I Choose Not to be a Racist
I do not think that automatic responses (as we discussed in class on Friday) are an indicator that all our behavior is predetermined. I understand that we have automatic processes. I think that these exist in order to help us sort through the massive amounts of data and stimuli that enter our senses and minds every day. We need these automatic responses in order to sort and respond to information quickly—sometimes these responses are even used to help us in life and death situations when it is imperative that we act without much thinking. That being said, I believe that we have the capacity as humans to choose not to accept or act upon these automatic responses. If we know that we are responding due to an automatic thought process, we can make a different choice.
I found the studies that Dr. McAnulty presented to us on Friday to be interesting. I would like to proffer another example of an automatic response test. When I was in my social psychology class, we took an implicit association test. This test is supposed to measure whether a person prefers one race (white or black) to another race. In this test, the participant has to perform four tasks. The first task is to identify European American faces or African American faces as quickly as possible. Secondly, the participant is asked to identify “good” or “bad” words (such as “glorious,” “awful,” etc.). Next the participant is shown faces and words; “bad” words and African American faces are identified with the same key stroke and “good” words and European American faces are identified with the same key stroke. Finally, the previous step is reversed.
Every time I have taken this test, I have scored “strongly prefers European Americans.” If I believed that only automatic or implicit associations informed my actions, I would be very upset. Instead, I know that I form opinions about people based upon the people individually. I like African American people and I like white people. I also dislike some white people and some African American people (although I can think of more white people I dislike than African American people.
If you would like to try out the implicit association test (and I would strongly recommend taking a few minutes to try it out) the link follows. It only takes a few short minutes and the results are interesting.
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/Study?tid=-1
PS: one of the flaws I find with the test is the order in which things are presented. First you are asked to associate African Americans with negative words, then, when you are used to that set of information, you are asked to change and associate African Americans with positive words. I think that the order may influence the test results–but that is just my opinion.
Amy McCarty on Sick Or Sinner
3:16 pm, 10.04.10
I was in a class at Harding the week after a fellow student committed suicide. My bible professor took a moment to address the situation, which was the best explanation I ever heard about suicide and salvation.
He asked the class if what we thought about the following scenario. Imagine you were playing football with your friends and you missed a pass and cursed. Then imagine that you immediately dropped dead from a heart attack. Would you not be allowed into heaven because you died in the process of sinning? He said that suicide was the same. If you are a believer, you are saved by faith and grace and dying in the act of sinning cannot separate you from God.
Amy McCarty on Matters of the heart and matters of survival.
3:05 pm, 10.04.10
I appreciate your comments. I have the same feelings about evolutionary psychology. I cannot understand how intelligent people can base their whole understanding of our universe on conjecture/guessing that “we must be this way because….” Who can say for sure, and why would we even care?
Amy McCarty on The Philosophers of LOST
1:40 am, 09.20.10
Rachel,
Thanks for your post, I have never seen Lost – and had no idea of the premise of the show. It might be worth looking into and discovering the philosophical tie-ins!
Amy McCarty on "We were made for each other"
1:37 am, 09.20.10
I fully believe in free will and I believe at one time I was an absolute-ist. That is to say that I believed that free will trumped everything else. I now hold a more moderate view. I see free will more like a menu in a restaurant. Say you go to an ice cream parlor and order a hamburger. Will you get it? Probably not! You learn, hopefully, not to ask for something that is not on the menu. I see free will the same way. We are free to make choices, but only the choices that are on the menu. For instance, I cannot choose to be born a male. I do not choose the family I am born in to or my upbringing.
I think that it is the some with love. You are free to make choices about your “soul mate” within the menu provided. I think that the choices you make and your experiences make a certain type of person “perfect” for you. I am not sure that there is only one person on earth for each of us – that seems very deterministic. Plus I have know lots of people who have been married multiple times (due to death of spouse) and have loved each of their spouse differently but equally.
Just one girl’s opinion!
Amy McCarty on Inception and Innate Ideas
12:54 am, 09.20.10
Michelle, I swear that I wrote my post about Inception before I read your post! Great minds think alike, I guess. Anyway – we did use the movie to illustrate different points.
Amy McCarty on The Fruit of the Golden Mean
12:11 pm, 09.06.10
I agree that there are influences of Greek philosophers in the writings of the New Testament. I see your connection between the fruits of the spirit and the golden mean.
Also, you are right about self-control being an important theme in both the New Testament and ancient Greek philosophers. For instance, Paul states in I Corinthians 10:23: “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial…” which to me is an exhortation to self-control.
So, I agree that writers of the New Testament were influenced by historical and contemporary theorists and authors. Just as writers today no doubt have much of the same influences.
Amy McCarty on Happiness
9:03 am, 09.06.10
I agree with you that moments of happiness can be found in small pleasures. However, I do not think that the cancelling of a class can give you a Capital H Happiness. I think that fulfillment, connections and accomplishments lead to a more lasting happiness.
Amy McCarty on Looking for God's Love in the Cave
8:54 am, 09.06.10
I like the way you related the Allegory of the Cave to God’s love. I think that you are right, there is no way that we could ever fathom the real truth of God’s love beyond what we personally experience (the shadows on the wall).
I was also struck by your trying to imagine loving every person that ever lived with the depth and breadth of God’s love. Now, that’s incomprehensible! I’ve never actually thought about that before. I have been secure in God’s love for me, but haven’t really thought much beyond that.
Thanks Rachel!