Mining the Mind

Don’t think about a white bear. Now, chances are, thats all youll be thinking about as you read on. This phenomenon, known as the paradox of thought suppression (the more we try not to think about something, the more we cant get it out of our head), is just one of the fascinating topics Daniel Wegner studies. Wegners research has also focused on transactive memory — how people remember who knows what in couples and groups. Currently, his lab studies mind perception, including how we determine whether or not something has a mind (e.g., were fairly confident that we have a mind, but what about animals, robots, or a patient in a vegetative state?) and how we understand and empathize with others actions. In addition, Wegner examines conscious will — how we know that our actions are in fact our own and what happens when we are mistaken, either due to a mental disorder or simply by being misled. Wegner is a recipient of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) William James Fellow Award for his lifetime of significant intellectual achievements to the basic science of psychology.

Watch Wegner’s Award Address at the 23rd APS Annual Convention.