Control blindness: Why people can make incorrect inferences about the intentions of others

CSGnet Archive CSG2017
1

Dear CSG, please find the press release and open access paper on our studies of the rubber band demo. Feel free to disseminate it as widely as you like!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-reveals-how-little-we-know-about-each-others-intentions/

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-016-1268-3

All the best,

Warren

···

Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

2

[From Fred Nickols (2017.12.18.0804 ET)]

Thanks, Warren. I posted a link to the press release on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Fred Nickols

···

From: Warren Mansell [mailto:wmansell@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 7:32 AM
To: csgnet@lists.illinois.edu; Control Systems Group Network (CSGnet) CSGNET@listserv.illinois.edu
Subject: Fwd: Control blindness: Why people can make incorrect inferences about the intentions of others

Dear CSG, please find the press release and open access paper on our studies of the rubber band demo. Feel free to disseminate it as widely as you like!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-reveals-how-little-we-know-about-each-others-intentions/

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-016-1268-3

All the best,

Warren

–

Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

–

Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

3

[From Fred Nickols (2017.01.18.0910 ET)]

I would modify that to say, “We should avoid focusing solely on behavior.” Behavior is still of interest.

Fred Nickols

···

From: Eetu Pikkarainen [mailto:eetu.pikkarainen@oulu.fi]
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 8:25 AM
To: csgnet@lists.illinois.edu
Subject: VS: Control blindness: Why people can make incorrect inferences about the intentions of others

[from eetu pikkarainen 2017-01-18]

Wow!

“We should therefore avoid focusing on people’s behaviour itself.”

An anti-behavioristic manifesto, really!

GREAT!

Thank you Warren and all!

(and sorry fo this uncontrolled outburst.)

Seriously,

Eetu

Lähettäjä: Fred Nickols fred@nickols.us
Lähetetty: 18. tammikuuta 2017 15:06
Vastaanottaja: csgnet@lists.illinois.edu; ‘Control Systems Group Network (CSGnet)’
Aihe: RE: Control blindness: Why people can make incorrect inferences about the intentions of others

[From Fred Nickols (2017.12.18.0804 ET)]

Thanks, Warren. I posted a link to the press release on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Fred Nickols

From: Warren Mansell [mailto:wmansell@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 7:32 AM
To: csgnet@lists.illinois.edu; Control Systems Group Network (CSGnet) CSGNET@listserv.illinois.edu
Subject: Fwd: Control blindness: Why people can make incorrect inferences about the intentions of others

Dear CSG, please find the press release and open access paper on our studies of the rubber band demo. Feel free to disseminate it as widely as you like!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-reveals-how-little-we-know-about-each-others-intentions/

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-016-1268-3

All the best,

Warren

–

Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

–

Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

4

[From Bruce Abbott (2017.01.18.1010EST)]

Very nice, Warren; congratulations to you and your coauthors on getting it published in Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics!

This is of course not the only example of inference gone wrong; in fact it can be extremely difficult to understand what is going on in even rather simple situations.  Back in the 70s a trio of my graduate-school professors at Bowling Green State University published a pair of studies in which participants viewed a computer-generated “universeâ€? populated with simple geometric figures (triangles etc.) displayed at different positions and at different sizes and intensities. The participant could “shootâ€? projectiles in different directions from different positions and observe what happened to them. Sometimes the projectiles just moved straight across the screen; at other times they appeared to hit something invisible and be deflected. The participant’s job was to figure out the “lawsâ€? of this universe that determined whether and where these deflections occurred as well as the deflection angle. This proved to be extremely difficult even though the laws were quite simple (some figures had force fields around them (e.g.,  medium-sized circles) and at a distance from the figure center that depended on figure shape and brightness; deflections off the force field followed the angle of deflection = angle of incidence rule. Even graduate students being trained in scientific inference generally failed to correctly infer the laws.

