Unbiased Mind, The

This video regards bias and prejudice as “uncritical thinking.” We need labels to make quick judgments, but relying on labels leads to stereotyping and prejudice. We end up ignoring individual differences and soon see only the label. 

The video examines four thinking traps that prevent critical thinking: Stereotypes--In an ordinary deck of playing cards, for example, one king shows only one eye. Most people don’t know which one. 

This perfectly normal “blindness” illustrates a mental shortcut that leads to stereotype and prejudice; Problems with Cause and Effect--Listen to the mysterious “Curse of the Grecian Urn” and decide why ownership of a mysterious urn seems to cause so many untimely deaths. 

Could the urn be cursed, or does it illustrate a common problem in assigning cause and effect?; Seeing Only What We Expect to See--The “confirmation bias” explains why a thin person believes himself overweight, why a higher price on consumer goods usually leads people to believe they are of higher quality, and why believers in the supernatural are most likely to see ghosts... 

The Invisible Self—Example: when you read printed words reflected in a mirror they are “backwards and inside out.” Why doesn’t that happen when you look at your face in a mirror? See how our “built-in blind spot” leads to muddled conclusions. Other obstacles to clear thinking are offered in this video along with the producer's conclusions.