BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:What does magic tell us about free will?  - Gustav Kuhn (Goldsmith
 s\, University of London)
DTSTART:20211126T161500Z
DTEND:20211126T173000Z
UID:TALK163408@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Psychology Reception
DESCRIPTION:Magicians amaze their audiences by creating illusions that all
 ow you to experience the impossible. In the MAGIC lab\, we study magic tri
 cks to gain insights into the nature of these magical experiences\, as wel
 l as the psychological mechanism that underpin them.  In this talk I will 
 focus on the principle of forcing.  Forcing is a magic technique used to c
 overtly influence a person’s choice.  I will examine our new framework o
 n forcing which distinguished between techniques in which magicians covert
 ly influence a person’s decision (decision forces) or the outcome of a d
 ecision (outcome forces).  I will then present empirical studies on forcin
 g to illuminate the psychological mechanisms that underpin them.  Some of 
 these forces rely on priming\, such as when hand gestures are used to prim
 e the spectator to name a particular playing card.  Other forces rely on e
 xploiting cognitive biases\, such as when playing cards are placed in more
  prominant physical locations.   Our empirical investigations reveal the e
 ase by which people’s decisions can be influenced and people’s oblivio
 usness towards these influences.   In the final part I will examine empiri
 cal studies on outcome forces.  These studies demonstrate that people ofte
 n fail to realize that their decisions have no impact on the outcome of th
 e decision. Our research on forcing illustrates the ease by which our mind
  can be influenced and manipulated.  These findings add to the view that o
 ur sense of free will is a compelling illusion. 
LOCATION:Zoom meeting
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR