Brains On Purpose™

For those of you following the debates about social cognitive neuroscience research

I posted about the debates and occasionally update that post with other links at New paper "Voodoo Correlations in Social Neuroscience" may "shake up the world of social cognitive neuroscience". Yesterday Sharon Begley wrote about the topic for the second time this week. I am calling your attention to her post because I found the comments by Nikolaus Kriegeskorte, lead author of one of the papers critical of neuroscience research, to to be of interest. From Brain Scan Update: 'Our Aim Was to Educate, Not Accuse':

I ... reported criticism that Kriegeskorte and his colleagues had not listed the studies they found to be problematic, which leaves scientists scratching their heads about what’s reliable and what's (maybe) not. The reason they did not make the list public, Kriegeskorte explains, is that their aim was “to educate, so that an alarming trend can be nipped in the bud before many incorrect claims accumulate in the literature” and not to accuse. “So we decided not to list papers. Every case is different and we could not have done justice to particular studies had we been more specific. We didn’t even want to give a percentage [of how many studies resort to the ‘double dipping’ they criticize], but one of the four reviewers and the editors were adamant about this. . . . We feel that starting a political fight with hundreds of authors is not helpful to our field—especially when most of the studies affected are likely to be correct in their overall conclusion. . . . A few bad apples can and should be listed. But literally thousands of overall good apples, each with a little brown spot, can and should not."

Begley's earlier post.

Four upcoming programs: Will I see you at one or more?

The 16th Annual Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference begins tomorrow in Seattle. Here's the flyer [pdf].

May 5 and 6 brings the 9th annual SuperConference in Chicago, "the premier event for legal executives." More here.

On May 29, in Toronto, I will be giving a day-long program. Read all about it here.

Contemplative Practices for Lawyers Retreat will be held in Santa Fe, on September 12 and 13. More here.

I hope to meet some of you in Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, or Santa Fe!

The Brains on Purpose™ classes in Denver continue almost every month. We will be offering one in June, July, August, and October); contact me for details. And this summer I AM mastering the art and science of Webinars so watch for an announcement of those here—soon.

Neuro-talk? Keep talking neuro-talk? Talk about things you'd like to know

In Seduction by neuroscience: Resisting the allure, I wrote about the problems with neuro-talk or using neuroscience incorrectly. That post was written nearly two years ago and I believe neuro-talk has since then greatly increased.

These days the brain is a hot topic and people will even believe otherwise implausible assertions and explanations if they are told that neuroscience proves what is being put forth as true. I hear and read some of the oddest statements about the brain and what it does and does not like. There is much New Age, pop neuroscience floating around. Beware. And be aware.

I was moved to write another neuro-talk warning when reading a post at Language Log. The post has a number of good links to aticles about neuro-talk and the misuse of neuroscience. One link goes to "Caveat Lector: The Presentation of Neuroscience Information in the Popular Media." [pdf] From the article:

[R]ecent research in cognitive psychology shows that people are often unduly swayed by neuroscience studies, ... . There is thus a danger that members of the public wiIl uncriticaIly accept neuroscience-based claims, or applications of neuroscience information to public questions and debates, without regard to their merits. Because of this danger, scientists can and should do more to monitor the ways in which these claims and applications are reported in the media.

I urge you to go to the Language Lab post and follow some of the links.

And I urge you to remember that there is so much we do not know about the brain. Question what people tell you. Be skeptical. Ask

A tight grip on your mental flashlight is the deciding skill in conflict resolution

 Attention is a pivotal force in any conflict. More than that, it is the key to success in any arena because your attention defines you. Laurence Freeman said, "You are a disciple of that to which you give your attention." Gangaji said, ""Wherever your attention is, this is what you love." William James said that what we pay attention to is what we believe. They echo what philosophers have been saying for centuries and what neuroscience is now showing. From "Attention Density: New Big Thing?" (Consulting Today) [pdf]:

Where we choose to put our attention changes our brain, which in time can change how we see and interact with the world.

A mediator can facilitate where parties to a conflict put their attention and thus can orchestrate the brain circuits in their brains. This is why continuing to go over the grievance or the story of being wronged is not helpful or wise. The storyteller is strengthening his or her grievance circuits.

But people need to tell their story, you say. Yes, often that is true. I like the brain-friendly way Fredrike Bannink, in her solution-focused mediation model, handles that need. She asks each party to tell their story for as long as they wish and then not mention it again.

Because paying attention to where you and the parties are putting attention is an important part of conflict resolution, I bring to your attention (couldn't resist using that word again) a review of a new book on—you guessed it didn't you?—attention! From "Do Not Take Your Eyes Off This Review" (Washington Post), the review of Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life:

Take seriously, if just for a few minutes, what Winifred Gallagher describes as the grand unifying theory of psychology: Your life is the sum of what you focus on. Then consider the main implication of this theory: The skillful

Just a quick note about the brain seeking patterns

In any program I give about the brain, including the neuroscience of conflict resolution, I talk about the brain's tendency to seek patterns. Today I wanted to alert you to a free resource about pattern recognition. It is only available for 30 days and I am not sure when they began.