There were two studies published: Mynatt, Doeherty, & Tweney (1977, 1978), both published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (see links below):

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00335557743000053

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00335557843000007?src=recsys

Bruce

···

From: Warren Mansell [mailto:wmansell@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 7:32 AM
To: csgnet@lists.illinois.edu; Control Systems Group Network (CSGnet) CSGNET@listserv.illinois.edu
Subject: Fwd: Control blindness: Why people can make incorrect inferences about the intentions of others

Dear CSG, please find the press release and open access paper on our studies of the rubber band demo. Feel free to disseminate it as widely as you like!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-reveals-how-little-we-know-about-each-others-intentions/

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-016-1268-3

All the best,

Warren

–

Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

–

Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

5

Hi Warren,

···

Thanks so much for sharing this article. I thought it was a really great study and would also be a fantastic introduction to anyone interested in behaviour who has never encountered PCT before.

I am starting my Honours year in psychology this year (part time as I’m a mum) and looking for research project ideas based on PCT and wondering if this might be something I could extend upon? Looking for ideas/collaboration opportunities. I am particularly interested in how we ‘construct’ our perceptions, whether real or imagined and there has been a lot of great discussion on CSGnet around this recently.

The discussion in the MOL and CSGnet forums is really inspirational. Hope I can find a professor at my university who is open to PCT though…the most popular professor at our university runs a course called ‘behaviour modification’ … I am hoping to perhaps use this paper as a jumping off point in discussions with some of the other professors I will approach as supervisors.

Regards

Leeanne Wright

Sent from my iPhone

On 18 Jan 2017, at 10:32 pm, Warren Mansell wmansell@gmail.com wrote:

Dear CSG, please find the press release and open access paper on our studies of the rubber band demo. Feel free to disseminate it as widely as you like!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-reveals-how-little-we-know-about-each-others-intentions/

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-016-1268-3

All the best,

Warren

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

6

Thank you Leeanne! I am always available for consultation on these kinds of projects and I can envisage a range of ways the studies in this paper could be extended, but as I am sure you know, PCT can be applied widely to many areas of interest.

Generally the resistance to PCT hasn’t changed much in 60 years since Bill first approached a psychology department specialising in behaviour modification hoping to do a PhD. However, there will be individuals who are exceptions and it is worth hunting them out. In fact I reckon there is probably someone in some academic field using PCT in some way in most cities with a university. So where are you based?

All the best,

Warren

···

On 18 Jan 2017, at 10:32 pm, Warren Mansell wmansell@gmail.com wrote:

Dear CSG, please find the press release and open access paper on our studies of the rubber band demo. Feel free to disseminate it as widely as you like!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-reveals-how-little-we-know-about-each-others-intentions/

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-016-1268-3

All the best,

Warren

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

7

Hi Warren,

···

I am based in Brisbane. It was while I was teaching that I met Tim and first encountered PCT. The more I discover (and the more I realise I have to learn) about PCT the more fascinated I become! These online discussions have been great as I study externally and only go to the intensive schools. Tim has also shared some of Tom Bourbon’s cooperation work and I’m also interested in how that applies to education… many teachers tend to be their own worst enemies…simply because they work in a system that often sees student behaviour as their intention… and punishes accordingly…

For my Honours thesis I know I need to find something that is within my current capabilities but also clear and hopefully clever. The knot on the dot and many of the other PCT demonstrations are often deceptively simple but really powerful and clever examples of PCT. I have so many thoughts bouncing around in my head at the moment that my biggest challenge will be distilling them into something that is not ridiculously complicated and in the end is virtually meaningless (like many of the neuroscience papers I read for that subject). Hence, I really appreciate anyone who will tell me or guide me away from that route.

Another challenge is deciding which sub-discipline in psychology under which to slot such a project. At the moment the two supervisors I am going to approach are from statistics or cognitive. It’s quite difficult having to fit yourself neatly into a category :wink:

In advance, thanks Warren and anyone else who offers any thoughts or suggestions! They are greatly appreciated!

Regards

Leeanne
Sent from my iPhone

On 19 Jan 2017, at 8:10 pm, Warren Mansell wmansell@gmail.com wrote:

Thank you Leeanne! I am always available for consultation on these kinds of projects and I can envisage a range of ways the studies in this paper could be extended, but as I am sure you know, PCT can be applied widely to many areas of interest.

