Alright, let’s dive into my “psychology pin” project! It’s less of a formal “project” and more of a fun, little experiment I did based on some psychology stuff I was reading about. I thought it would be cool to make a physical thing that kind of represented it.
It all started with this article I stumbled upon about cognitive biases – you know, those mental shortcuts our brains take that can lead to some wonky thinking. I was particularly fascinated by the idea of confirmation bias, where we tend to favor information that confirms our existing beliefs. It’s super interesting (and also kinda scary!) how easily we can fall into that trap.
So, I decided, “Hey, why not try to visualize this?” I had this old pinboard lying around, you know, the kind with the cork surface. I thought it would be the perfect medium.
First thing I did was grab a bunch of colored index cards. I wrote down different beliefs or opinions on each card. Some were my own, some were things I’d heard other people say. I really tried to get a mix, even including stuff I strongly disagreed with, which was hard!
Then I went on a hunt for images. I printed out pictures from the internet that I thought visually represented these beliefs. Some were literal, some were more abstract. Like, for a belief about environmentalism, I might use a picture of a lush forest or a polluted cityscape.
The next step was to start pinning things to the board. This is where it got interesting. I instinctively started grouping the cards and images that aligned with my own beliefs closer together, almost creating little “clusters” of confirmation. I noticed myself doing it, and it was kinda wild! It was like my brain was automatically trying to create a visual representation of my own biases.
Then, the real challenge began: consciously trying to arrange the board differently. I tried to put opposing viewpoints next to each other, forcing myself to acknowledge the validity (or at least the existence) of perspectives different from my own. I used colored string to connect related ideas, regardless of whether they agreed or disagreed. It became this tangled web of opinions and images.
After a couple of hours of messing around, I ended up with this chaotic, visually stimulating pinboard. It was a mess, honestly, but it was my mess, and it represented a really interesting mental exercise.
The final step was just sitting back and looking at it. I spent a good chunk of time just staring at the board, trying to see if I could identify any patterns I hadn’t noticed before. It was a reminder that our beliefs are often interconnected, and that even the most strongly held convictions are influenced by a whole host of factors.
What I learned? Well, first off, confirmation bias is a real thing, and it’s sneakier than I thought. Second, creating a physical representation of something abstract can be a really powerful way to understand it better. And third, I need to clean my room more often – that pinboard was gathering dust bunnies like crazy!
This whole “psychology pin” thing wasn’t about creating a masterpiece. It was about getting my hands dirty (literally!) and exploring a fascinating aspect of the human mind. I’d encourage anyone to try something similar – find a psychological concept that intrigues you and see if you can visualize it. You might surprise yourself with what you discover!
