The disenchantment of the Homo Economicus was a deep narcissistic injury. All of a sudden we were no longer the rational, Benefit-maximising the crown of creation, but think of lazy idiots with a limited power of judgment, which it just managed to sort through that muddle, always on the verge of himself, to exterminate and to tear the Rest of the world into the abyss. This is at least the rhetoric of the demise of the Herald, indicate, in many debates the sound.

As well, that we will be non-stop is reminiscent of the limitations of our thinking. How distorted our perception is, how wrong our decisions and how irrational our Actions. And how guilty should we feel if our shortcomings. In particular, the Western culture like that just very in the masochist of the inadequacy of self-narrative. Why do we think so badly about our Thinking?

first There is the thing with stereotypes: assumptions about groups. For example, that the Zurich arrogant and Berner slowly. Women Park bad men and bad listening. Or that Muslims explosives like belt and German the Hitler greeting. By now it is clear that Stereotypes can be wrong, because, of course, Zurich is not arrogant. Fun aside: Some Stereotypes are obviously wrong, but the majority of the votes.

A small Quiz on Gender stereotypes illustrates this: Who commits more sex crimes, men or women? Who has voted for Trump? Who is more interested in cars? Who for fashion? Who disturbed the class? Who would like to work in the fire service? Who is in the care? The answers to these questions fall to us easily, because we have the right Stereotypes in your head. Regardless of whether we find them good or not.

Would be Stereotypes, mostly wrong, we would come across our fellow human beings, for the most part the wrong conclusions. We don't do that but, as in studies simply verify: opinion request for opinion with data to compare. The researchers, Lee Jussim, Jarret T. Crawford, and Rachel S. Rubinstein have compiled fifty such studies. It showed that Stereotypes are mostly accurate. And not just a bit: The connection between opinion and data is strong and repeatedly replicated.

Not only social psychologists, behavioral economists are responsible for the fact that we think so badly about Thinking. In ingenious experiments, they manage again and again, variations of thinking from the Ideal of rationality possible. But in the laboratory, committed stupid (mostly the absence of small money to punish player) prove to be in the reality of life as a heuristics. This is the scientific term for rules of thumb, lead with little effort to problem solutions for Survive well enough.

Why hold on to our opinion-forming organs still on the defectiveness of mantra? This is not a purely academic question, but one with serious social consequences. For example, us forces across the Board De-Biasing Workshops applied, based on the misguided idea that we would discriminate based on stereotypes are always people, usually women, gender diverse or foreigners. Of course, the organizers of such Workshops have no interest in the reliability of stereo types to add. Workshops for the improvement of thinking can be useful, but only if they are voluntary, and the advantages of preconceived thinking patterns and heuristics, not small talk.

The error is worth fetish so financially. Researchers get more funding, journalists more clicks, trainers and consultants more jobs. In addition, work in the media and in science, a predominantly reflective, self-critical people, whose task it is to question things, to look for errors and Unreasonable to denounce. So you do just that.

An example of the 2019 is in an influential magazine range published review article on Gender stereotypes in the systematic evidence for the Accuracy of the stereo types were excluded. Thus, the author has proved the efforts to reduce discrimination, a disservice, because people do not realize that something is wrong, when you say constantly, you thought wrong. And revenge in the elections.

we Should take Stereotypes lightly? Of course not. But first, most of the Stereotypes to meet, and secondly, most people have their Stereotypes immediately fall, when more reliable information appear, for example in direct contact. No but we should cite Stereotypes as a pretext, in order to Fund an ideologically motivated self-flagellation industry.

Christian Fichter is a Professor of business psychology at the Kalaidos University of applied Sciences. He writes regularly for the editorial Board of Tamedia.

Created: 01.03.2020, 20:52 PM