Generally the resistance to PCT hasn’t changed much in 60 years since Bill first approached a psychology department specialising in behaviour modification hoping to do a PhD. However, there will be individuals who are exceptions and it is worth hunting them out. In fact I reckon there is probably someone in some academic field using PCT in some way in most cities with a university. So where are you based?

All the best,

Warren

On 19 Jan 2017, at 01:44, Leeanne Wright jlws.wright@optusnet.com.au wrote:

Hi Warren,

Thanks so much for sharing this article. I thought it was a really great study and would also be a fantastic introduction to anyone interested in behaviour who has never encountered PCT before.

I am starting my Honours year in psychology this year (part time as I’m a mum) and looking for research project ideas based on PCT and wondering if this might be something I could extend upon? Looking for ideas/collaboration opportunities. I am particularly interested in how we ‘construct’ our perceptions, whether real or imagined and there has been a lot of great discussion on CSGnet around this recently.

The discussion in the MOL and CSGnet forums is really inspirational. Hope I can find a professor at my university who is open to PCT though…the most popular professor at our university runs a course called ‘behaviour modification’ … I am hoping to perhaps use this paper as a jumping off point in discussions with some of the other professors I will approach as supervisors.

Regards

Leeanne Wright

Sent from my iPhone

On 18 Jan 2017, at 10:32 pm, Warren Mansell wmansell@gmail.com wrote:

Dear CSG, please find the press release and open access paper on our studies of the rubber band demo. Feel free to disseminate it as widely as you like!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-reveals-how-little-we-know-about-each-others-intentions/

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-016-1268-3

All the best,

Warren

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

8

Hi Martin,

···

No worries about butting in! It’s a group forum and that’s one of the things I like about them :smiley:

Thanks heaps for your ideas!!! It has occurred to me that I probably need to have several proposals up my sleeve, so to speak, because it’s not just what I would like to do but the need to work with a supervisor who must approve any proposal. It’s a stage in my studies where I need to be highly flexible. Being able to point to such a vibrant PCT community will also be a big help, I hope, when discussing possible projects with a potential supervisor.

For me the next step is sitting down and writing up some proposals. My two kids go back to school next week (after 6 weeks of holidays) which will mean some time to sit and work on these. I would be extremely grateful for comment?! The amount of detail you provided was awesome in this regard. I’m very grateful.

Regards

Leeanne

Sent from my iPhone

On 20 Jan 2017, at 8:31 am, Leeanne Wright jlws.wright@optusnet.com.au wrote:

Hi Warren,

I am based in Brisbane. It was while I was teaching that I met Tim and first encountered PCT. The more I discover (and the more I realise I have to learn) about PCT the more fascinated I become! These online discussions have been great as I study externally and only go to the intensive schools. Tim has also shared some of Tom Bourbon’s cooperation work and I’m also interested in how that applies to education… many teachers tend to be their own worst enemies…simply because they work in a system that often sees student behaviour as their intention… and punishes accordingly…

For my Honours thesis I know I need to find something that is within my current capabilities but also clear and hopefully clever. The knot on the dot and many of the other PCT demonstrations are often deceptively simple but really powerful and clever examples of PCT. I have so many thoughts bouncing around in my head at the moment that my biggest challenge will be distilling them into something that is not ridiculously complicated and in the end is virtually meaningless (like many of the neuroscience papers I read for that subject). Hence, I really appreciate anyone who will tell me or guide me away from that route.

Another challenge is deciding which sub-discipline in psychology under which to slot such a project. At the moment the two supervisors I am going to approach are from statistics or cognitive. It’s quite difficult having to fit yourself neatly into a category :wink:

In advance, thanks Warren and anyone else who offers any thoughts or suggestions! They are greatly appreciated!

Regards

Leeanne
Sent from my iPhone

On 19 Jan 2017, at 8:10 pm, Warren Mansell wmansell@gmail.com wrote:

Thank you Leeanne! I am always available for consultation on these kinds of projects and I can envisage a range of ways the studies in this paper could be extended, but as I am sure you know, PCT can be applied widely to many areas of interest.

