YANSS 136 – Why solving problems can make those problems seem impossible to solve

In this episode we explore prevalence induced concept change with psychologist David Levari.

In a nutshell, when we set out to change the world by reducing examples of something we have deemed problematic, and we succeed, a host of psychological phenomena can mask our progress and make those problems seem intractable — as if we are only treading water when, in fact, we’ve created the change we set out to make.

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This  episode is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus. Get unlimited access to a huge library of The Great Courses lecture series on many fascinating subjects. Start FOR FREE with Your Deceptive Mind taught by neurologist Steven Novella. Learn about how your mind makes sense of the world by lying to itself and others. Click here for a FREE TRIAL.

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Links and Sources

Download – iTunes – Stitcher – RSS – Soundcloud

Previous Episodes

David Levari’s website

Why The World Is Getting Better And Why Hardly Anyone Knows It

John Gray: Steven Pinker is wrong about violence and war

Poll about the world getting better

The problem with solving problems

Papers mentioned:

Prevalence-induced concept change in human judgment
Concept Creep: Psychology’s Expanding Concepts of Harm and Pathology