EmilyBalcetis-2014X

Visionisthemostimportantandprioritizedsensethatwehave.Weareconstantlylookingattheworldaroundus,andquicklyweidentifyandmakesenseofwhatitisthatwesee.Let'sjuststartwithanexampleofthatveryfact.I'mgoingtoshowyouaphotographofaperson,justforasecondortwo,andI'dlikeforyoutoidentifywhatemotionisonhisface.Ready?Hereyougo.Gowithyourgutreaction.Okay.Whatdidyousee?Well,weactuallysurveyedover120individuals,andtheresultsweremixed.Peopledidnotagreeonwhatemotiontheysawonhisface.Maybeyousawdiscomfort.Thatwasthemostfrequentresponsethatwereceived.Butifyouaskedthepersononyourleft,theymighthavesaidregretorskepticism,andifyouaskedsomebodyonyourright,theymighthavesaidsomethingentirelydifferent,likehopeorempathy.Sowearealllookingattheverysamefaceagain.Wemightseesomethingentirelydifferent,becauseperceptionissubjective.Whatwethinkweseeisactuallyfilteredthroughourownmind'seye.Ofcourse,therearemanyotherexamplesofhowweseetheworldthroughownmind'seye.I'mgoingtogiveyoujustafew.Sodieters,forinstance,seeapplesaslargerthanpeoplewhoarenotcountingcalories.Softballplayersseetheballassmallerifthey'vejustcomeoutofaslump,comparedtopeoplewhohadahotnightattheplate.Andactually,ourpoliticalbeliefsalsocanaffectthewayweseeotherpeople,includingpoliticians.SomyresearchteamandIdecidedtotestthisquestion.In2008,BarackObamawasrunningforpresidentfortheveryfirsttime,andwesurveyedhundredsofAmericansonemonthbeforetheelection.Whatwefoundinthissurveywasthatsomepeople,someAmericans,thinkphotographslikethesebestreflecthowObamareallylooks.Ofthesepeople,75percentvotedforObamaintheactualelection.Otherpeople,though,thoughtphotographslikethesebestreflecthowObamareallylooks.89percentofthesepeoplevotedforMcCain.WepresentedmanyphotographsofObamaoneatatime,sopeopledidnotrealizethatwhatwewerechangingfromonephotographtothenextwaswhetherwehadartificiallylightenedordarkenedhisskintone.Sohowisthatpossible?HowcoulditbethatwhenIlookataperson,anobject,oranevent,Iseesomethingverydifferentthansomebodyelsedoes?Well,thereasonsaremany,butonereasonrequiresthatweunderstandalittlebitmoreabouthowoureyeswork.Sovisionscientistsknowthattheamountofinformationthatwecanseeatanygivenpointintime,whatwecanfocuson,isactuallyrelativelysmall.Whatwecanseewithgreatsharpnessandclarityandaccuracyistheequivalentofthesurfaceareaofourthumbonouroutstretchedarm.Everythingelsearoundthatisblurry,renderingmuchofwhatispresentedtooureyesasambiguous.Butwehavetoclarifyandmakesenseofwhatitisthatwesee,andit'sourmindthathelpsusfillinthatgap.Asaresult,perceptionisasubjectiveexperience,andthat'showweendupseeingthroughourownmind'seye.So,I'masocialpsychologist,andit'squestionslikethesethatreallyintrigueme.Iamfascinatedbythosetimeswhenpeopledonotseeeyetoeye.Whyisitthatsomebodymightliterallyseetheglassashalffull,andsomebodyliterallyseesitashalfempty?Whatisitaboutwhatonepersonisthinkingandfeelingthatleadsthemtoseetheworldinanentirelydifferentway?Anddoesthatevenmatter?Sotobegintotacklethesequestions,myresearchteamandIdecidedtodelvedeeplyintoanissuethathasreceivedinternationalattention:ourhealthandfitness.Acrosstheworld,peoplearestrugglingtomanagetheirweight,andthereisavarietyofstrategiesthatwehavetohelpuskeepthepoundsoff.Forinstance,wesetthebestofintentionstoexerciseaftertheholidays,butactually,themajorityofAmericansfindthattheirNewYear'sresolutionsarebrokenbyValentine'sDay.Wetalktoourselvesinveryencouragingways,tellingourselvesthisisouryeartogetbackintoshape,butthatisnotenoughtobringusbacktoouridealweight.Sowhy?Ofcourse,thereisnosimpleanswer,butonereason,Iargue,isthatourmind'seyemightworkagainstus.Somepeoplemayliterallyseeexerciseasmoredifficult,andsomepeoplemightliterallyseeexerciseaseasier.So,asafirststeptotestingthesequestions,wegatheredobjectivemeasurementsofindividuals'physicalfitness.Wemeasuredthecircumferenceoftheirwaist,comparedtothecircumferenceoftheirhips.Ahigherwaist-to-hipratioisanindicatorofbeinglessphysicallyfitthanalowerwaist-to-hipratio.Aftergatheringthesemeasurements,wetoldourparticipantsthattheywouldwalktoafinishlinewhilecarryingextraweightinasortofrace.Butbeforetheydidthat,weaskedthemtoestimatethedistancetothefinishline.Wethoughtthatthephysicalstatesoftheirbodymightchangehowtheyperceivedthedistance.Sowhatdidwefind?Well,waist-to-hipratiopredictedperceptionsofdistance.Peoplewhowereoutofshapeandunfitactuallysawthedistancetothefinishlineassignificantlygreaterthanpeoplewhowereinbettershape.People'sstatesoftheirownbodychangedhowtheyperceivedtheenvironment.Butsotoocanourmind.Infact,ourbodiesandourmindsworkintandemtochangehowweseetheworldaroundus.Thatledustothinkthatmaybepeoplewithstrongmotivationsandstronggoalstoexercisemightactuallyseethefinishlineascloserthanpeoplewhohaveweakermotivations.Sototestwhethermotivationsaffectourperceptualexperiencesinthisway,weconductedasecondstudy.Again,wegatheredobjectivemeasurementsofpeople'sphysicalfitness,measuringthecircumferenceoftheirwaistandthecircumferenceoftheirhips,andwehadthemdoafewothertestsoffitness.Basedonfeedbackthatwegavethem,someofourparticipantstoldusthey'renotmotivated