Generally the resistance to PCT hasn’t changed much in 60 years since Bill first approached a psychology department specialising in behaviour modification hoping to do a PhD. However, there will be individuals who are exceptions and it is worth hunting them out. In fact I reckon there is probably someone in some academic field using PCT in some way in most cities with a university. So where are you based?

All the best,

Warren

On 19 Jan 2017, at 01:44, Leeanne Wright jlws.wright@optusnet.com.au wrote:

Hi Warren,

Thanks so much for sharing this article. I thought it was a really great study and would also be a fantastic introduction to anyone interested in behaviour who has never encountered PCT before.

I am starting my Honours year in psychology this year (part time as I’m a mum) and looking for research project ideas based on PCT and wondering if this might be something I could extend upon? Looking for ideas/collaboration opportunities. I am particularly interested in how we ‘construct’ our perceptions, whether real or imagined and there has been a lot of great discussion on CSGnet around this recently.

The discussion in the MOL and CSGnet forums is really inspirational. Hope I can find a professor at my university who is open to PCT though…the most popular professor at our university runs a course called ‘behaviour modification’ … I am hoping to perhaps use this paper as a jumping off point in discussions with some of the other professors I will approach as supervisors.

Regards

Leeanne Wright

Sent from my iPhone

On 18 Jan 2017, at 10:32 pm, Warren Mansell wmansell@gmail.com wrote:

Dear CSG, please find the press release and open access paper on our studies of the rubber band demo. Feel free to disseminate it as widely as you like!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-reveals-how-little-we-know-about-each-others-intentions/

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-016-1268-3

All the best,

Warren

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589

Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406

Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

9

[From Rick Marken (2016.01.19.1530 PST)]

···

On Thu, Jan 19, 2017 at 2:56 PM, Leeanne Wright jlws.wright@optusnet.com.au wrote:

Hi Martin,

Hi Leeanne

I didn’t see the post from Martin to which you are replying. Did you mean to be replying to Warren or Martin? If it was Martin, I presume it was Martin Taylor and he may have sent the post to you directly. If so, could you post that post to CSGNet so I can better understand your reply.Â

Thanks so much. Nice to have you on CSGNet. Oh, and when you do post to CSGNet could you put a header like the one I put on this one. It’s a CSGNet custom that is probably unnecessary but seems important to some of us old timers.Â

Best

Rick

Â

No worries about butting in! It’s a group forum and that’s one of the things I like about them 😃

Thanks heaps for your ideas!!! It has occurred to me that I probably need to have several proposals up my sleeve, so to speak, because it’s not just what I would like to do but the need to work with a supervisor who must approve any proposal. It’s a stage in my studies where I need to be highly flexible. Being able to point to such a vibrant PCT community will also be a big help, I hope, when discussing possible projects with a potential supervisor.Â

For me the next step is sitting down and writing up some proposals. My two kids go back to school next week (after 6 weeks of holidays) which will mean some time to sit and work on these. I would be extremely grateful for comment?! The amount of detail you provided was awesome in this regard. I’m very grateful.Â

Regards

Leeanne

Sent from my iPhone

On 20 Jan 2017, at 8:31 am, Leeanne Wright jlws.wright@optusnet.com.au wrote:

Hi Warren,

I am based in Brisbane. It was while I was teaching that I met Tim and first encountered PCT. The more I discover (and the more I realise I have to learn) about PCT the more fascinated I become! These online discussions have been great as I study externally and only go to the intensive schools. Tim has also shared some of Tom Bourbon’s cooperation work and I’m also interested in how that applies to education… many teachers tend to be their own worst enemies…simply because they work in a system that often sees student behaviour as their intention… and punishes accordingly…Â

For my Honours thesis I know I need to find something that is within my current capabilities but also clear and hopefully clever. The knot on the dot and many of the other PCT demonstrations are often deceptively simple but really powerful and clever examples of PCT. I have so many thoughts bouncing around in my head at the moment that my biggest challenge will be distilling them into something that is not ridiculously complicated and in the end is virtually meaningless (like many of the neuroscience papers I read for that subject). Hence, I really appreciate anyone who will tell me or guide me away from that route.Â

Another challenge is deciding which sub-discipline in psychology under which to slot such a project. At the moment the two supervisors I am going to approach are from statistics or cognitive. It’s quite difficult having to fit yourself neatly into a category 😉

In advance, thanks Warren and anyone else who offers any thoughts or suggestions! They are greatly appreciated!

