By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: On the 170th Christmas after the publication of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we finally have a diagnosis: Ebenezer Scrooge suffered from “affluenza.” That condition has surfaced most recently in the case of a well-off Fort Worth teenager who received probation and treatment, instead of a prison sentence for causing the deaths of four […]
Watch Out For Scrooge Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Since 1998, more than 4.5 million people have discovered they have more of a racial bias than they thought they had. They did this by self-administering an online tool called the Implicit Association Test. Developed by researchers at Yale University and the University of Washington, the test looks at implicit bias,
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: On a flight this past Saturday, I overheard my flight attendant and another passenger discussing that day’s verdict in the trial of Martin MacNeill, the Utah doctor convicted of first degree murder for drugging and drowning his wife in a bathtub more than six years ago. “I think the jury
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: “End on a positive note,” the saying goes, and stated that way, it seems almost trite. Those who write books or direct movies, as well as those who try cases and deliver closings, know the power that lies in a great finish. But look into the psychological research and you
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Do our good intentions save us from the bad impacts of our acts? This past spring, that question was addressed musically via the song, “Accidental Racist.” Pairing up country star Brad Paisley and rapper LL Cool J, the song centers on a dialogue between a Southern white man and an urban
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: 9-11 wasn’t really a terrorist attack, the President isn’t really an American citizen, and climate science is an elaborate hoax. Or, that is at least what a surprising number of Americans believe. Respond to any of these conspiracy theories with reasons or evidence, and you’ll get something like, “Yeah, that
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Whether we’re reading the news, shopping, or participating in social media, we are swimming in “likes” these days. Electronic journalism, online retail, and sharing sites like LinkedIn or Facebook all give users an unprecedented ability to participate, broadcasting their preferences with a click of a button or a comment. But
Beware the Herding Instinct in Opinion Formation Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: The current cover of The Rolling Stone, usually reserved for the popular idols of our time, bears the face of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bombing suspect, complete with Hollywood good looks and a rock star sulk. That hasn’t gone over so well. The magazine is no stranger to controversy and expected
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: In the ongoing jury selection in the trial of George Zimmerman, the Sanford Florida neighborhood watchman charged in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, one potential juror recently experienced a particularly rough exit from the trial. After reporting in voir dire that he had little knowledge of the case, he was
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Does knowing about hindsight reduce your susceptibility to it? Not as much as we would hope. It is especially an occupational hazard for social scientists and others who study attitudes and bias; we tend to think that our ability to identify and describe the bias makes us immune to its effects.
Acknowledge the Bias Blind Spot Read More »