HANDOUT1
Instructions:Thisisaquestionnaireinwhichwearetryingtoassesshowpeoplethinkaboutmind,brain,and behavior.Therearenorightorwronganswers.Pleasereadeachstatementandtrytoanswerasaccuratelyasyou can;usingthefollowingscale,writethenumberthatreflectsyouropiniononthelinetotheleft.Remember,your responsestothequestionnaireareanonymous,sopleaseanswerashonestlyandaccuratelyasyoucan.Please respondtothestatementsinorderanddonotlookaheadinthequestionnaire.
5=always
4=frequently
3=occasionally
2=seldom
1=never
1.Themindisnotpartofthebrainbutitaffectsthebrain.
2.WhenIimagineasceneinmymind,Iaminastatethatwillforeverbebeyondexplanationby science.
3.WhenIusetheword“mind,”itisjustashorthandtermforthecomplicatedthingsthatmybrain does.
4.Themindisaspecialformofenergy(currentlyunknowntoman)thatisincontactwiththebrain andaffectsit.
5.Mindsare,inprinciple,independentofbodies,towhichtheyareonlytemporarily“attached.”
6.Hundredsofyearsinthefuturewhenweknowhowbrainstatesandthoughtsarerelated,itmight bepossibleforaphysiologisttomeasuremybrainstatesandknowwhatIamthinking.
7. SometimeswhenIgivereasonsformybehavior,thosereasonsarewrong.Thatis,mybehavior can be affected by things that I am not aware of. When this happens I might give a “reason” for mybehaviorthatiswrong.
8.Perhapsitwillnevermakesensetotalkaboutcomputershavingemotions,butsometimeinthe futureitmaybethecasethatcomputerswillthinkaswellashumans.
9.Mentalprocessescausechangesinbrainprocesses.
10.Whenpeopletalkabouttheirmindstheyarereallyjusttalkingaboutwhattheirbrainsseemto bedoing.Talkaboutthe“mental”isreallyjustshorthandforbrainprocessesthatwearenot awareof.
11.ThefactthatIcanknowmyownthoughtprocesses(thatIcanintrospect)meansthatmythought processescannotbejustbrainprocesses.
12.Justaswenolongertalkofwitches,inthefuturewhenweknowindetailhowbrainswork,we maynottalkaboutmindsanymore.
13.MymindisthethingthatcausesmetobehaveasIdo.
14.Knowledgeofthemindwillforeverbebeyondtheunderstandingofscienceslikephysics, neurophysiology,andpsychology.
15.ForeachthoughtthatIhave,thereexistsacertainstatethatmybrainisin.
16.Themindisanonmaterialsubstancethatinteractswiththebraintodeterminebehavior.
17.Hundredsofyearsinthefuture,whenweknowmuchmoreaboutthebrainandbehavior,we mightchangethewaywetalkaboutourbehaviorandourminds.Thatis,wemightfindbetter waystotalkaboutourthoughts,feelingsandemotions.
18.The“self”thatIintrospectaboutcontrolsboththemindandthebrain.
19.Mindsareinsidebrainsbutarenotthesameasbrains.
HANDOUT1(continued)
20.Whenwesaythatapersonhasa“creativemind,”thisjustmeansthatthepersontendstoproduce thingsthatpeoplejudgeascreative.Thestatementreallyhasnothingtodowiththeperson’s mind.
21.Somementalprocesseshavenoconnectiontobrainprocesses.
22.Inahundredyearsormore,itmightmakesensetorefertoacomputerashavingamind.
23.Myconsciousnesswillsurvivethedisintegrationofmyphysicalbody.
24. Notmuchwouldbelostifwedroppedtheword“mind”fromourvocabularies.Forexample, rather than say “I made up my mind,” a person might say, “My brain decided.” Although this mightsoundfunnyatfirst,nomeaningwouldbelost.
25.Mentalprocessesaretheresultofactivityinthenervoussystem.
26.Themindandthebrainaretwototallyseparatethings.
27.Wetalkofthesunrising,butweallknowthatthesundoesnotrisebutinsteadtheearthturns.
Thisisacaseofourlanguagenotrespondingtochangesinphysicalknowledge.Some neurophysiologiststhinkthismightalsobethecaseforourlanguageaboutthemental.For instance,ifwehadadequatephysiologicalknowledgeitmightbepossibletosay“MyC-fibersare firing!”insteadof“I’minpain!”Justasphraseslike“Thesunisrising”areexpendable(not needed,sincethesunreallydoesn’trise)somementaltermsmaybeeliminatedordrastically changedinthefuturewhenwehavebetterphysiologicalknowledge.
Source:Stanovich,K.E.(1989).Implicitphilosophiesofmind:Thedualismscaleanditsrelationtoreligiosityandbelief inextrasensoryperception.JournalofPsychology,123(1),5–23.ReprintedwithpermissionoftheHelenDwightReid EducationalFoundation.PublishedbyHeldrefPublications,1319EighteenthSt.,NW,Washington,DC20026-1802. Copyright©1989.
HANDOUT2
Belowisacollectionofstatementsaboutyoureverydayexperience.Usingthe1–6scalebelow,pleaseindicatehow frequentlyorinfrequentlyyoucurrentlyhaveeachexperience.Pleaseansweraccordingtowhatreallyreflectsyour experienceratherthanwhatyouthinkyourexperienceshouldbe.Pleasetreateachitemseparatelyfromeveryother
1.Icouldbeexperiencingsomeemotionandnotbeconsciousofituntilsometimelater.
2.Ibreakorspillthingsbecauseofcarelessness,notpayingattention,orthinkingofsomethingelse.
3.Ifinditdifficulttostayfocusedonwhat’shappeninginthepresent.
4.ItendtowalkquicklytogetwhereI’mgoingwithoutpayingattentiontowhatIexperiencealongtheway.
5.Itendnottonoticefeelingsofphysicaltensionordiscomfortuntiltheyreallygrabmyattention.
6.Iforgetaperson’snamealmostassoonasI’vebeentolditforthefirsttime.
7.ItseemsIam“runningonautomatic,”withoutmuchawarenessofwhatI’mdoing.
8.Irushthroughactivitieswithoutbeingreallyattentivetothem.
9.IgetsofocusedonthegoalIwanttoachievethatIlosetouchwithwhatI’mdoingrightnowtogetthere.
10.Idojobsortasksautomatically,withoutbeingawareofwhatI’mdoing.
11.Ifindmyselflisteningtosomeonewithoneear,doingsomethingelseatthesametime.
12.Idriveplaceson‘automaticpilot’andthenwonderwhyIwentthere.
13.Ifindmyselfpreoccupiedwiththefutureorthepast.
14.Ifindmyselfdoingthingswithoutpayingattention.
15.IsnackwithoutbeingawarethatI’meating.
Source:Brown,K.W.Ryan,R.M.(2003).Thebenefitsofbeingpresent:Mindfulnessanditsrolein psychologicalwell-being.JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,84,822–848.(Scaleitemsappear onp.826.)