Click to download The Faculty of Adaptability Humour As The Assessment And Manipulation Of Information. Although it uses humor as the vehicle, there is much there about certain kinds of patterns the brain seeks.

I will post more about pattern seeking and conflict resolution another day. Today I simply wanted to tell you about this resource since its availability seems to be time-limited.

New: Cognitive Science Network of the Social Science Research Network

SSRN announced its new Cognitive Science Network to which I subscribed yesterday. They have an easy way to subscribe to all 7 of the subject matter ejournals at once (link below) and subscriptions are free until October. I have no doubt that some of the papers will relate to conflict resolution.

From the e-mail I received from SSRN:

We are pleased to announce the creation of the Cognitive Science Network (CSN). It will provide a worldwide, online community for research in all areas of cognitive science, following the model of other subject matter networks within SSRN.

We expect CSN to become a comprehensive online resource for research in cognitive science, providing scholars with access to current work in their field and facilitating research and scholarship.

...

Initially, CSN will begin with the following 7 subject matter eJournals, and subscriptions will be free during the start-up phase until October 2009.

COGNITION & CULTURE: CULTURE, COMMUNICATION, DESIGN, ETHICS, MORALITY, RELIGION, RHETORIC, & SEMIOTICS

View Papers: http://www.ssrn.com/link/Cognition-Culture.html
Subscribe: http://hq.ssrn.com/jourInvite.cfm?link=Cognition-Culture

Editor: Todd Oakley, Associate Chair, Associate Professor of Cognitive Science, Case Western Reserve University - Department of Cognitive Science

Description: Cognition & Culture focuses on the cognitive study of cultures as creations of human minds in environments. Its scope includes research on cultural manifestations, their differences and incommensurabilities, and their expressive and semantic regularities and universals. This eJournal announces working papers, meetings, and events associated with interdisciplinary research projects and aims at encouraging collaboration across disciplines. It presents research in cognitive science having to do with such fields as design, ethics, history, jurisprudence, morality, philosophy, politics, religion, sociality, science, and technology.

COGNITION & THE ARTS

View Papers: http://www.ssrn.com/link/Cognition-Arts.html
Subscribe: http://hq.ssrn.com/jourInvite.cfm?link=Cognition-Arts

Editor: Mark Turner, Institute Professor, Case Western Reserve University - Department of Cognitive Science

Description: A publication dedicated to the artful mind and its relationship to the full range of higher-order human cognition. All scientific approaches are welcome, including developmental, evolutionary, linguistic, and comparative. Cognition & the Arts construes artistic behavior broadly, to include not only the various recognized genres of the arts but also design, style, and performance, throughout the lifecourse.

COGNITION IN MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, & TECHNOLOGY

View Papers: http://www.ssrn.com/link/Cognition-Math-Science-Tech.html
Subscribe: http://hq.ssrn.com/jourInvite.cfm?link=Cognition-Math-Science-Tech

Editors: Gilles Fauconnier, Professor, Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, and Mark Turner, Institute Professor, Case Western Reserve University - Department of Cognitive Science

Description: Mathematical insight, scientific discovery, and technological innovation are hallmarks of higher-order human cognition. Cognition in Mathematics, Science, and Technology is dedicated to the cognitive science of mathematics, science, and technology - in phylogenetic descent, ontogenetic transformation, and historical action.

COGNITION LINGUISTICS: COGNITION, LANGUAGE, GESTURE

View Papers: http://www.ssrn.com/link/Cognitive-Linguistics.html
Subscribe: http://hq.ssrn.com/jourInvite.cfm?link=Cognitive-Linguistics

Editor: Mark Turner, Institute Professor, Case Western Reserve University - Department of Cognitive Science

Description: "Cognitive linguistics goes beyond the visible structure of language and investigates the

New Web site for The Center for Understanding in Conflict

Click to learn more.

Decisions, decisions! Jonah Lehrer talks about what our brain does at the time of decision

Think about the critical role acts of decision play in conflict resolution. Then click to hear Jonah Lehrer talking about his book How We Decide. He discusses the role of the brain in decision making. I think you will agree this interview is very interesting.

Topics include:

• Decision-Making in the Cereal Aisle
• The Life-Saving Power--and the Limits of Rational Thinking
• The Science of 'Choking'
• The Power of Placebo
• The Irrationality of Commuting
• 'Metacognition' and Thinking About Thinking
• Artistic Precursors to Scientific Discoveries

He talks about the importance of cultivating meta-cognition—thinking about your thinking— to improve your ability to make good decisions. Since I have mentioned before on this blog the importance of self-awareness and the observing self, I definitely agree!