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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (59466)	8/11/2004 8:43:35 AM
From: Mary Cluney	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793843

<<<Would you explain to me straightforwardly why I or anyone else should care? >>> I don't know about straightforwardly, but if you are interested in a psychological phenomenon which refers to the discomfort felt at a discrepancy between what you already know or believe, and new information or interpretation. It therefore occurs when there is a need to accommodate new ideas, and it may be necessary for it to develop so that we become "open" to them. Neighbour (1992) makes the generation of appropriate dissonance into a major feature of tutorial (and other) teaching: he shows how to drive this kind of intellectual wedge between learners' current beliefs and "reality". Beyond this benign if uncomfortable aspect, however, dissonance can go "over the top", leading to two interesting side-effects for learning: * if someone is called upon to learn something which contradicts what they already think they know ? particularly if they are committed to that prior knowledge ? they are likely to resist the new learning. Even Carl Rogers recognised this. Accommodation is more difficult than Assimilation, in Piaget's terms. * if learning something has been difficult, uncomfortable, or even humiliating enough, people are not likely to admit that the content of what has been learned is not valuable. To do so would be to admit that one has been "had", or "conned". These weblinks will give a more formal and less idiosyncratic account: afirstlook.com /cogdiss.cfm?source=archther apa.org 4318830s.html Cognitive dissonance was first investigated by Leon Festinger and associates, arising out of a participant observation study of a cult which believed that the earth was going to be destroyed by a flood, and what happened to its members ? particularly the really committed ones who had given up their homes and jobs to work for the cult ? when the flood did not happen. While fringe members were more inclined to recognise that they had made fools of themselves and to "put it down to experience", committed members were more likely to re-interpret the evidence to show that they were right all along (the earth was not destroyed because of the faithfulness of the cult members). Ordeal is therefore an effective ? if spurious ? way of conferring value on an educational (or any other) experience. "No pain, no gain", as they say. * the more difficult it is to get on a course, the more participants are likely to value it and view it favourably regardless of its real quality. * ditto, the more expensive it is. * the more obscure and convoluted the subject, the more profound it must be. This has of course been exploited for years to persuade us of the existence of the emperor's clothes, particularly by French "intellectuals". (I recently came across the wonderful phrase "intellectual flatulence" which perfectly describes such rubbish) It is not, however, the qualities of the course which are significant, as the amount of effort which participants have to put in: so the same qualification may well be valued more by the student who had to struggle for it than the student who sailed through. This issue is fertile territory where this psychological phenomenon is exhibited.

To: Lane3 who wrote (59466)	8/11/2004 9:42:57 AM
From: gamesmistress	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793843

My reaction to Kerry's constant refrain of "I served in Vietnam, I won 3 Purple Hearts" was always, "Who cares? How exactly does that make you fit to be Commander in Chief? What about your record in the Senate?" And the "answer" was usually a form of "Look at Bush's military record, he was only in the National Guard and blew that off half the time." IMO, military service per se does squat to prepare you to be President and Commander in Chief. Bush's military record was mediocre at best but I approve of his military actions since 9/11. Before all the SwiftVet controversy blew up, I just was getting tired of Kerry emphasizing 4 months in Vietnam and ignoring 20 years in the Senate. Now, however, it seems that Kerry has been, er, misrepresenting even those 4 months (can't say for sure, haven't read the SwiftVet book, but it doesn't look good). So why should I (or anyone) care now about the SwiftVet controversy? Because, as Tony Blankley said, either Kerry and his "Band of Brothers" or the SwiftVets who contributed to the book are lying through their teeth. THAT matters.

To: Lane3 who wrote (59466)	8/11/2004 1:27:41 PM
From: Alan Smithee	Respond to of 793843

Would you explain to me straightforwardly why I or anyone else should care? Ah, for starters because a person who would is dishonest about this issue is not trustworthy or worthy of belief on other issues and is not qualified to be the leader of this country?

To: Lane3 who wrote (59466)	8/11/2004 3:49:43 PM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793843

Read Tony Blankly's column on this. He read the book this week. As he put it, "either these vets are all a bunch of liars, or Kerry is the most despicable candidate we have ever had run for President." This drama goes beyond anything we have ever had in a race. I don't think the media will give them traction, or that they can defeat the money and lawyers stacked up against them. But the process is going to be the most exciting thing to watch you have ever seen in a Presidental race.

To: Lane3 who wrote (59466)	8/15/2004 10:12:57 PM
From: Sully-	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793843

<font color=blue>"And I understand why rabid partisans care."<font color=black> LOL! You're funny. RE: Swift Boat vets & Team Kerry's Band of Brothers....... <font color=blue>"Would you explain to me straightforwardly why I or anyone else should care?"<font color=black> It goes to character on something Kerry has made the centerpiece of his campaign. That is quite an important consideration when deciding if someone is qualified to be president. Let them each present their case & let us decided who lied. 'nuff said in my book.