Magicians fix your mind: How unlikely solutions block obvious ones

•Implanting an unfamiliar idea in the mind can prevent from finding an obvious one.•Highlighting false solutions divert suspicion away from the secret of the trick.•Even if subjects search for alternative solutions most of them fail to discover it. In everyday life, several factors limit the human c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cognition 2016-09, Vol.154, p.169-173
Main Authors: Thomas, Cyril, Didierjean, André
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Choice Behavior
Cognitive science
Einstellung
Fixing effect
Humans
Illusion
Illusions
Magic
Problem Solving
Young Adult
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Summary:•Implanting an unfamiliar idea in the mind can prevent from finding an obvious one.•Highlighting false solutions divert suspicion away from the secret of the trick.•Even if subjects search for alternative solutions most of them fail to discover it. In everyday life, several factors limit the human capacity to think differently. The present study shows that implanting an unlikely and unfamiliar idea in the mind can prevent participants from finding a more obvious one. To demonstrate this, we used a technique often adopted by magicians to misrepresent the method of a trick: the false solution. Our results reveal that a single exposure to an unlikely false solution (the magician can influence the spectator’s choice with his gesture) before the presentation of a card trick can prevent participants from finding the real (more obvious) secret of a trick, even if they are invited to search for an alternative solution.
ISSN:0010-0277
1873-7838
DOI:10.1016/j.cognition.2016.06.002