Summary of David Robson's The Expectation Effect

Everest Media

Description

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
Sample Book Insights:
#1 The brain is a prediction machine that constructs an elaborate simulation of the world based on its expectations and previous experiences. These simulations usually coincide with objective reality, but they can sometimes stray far from what is actually in the physical world.
#2 The brain’s visual cortex is wired with many neural connections feeding in predictions from other regions of the brain. The eye is a small but essential element of your vision, while the rest of what you see is created in the dark within your skull.
#3 The brain’s reliance on prediction helps us deal with incredible ambiguity. If you look at the image below, you will struggle to identify anything recognizable. But if you see the original image, it suddenly becomes a lot clearer.
#4 The brain can also predict the effects of our movements, so that we don’t jump out of our skin whenever one of our legs brushes against the other. However, there will always be some small errors in each brain’s simulation of the world around us.

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Développement personnel
• développement personnel
• Général
• Personal development

Informations

• Publié par: Everest Media LLC
• Date de parution: 21 mars 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669355991
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Insights on David Robson's The Expectation Effect
Contents Insights from Chapter 1 Insights from Chapter 2 Insights from Chapter 3 Insights from Chapter 4 Insights from Chapter 5 Insights from Chapter 6 Insights from Chapter 7 Insights from Chapter 8 Insights from Chapter 9 Insights from Chapter 10
Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The brain is a prediction machine that constructs an elaborate simulation of the world based on its expectations and previous experiences. These simulations usually coincide with objective reality, but they can sometimes stray far from what is actually in the physical world.

#2

The brain’s visual cortex is wired with many neural connections feeding in predictions from other regions of the brain. The eye is a small but essential element of your vision, while the rest of what you see is created in the dark within your skull.

#3

The brain’s reliance on prediction helps us deal with incredible ambiguity. If you look at the image below, you will struggle to identify anything recognizable. But if you see the original image, it suddenly becomes a lot clearer.

#4

The brain can also predict the effects of our movements, so that we don’t jump out of our skin whenever one of our legs brushes against the other. However, there will always be some small errors in each brain’s simulation of the world around us.

#5

The brain’s prediction machine is responsible for the hallucinations that are sometimes experienced by polar explorers and athletes. It is also responsible for the perceptions of people who have different beliefs than the observer.

#6

A young woman named Sara was diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder after losing her vision. She had been experiencing chronic migraines that seemed to be triggered by light, and her brain had become stuck on the idea that it couldn’t see anything.

#7

Our perceptions are constantly being biased by the brain’s predictions. These are called micro-illusions, and they can be subtle deviations in perception that will confirm and amplify what we are already feeling.

#8

The brain’s predictions can become distorted from exposure to anxiety or depression, and these distorted perceptions can have real behavioral consequences. You can learn to neutralize these micro-illusions with training.

#9

The brain’s inherent subjectivity has helped me cope with dips in my mood. When I feel especially anxious or depressed, I try to account for the fact that my emotions and expectations might have biased my perception.

#10

The power of expectation is well known in the world of gastronomy. When people are given a description of a food that matches their expectations, they will find it more enjoyable than when they are given a different description.

#11

The way you describe your food will strongly influence how you and your guests appreciate it. So be sure to season your dishes with some delicious words as you serve them.

#12

The prediction machine can be used to sharpen our eyes and ears, allowing us to see and hear in high definition. This can be done by harnessing the expectation that we can see or hear better than if we used another brand.

#13

The effects of mindset on performance are clear. The belief that athletes have clearer vision boosted the brain’s visual processing, leading it to sharpen the slightly blurred images of the letters on the retina.

#14

Our expectations can change what is already in front of us, transforming the taste of a food, the emotion written on a face, or the sight of the Seine. They can also create the perception of something that is not there.

#15

The brain’s simulations of the world around you are often right, but sometimes wrong. If you have a phobia, remember that your brain may exaggerate the threat. Exposure therapy may help you to shrink this perceptual bias.
Insights from Chapter 2

#1

The placebo effect is the ability of certain treatments to bring relief through the patient’s beliefs about them. It has been proven to be more powerful over time.

#2

The brain as a prediction machine explains the benefits of positive beliefs, and this new research is inspiring some truly groundbreaking strategies to harness all the benefits of positive beliefs without any deception.

#3

The placebo effect is the improvement of symptoms that occurs when someone believes they are receiving treatment, when in reality they are taking a placebo. It is a great benefit to patients, as it ensures they are given provably effective treatments.

#4

Placebos can improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and they can also tune the brain’s opioid production. They can also reduce itching and the size of the welts on subjects’ skin, which are significantly smaller in people receiving a sham treatment.