Superstitious Behavior Resulting from Temporal Contiguity
Which of the following is an example of superstitious behavior resulting from temporal contiguity?
a. Natasha's friend tells her that if she steps on a sidewalk crack, she'll break her mother's back; now Natasha carefully walks around the sidewalk cracks
b. Natasha kisses the clock at 11:11 and makes a wish, and a few days later, her wish comes true; now Natasha kisses the clock every time it shows 11:11
c. Natasha tugged on her sports jersey just before her favorite basketball player shot a free throw, and he made the shot; now she tugs on her sports jersey any time the basketball player is about to shoot a free throw
d. Natasha accidentally washes a load of white clothing along with a red sock, and all her clothes turned red; now Natasha always checks each piece of clothing to make sure no clothing items are red
Answer:
The example of superstitious behavior resulting from temporal contiguity is Natasha tugging on her jersey before a basketball player shoots and continuing to do so because she perceives it helps him score.
Superstitious behavior is often influenced by temporal contiguity, where individuals attribute causality to events that are closely related in time, even if there is no actual connection between them. In this case, Natasha's behavior of tugging on her sports jersey before her favorite basketball player shoots a free throw is a clear example of this phenomenon.
Despite there being no logical reason for her action to affect the player's performance, Natasha believes that her tugging on the jersey somehow influences the outcome of the shot. This belief is fueled by the immediate success she sees when the player makes the shot after she tugs on her jersey, reinforcing her superstitious behavior through confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias plays a significant role in maintaining superstitious behaviors, as individuals tend to focus on instances that confirm their beliefs and disregard those that do not. Natasha selectively remembers the successful shots made after her action, while ignoring the misses, which further strengthens her belief in the false causality between her behavior and the player's performance.
Understanding how superstitious behaviors can arise from temporal contiguity and confirmation bias can help individuals recognize and challenge these unfounded beliefs. By critically evaluating the true causes of events and avoiding the trap of attributing significance to unrelated actions, one can break free from superstitions and rely on more rational thinking.