mind and cognition

Jumping to conclusions, part 2: correct answers to the Cash Register Test

Diane Levin
October 14, 2008 10:08

Last week I posed a challenge to my readers: to have a go at “The Cash Register Exercise“, an uncritical inference test. I promised to divulge the correct answers yesterday, but unfortunately circumstances intervened and prevented me from doing so, and so, with my apologies, I post them...

Jumping to conclusions? Take the Cash Register test to find out how much

Diane Levin
October 06, 2008 00:20

For many years I have used the following exercise in trainings and workshops on conflict resolution, communication, and negotiation. Known as “The Cash Register Exercise”, it is adapted from “The Uncritical Inference Test” created by William V. Haney, Communication and...

Daydreams lead to creativity, productive problem solving, contrary to popular belief

Diane Levin
August 31, 2008 14:26

…proper daydreaming - the kind of thinking that occurs when the mind is thinking to itself - is a crucial feature of the healthy human brain. It might seem as though our mind is empty, but the mind is never empty: it’s always bubbling over with ideas and connections. So writes Jonah...

Paying attention: how much of it lies within your control?

Diane Levin
August 26, 2008 20:36

For those of you who enjoy visual games that play with perception and cognition, I invited you to have a go at The Color Test, a flash animation that demonstrates how challenging it can be to control your attention. It is one of many versions available online of the Stroop Test, a task in which...

The rest is trust: cognitive errors make it easy to misjudge trustworthiness

Diane Levin
August 17, 2008 16:03

Trust, as any negotiator knows, is critical. Its presence gets commitment; its destruction sours deals. But trusting and being trusted is a delicate balance: effective negotiators know to “be trustworthy, not trusting.” No one wants to be fooled at the negotiating table. In...