“You have brain damage” is also a theory with perfect explanatory adequacy. If one were to explain the Capgras delusion to Capgras patients, it would provide just as good an explanation for their odd reactions as the imposter hypothesis. Although the patient might not be able to appreciate its decreased complexity, they should at least remain indifferent between the two hypotheses. I’ve never read of any formal study of this, but given that someone must have tried explaining the Capgras delusion to Capgras patients I’m going to assume it doesn’t work. Why not?”
IMHO All human psychologies have a hard time updating to believe they’re poorly built. We are by nature arrogant. Do not forget that common folk often “choose” what to believe after they think about how it feels to believe it.
(Brilliant article btw)
(eidt):”Likewise, how come delusions are so specific? It’s impossible to convince someone who thinks he is Napoleon that he’s really just a random non-famous mental patient, but it’s also impossible to convince him he’s Alexander the Great (at least I think so; I don’t know if it’s ever been tried). But him being Alexander the Great is also consistent with his observed data and his deranged inference abilities. Why decide it’s the CIA who’s after you, and not the KGB or Bavarian Illuminati?”
IMHO I think there are plenty of cognitive biases that can explain that sort of behavior in healthy patients. Confirmation bias, and the affective heuristic are the first to come to mind.
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“You have brain damage” is also a theory with perfect explanatory adequacy. If one were to explain the Capgras delusion to Capgras patients, it would provide just as good an explanation for their odd reactions as the imposter hypothesis. Although the patient might not be able to appreciate its decreased complexity, they should at least remain indifferent between the two hypotheses. I’ve never read of any formal study of this, but given that someone must have tried explaining the Capgras delusion to Capgras patients I’m going to assume it doesn’t work. Why not?”
IMHO All human psychologies have a hard time updating to believe they’re poorly built. We are by nature arrogant. Do not forget that common folk often “choose” what to believe after they think about how it feels to believe it.
(Brilliant article btw)
(eidt):”Likewise, how come delusions are so specific? It’s impossible to convince someone who thinks he is Napoleon that he’s really just a random non-famous mental patient, but it’s also impossible to convince him he’s Alexander the Great (at least I think so; I don’t know if it’s ever been tried). But him being Alexander the Great is also consistent with his observed data and his deranged inference abilities. Why decide it’s the CIA who’s after you, and not the KGB or Bavarian Illuminati?”
IMHO I think there are plenty of cognitive biases that can explain that sort of behavior in healthy patients. Confirmation bias, and the affective heuristic are the first to come to mind.
If you don’t have the right understanding of how the brain works, I’ve not sure this thesis adequately explains.
By comparison, the expected observations from “Your car has engine damage” is a car that doesn’t drive at all, not one that turns right but not left.