Regards

LeeanneÂ
Sent from my iPhone

On 19 Jan 2017, at 8:10 pm, Warren Mansell wmansell@gmail.com wrote:

Thank you Leeanne! I am always available for consultation on these kinds of projects and I can envisage a range of ways the studies in this paper could be extended, but as I am sure you know, PCT can be applied widely to many areas of interest.

Generally the resistance to PCT hasn’t changed much in 60 years since Bill first approached a psychology department specialising in behaviour modification hoping to do a PhD. However, there will be individuals who are exceptions and it is worth hunting them out. In fact I reckon there is probably someone in some academic field using PCT in some way in most cities with a university. So where are you based?

All the best,

Warren

On 19 Jan 2017, at 01:44, Leeanne Wright jlws.wright@optusnet.com.au wrote:

Hi Warren,

Thanks so much for sharing this article. I thought it was a really great study and would also be a fantastic introduction to anyone interested in behaviour who has never encountered PCT before.Â

I am starting my Honours year in psychology this year (part time as I’m a mum) and looking for research project ideas based on PCT and wondering if this might be something I could extend upon? Looking for ideas/collaboration opportunities. I am particularly interested in how we ‘construct’ our perceptions, whether real or imagined and there has been a lot of great discussion on CSGnet around this recently.Â

The discussion in the MOL and CSGnet forums is really inspirational. Hope I can find a professor at my university who is open to PCT though…the most popular professor at our university runs a course called ‘behaviour modification’ … I am hoping to perhaps use this paper as a jumping off point in discussions with some of the other professors I will approach as supervisors.Â

RegardsÂ

Leeanne Wright

Sent from my iPhone

On 18 Jan 2017, at 10:32 pm, Warren Mansell wmansell@gmail.com wrote:

Dear CSG, please find the press release and open access paper on our studies of the rubber band demo. Feel free to disseminate it as widely as you like!

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-reveals-how-little-we-know-about-each-others-intentions/

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-016-1268-3

All the best,

Warren

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk
Â
Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589
Â
Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406
Â
Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

–
Dr Warren Mansell
Reader in Clinical Psychology

School of Health Sciences
2nd Floor Zochonis Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
Email: warren.mansell@manchester.ac.uk
Â
Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 8589
Â
Website: http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/131406
Â
Advanced notice of a new transdiagnostic therapy manual, authored by Carey, Mansell & Tai - Principles-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Available Now

Check www.pctweb.org for further information on Perceptual Control Theory

–

Richard S. MarkenÂ

"Perfection is achieved not when you have nothing more to add, but when you
have nothing left to take away.�
                --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

10

[Martin Taylor 2017.01.19,22,58]

[From Rick Marken (2016.01.19.1530 PST)]

Yes I did. for good reason. I offered some original suggestions that

she might be able to use for her own advancement, and was careful
not to display them to a public forum where they might be taken up
by anyone who might pre-empt her. Maybe they are bad ideas, maybe
they are good, but for now I want them to be hers to consider. If
she decides not to follow them up, then maybe I will put them on
CSGnet if I still think they might be worth something.

Please don't

Rick, if you personally want to see what I offered her, I will send

you a copy if you keep it private. With that, you could privately
criticise the ideas in correspondence with her.

And the archivist and people who might want to go back and find the

message in a year or three.

Martin
···

On Thu, Jan 19, 2017 at 2:56 PM,
Leeanne Wright jlws.wright@optusnet.com.au
wrote:

Hi Martin,

Hi Leeanne

          I didn't see the post from Martin to which you are

replying. Did you mean to be replying to Warren or Martin?
If it was Martin, I presume it was Martin Taylor and he
may have sent the post to you directly.

          If so, could you post that post to CSGNet so I can

better understand your reply.

          Thanks so much. Nice to have you on CSGNet. Oh, and

when you do post to CSGNet could you put a header like the
one I put on this one. It’s a CSGNet custom that is
probably unnecessary but seems important to some of us old
timers.