were viewed as kooky at worst, interesting at best.  9/11 changed all that. In the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Pyszczynski, a psychology professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, was catapulted to visionary status. Words... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2206876 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:33:17 +0100 2206876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2188401&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F15%2Fthe-free-market-mindset-conference%2F “I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interests of organizations, specifically banks and others, were such as they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders and their equity in the firms. . . . I found a flaw . . . in the model that I perceived is the critical functioning structure that defines how the world works.” ~Alan Greenspan * * * The market collapse has brought not only financial crisis but a crisis of faith in what Ronald Reagan famously called “the magic of the market place.” If the current state of the U.S. economy makes clear that former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s faith in free markets was misplaced, the question remains: what was it about free markets that proved — and still continues to prove — so alluring to econo... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2188401 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:01:09 +0100 2188401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2134956&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F27%2Fforatv-stephen-marglin-on-the-future-of-capitalism%2F Harvard economist Stephen Marglin is one of the confirmed presenters at the Third Annual Project on Law and Mind Sciences Conference (titled “The Free-Market Mindset:  History, Psychology, and Consequences” and scheduled for March 7, 2009).  Marglin’s recent work, as summarized on his website, focuses “on the foundational assumptions of economics and how these assumptions make community invisible to economists. This work, reflected in his latest book, The Dismal Science: How Thinking Like an Economist Undermines Community (Harvard University Press, 2008), attempts to counter the aid and comfort these assumptions give to those who would construct a world in the image of economics, a world ultimately without community.” Here are two videos in which Professor Ma... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2134956 Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:43:22 +0100 2134956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2132616&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F26%2Fsocial-tuning-and-ideology-part-2%2F Curtis Hardin is one of the authors of Shared Reality, System Justification, and the Relational Basis of Ideological Beliefs, an article that examines the relationship between affiliative motives and ideology.  I recently spoke with Professor Hardin about that work.  (For additional background on this research and shared reality theory, see Part 1.) * * * Al Sahlstrom: Could you please briefly discuss the background of this research - 
what is social tuning and in what contexts have psychologists 
previously studied it? Curtis Hardin: The observation that people can and do tune their attitudes toward the ostensible attitudes of others is an old and persistent one—dating at least to the dialogues of Plato (including The Republic and others). It is there at the inception of empirical... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2132616 Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:01:19 +0100 2132616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2131664&cid=t_112697_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F25%2Fsocial-tuning-and-ideology-part-i%2F The dominant view of ideology is that it is something that individuals consciously, rationally form.  In this mold, ideology is something pure that exists for its own reasons.  It is not a means to an end, unless that end is implementation of policy that reflects the most accurate evaluation of the world around us.  It does not, or at least should not, change based on different situations.  Nevertheless, there is reason to believe that unconscious, automatic processes and social psychological factors are connected to ideology. One theoretical perspective that sheds light on this connection is shared reality theory.  Shared reality theory proposes the idea that particular cognitions are founded on and regulated by particular interpersonal relationships, and that par... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2131664 Sun, 25 Jan 2009 04:43:20 +0100 2131664