Are You Seeing Patterns That Don't Exist?

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"A man sees what he wants to see, and disregards the rest." —Paul Simon

Humans are naturally inclined to seek out patterns in the world around them, even in situations where none exist. This tendency, known as patternicity, is a fascinating psychological phenomenon that has puzzled researchers for decades. A variety of factors contribute to our perception of patterns, including cognitive, perceptual, and social factors. One of the most compelling explanations for why we perceive patterns even when they don't exist comes from cognitive psychology.

In psychology, the cognitive process of schema formation involves the construction of mental frameworks or models that help us organize and interpret information from our environment. These schemas are built on our prior experiences and expectations, allowing us to quickly make sense of new information that matches our existing mental models. However, when we encounter information that does not fit our established schemas, our brains may attempt to reconcile the new information by "force-fitting" it into a pre-existing pattern, even if it is not a fit. This process is known as assimilation, where we try to interpret new information within our existing schemas. This can result in the perception of patterns that are not present, known as patternicity. The tendency to assimilate new information into existing schemas is a natural cognitive process but can lead to errors in perception and is a key aspect of patternicity.

How Does Patternicity Affect Us?

Patternicity affects our everyday lives by influencing how we perceive and interpret information. Our brains naturally seek out patterns and connections, even when they don't exist, and this can lead us to draw false conclusions or believe in conspiracy theories. For example, in politics, people may see patterns or connections between unrelated events, leading them to believe in conspiracy theories. Similarly, in sports, fans, and analysts may perceive a team's success or failure as part of a larger pattern, even when there is no clear evidence to support such claims.

Patternicity can also affect our personal beliefs and decision-making. We may rely on patterns we see to make decisions, even when those patterns are not supported by evidence. This can lead to biases and false beliefs, impacting our personal and professional lives.

Common Manifestations of Patternicity

Here are some common manifestations of patternicity:

1. Seeing faces in random patterns: People often see faces in clouds, tree bark, or other natural elements.
2. Superstitions: This refers to the belief that specific actions or events bring good or bad luck.
3. Conspiracy theories: This idea is that certain events result from secret, coordinated actions by a powerful group.
4. Pareidolia: The tendency to perceive meaningful patterns in random data, such as hearing hidden messages in music or seeing images in static on a TV screen.
5. Numerology: The belief that specific numbers have special meaning or significance.
6. Astrology: The belief that the positions and movements of celestial objects can influence human affairs and personalities.
7. Perceiving connections between unrelated events: People often perceive connections between unrelated events, such as believing their lucky charm helped them win a game.
8. Illusory correlation: The correlation is the perception of a relationship between two variables when no such relationship exists, such as believing that wearing a particular color shirt brings good luck.
9. Apophenia: The tendency to perceive meaningful connections between unrelated things, such as believing that a particular song on the radio is a message from a deceased loved one.
10. Seeing patterns in randomness: People often see patterns in random events, such as believing that a sequence of coin tosses is not random because there have been too many heads or tails in a row.

Protection From Patternicity

According to research in cognitive psychology, patternicity is driven by various factors, including the human brain's natural tendency to seek out order and meaning in the environment. However, there are several ways to protect ourselves from falling prey to patternicity.

Research has shown that awareness of our biases can help us avoid patternicity. A study by Stanovich and West (2007) found that people who scored higher on measures of cognitive reflection, which is the ability to recognize and overcome cognitive biases, were less likely to fall prey to illusionary patterns. Additionally, seeking out diverse perspectives has been shown to reduce the effects of confirmation bias, which is the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them.

Looking for alternative explanations and consulting experts can also help protect us from patternicity. Various debiasing strategies to help people overcome cognitive biases, such as seeking alternative answers and consulting experts, can be better equipped to recognize and counteract biases like patternicity and other cognitive errors. Research has shown that people who consult experts in the relevant field are less likely to fall prey to false beliefs and misconceptions.

Challenge Your Biases

Actively seeking out diverse perspectives and alternative explanations can help us avoid the dangers of patternicity and broaden our horizons. As the author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once said, "The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story." We can challenge our biases and thoroughly understand the world by seeking out multiple stories and perspectives. By being open to new information and actively seeking diverse perspectives, we can protect ourselves from falling prey to patternicity and develop a more nuanced worldview.