Greetings, Friendlies. :)
All experience is preceded by the Interpreter Module
Led by the Interpreter Module
Made by the Interpreter Module
#FakeBuddhaQuotes
Imagine: you have volunteered for a scientific study. You arrive at the lab and the affable experimenter explains they are studying social interactions. They would like to apply theatrical makeup to your right cheek, in such a way that you will have a large scar running from ear to mouth. You consent. They apply the makeup and pass you a small hand mirror. Sure enough, there’s a large scar on your right cheek. The experimenter further explains they are studying the effects of facial abnormalities, such as scars, on social interactions. You will be introduced to another person for a 5-minute conversation; please don’t mention the scar unless the other person does so first. They touch-up the makeup and bring you into a new room to introduce you and your conversation partner. This person is roughly the same age and gender as yourself; the two of you are invited to sit and discuss the topic “ways to make friends”. After five minutes, the experimenter returns, thanks you both, and invites you to the initial room to ask about your experience.
In 1980 Kleck & Strenta detailed several versions of just such an experiment. [1]
You may not be surprised to hear that the person with the scar had noticed gross negative interaction from their conversation partner. They said their partner was tense, averted their gaze, and that they perceived the subject negatively.
The deception in the study was that just before moving into the room with the conversation partner, the experimenter “touching up” the scar actually completely removed it. So the subject did not have a scar at all during the conversation.
What a great study design, right?
So here is a person who believes they have an unsightly facial disfiguration. This fact leads them (their Interpreter Module) to form the view that a conversation partner will display negative social interaction. They then note this behavior during the conversation and also afterwards, pointing out instances of negative social interaction while watching video playback of the conversation. (A third party observer watching the video does not identify abnormal or negative social interaction from the partner.)
The Interpreter Module has an erroneous piece of information which has led to a view colouring their understanding of the situation. They are on the lookout for negative reactions and identify these where a third-party observer notes nothing amiss.
The Interpreter Module is not just working with facts. It is creating an entire world view through which to interpret experience.
Your thoughts?
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[1] Kleck, R. E., & Strenta, A. (1980). Perceptions of the impact of negatively valued physical characteristics on social integration. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(5), 861–873. link
Dharma PhD 