False Recognition

[Adahn]

[size=2]Lately, I've noticed something strange. You probably don't think about it much, but do you know how you recognize things? Like, you see a person you know, and you recognize who they are? Or, you see an object, like a shirt, and you see it and you know it's a shirt?[/size]
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[size=2]Yeah, you probably know what I'm talking about, but you may be wondering why. I've been experiencing false recognition before true recognition. It's almost instantaneous, but the first thought is there. The discrepancy between the true recognition and the false recognition is brought to my attention immediately after it occurs. I think I need to give an example.[/size]
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[size=2]Yesterday, an elderly woman with glasses appeared on t.v. [i]Right[/i] when she appeared, though, my brain said "Macaulay Caulkin."[/size]
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[size=2]Also yesterday, a commercial started, and I noticed my uncovered foot. The [i]first[/i] thing I thought when I saw it was, "Flesh-colored foot-shaped sock."[/size]
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[size=2]We have 3 cats in our house, and they like to lay around, so many times I've seen a shirt or something on my bed. My brain doesn't say shirt first, though, it says cat.[/size]
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[size=2]The recovery is immediate, so I know what the object is immediately after I recognize it falsely. Does anyone have any experience with this? Does anyone have any idea what the hell is going on with my head? Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.[/size]
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[size=2]Good Lord, I'm strange.[/size]

[Retribution]

[size=1]I believe you're talking about schema. Basically, they're categories you create in your brain based off of previous observation and experience, and you place everything you see and recognize into these. For example, you see millions of "trees," and no two are exactly alike. Your mind generalizes the object as a thing with green leaves and a trunk, and the next time you see something similar, you think it's a "tree".

This phenomena is most observable in little children learning names of objects. So if they see a picture of a cow, they'll ask "What's that?" you, of course, reply "That's a cow." They create a schema for "cow" that is a mental image of that picture. When they see a moose for the first time, however, they'll go "It's a cow!" because they've assimilated that object into a pre-existing schema. You correct the child "No, that's a moose," and now another schema is created.

So when you confused a sock for a foot or something, it's probably because they look very similar. So similar for that instant that it more closely resembles your mental image of a foot that you think it such. But I'm sure that once you look at it closer, you know it's a sock. Your mind basically just goes "Oh wait, its not x object, it's y."

Psychology ftw.[/size]

[Claire]

[QUOTE=Adahn]
[size=2]We have 3 cats in our house, and they like to lay around, so many times I've seen a shirt or something on my bed. My brain doesn't say shirt first, though, it says cat.[/size][/QUOTE]
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I have two cats; one is a goldish furred boy who lounges around in the chairs and whatnot. Sometimes I happen across a grocery bag and I automatically think it's the cat. So, I go to pet it, and it turns out to be just a grocery bag.

I guess that sort of thing happens all the time.[/FONT]

[The13thMan]

[QUOTE=Clurr][FONT=Arial]
I have two cats; one is a goldish furred boy who lounges around in the chairs and whatnot. Sometimes I happen across a grocery bag and I automatically think it's the cat. So, I go to pet it, and it turns out to be just a grocery bag.

I guess that sort of thing happens all the time.[/FONT][/QUOTE]
[COLOR=DarkOrange][FONT=Century Gothic]Haha, that made me laugh out loud! You should just go ahead and pet the grocery bag...they need love too.

I mistake things for other things sometimes, though not as often as you make it sound, Adahn. Mostly i'd say it happens when i see things off in the distance or when i see it in my peripheral vision. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Although you are quite strange. And also, would you say it's happening a lot more than usual or something? Perhaps you're going crazy? Heh, there's wishful thinking for ya. =D JK.


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[Pumpkin]

[size=1]I hate to admit it, but retribution seems to be on the dot on this one. I've never mistaken a sock for a foot, or grocery bag for a cat before so I guess technically I'm a strange one. Although, that would be kind of fun.

Also, children also come to terms with their own names for things and sometimes I know people keep them. My nephew continues to call chickens "Bak-Baks" so everytime we go out to dinner, he orders the "Bak-Bak" which confuses the waitor. That might not be saying much though because his speech isn't the greatest, whenever he says fox it sounds exactly like he's saying the f-word like "Fawks". *shrugs* So your unique? No biggie. [/size]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

I guess thankfully like Peanut I've never mistaken anything for anything else, unless I'm not wearing my glasses and then anything goes as I'm 3/4 blind. I sometimes mistake people for other people, as in I'll use the wrong name to address them, although thankfully that's pretty rare as it can be quite awkward. [/SIZE]