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Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.07,0:00:15.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The study of cognitive biases tells us that we \Nprocess information subjectively.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.97,0:00:19.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sometimes to the extent that our perceptions \Nget distorted,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.87,0:00:25.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,clouding ‘simple and objective’ facts like the \Namount of violations in a football match.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.03,0:00:31.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Having cognitive biases is in many cases a very \Neffective and healthy phenomenon
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.07,0:00:36.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because people simple can not handle balanced \Nprocessing of all input.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.40,0:00:40.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Can you imagine being conscious all the time of \Nall your senses?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.17,0:00:43.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You’ll probably be overwhelmed in seconds!
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.57,0:00:46.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Therefore it’s great that our mind is able to \Nsubconsciously make
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.63,0:00:49.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all of these processing decisions.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.67,0:00:52.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Although we may be inclined to see biases as \Nlimitations,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.80,0:00:58.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we could also view them as cognitive shortcuts \Nsince they speed up information processing.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:59.73,0:01:05.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Perhaps the best known theory about cognitive \Nbiases is the theory of cognitive dissonance.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.77,0:01:11.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Cognitive Dissonance is a theory from \Npsychology that explains how people handle
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.17,0:01:17.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,conflicting feelings, ideas or beliefs. I’ll explain \Nwith an example.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.67,0:01:23.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Roger feels he is a well-read intellectual. His \Nfriends start talking about the classic book
Dialogue: 0,0:01:23.77,0:01:28.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,War and Peace. Everyone has read it except \NRoger.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.77,0:01:33.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The belief that he is a well-read intellectual \Nclashes with the fact that he is the only one
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.83,0:01:36.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,amongst his friends who hasn’t read this \Nclassic.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.23,0:01:42.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The theory predicts that Roger will try to avoid \Nthe discomfort of this cognitive dissonance.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.33,0:01:45.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He can do this in three ways.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.50,0:01:50.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,1) By making one of the discordant factors less \Nimportant,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.53,0:01:57.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,2) By adding new elements to his beliefs that \Nmake the picture fit,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.97,0:02:00.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or, in other words, create consonance,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.03,0:02:06.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,3) And finally by changing one clashing factors.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.50,0:02:13.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, to avoid cognitive dissonance Roger could \Nsay: Well, who cares if I’m well read.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.83,0:02:23.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s not that important! Or: Not having read one \Nclassic hardly makes me illiterate!
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.47,0:02:29.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or, he could create consonance by adding new \Nelements to his beliefs.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.23,0:02:31.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For instance by thinking that, being an \Nintellectual,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.80,0:02:35.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he obviously hangs out with other well-read \Nintellectuals.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.47,0:02:40.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s therefore not surprising that his friends have \Nread the classic.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.03,0:02:45.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Finally he could change his view: either by \Nthinking
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.43,0:02:49.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,'Apparently I’m not that well-read' or thinking
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.13,0:02:54.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,'War and Peace is actually greatly \Noverestimated as a work of literature'.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.53,0:02:58.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The theory explains how people balance their \Nbeliefs with reality.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.23,0:03:02.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sometimes this can lead to enormous opinion \Nchanges.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.67,0:03:08.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The classic example of this is the fable of the \NFox and the Grapes by Aesop.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.57,0:03:15.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the English translation: “Driven by hunger, a \Nfox tried to reach some grapes hanging high on
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.03,0:03:22.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the vine but was unable to, although he leaped \Nwith all his strength. As he went away,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.57,0:03:29.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the fox remarked, 'Oh, you aren't even ripe yet! I \Ndon't need any sour grapes.'”
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.40,0:03:31.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Aesop sums up the moral of the story.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.90,0:03:38.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“People who speak disparagingly of things that \Nthey cannot attain would do well to apply
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.17,0:03:42.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this story to themselves”. The fox had clearly \Nreduced cognitive dissonance
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.27,0:03:45.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by changing his beliefs, which was the third \Noption,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.67,0:03:50.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and deciding that the grapes he had craved \Nbefore were actually sour.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.00,0:03:56.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,On a side note, this is also the origin of the \Nexpression ‘sour grapes’.