Cognitive Science
9 items
Personal Space and Urban Density — Physically Close Yet Psychologically Distant: Japan's Paradox of Distance
A study of 42 countries and ~9,000 participants found that Argentines feel comfortable with strangers at 76 cm, while Romanians need 140 cm. Japanese people prefer relatively wide personal space, yet endure 200% capacity trains every morning. This article analyzes the structure of 'physically close but psychologically distant' adaptation through the lenses of proxemics theory, urban density research, and criminology.
Why We Can't Stop Checking Other People's Comments — The Brain That Seeks Agreement and the Self-Disgust of Self-Awareness
After watching a movie we read reviews; after reading news we scroll through comments. The urge to confirm whether others share our opinions is rooted in social comparison theory and the false consensus effect. A meta-analysis of 115 studies shows an effect size of r=0.31. This article analyzes why we check comments, why we seek agreement, and the metacognitive structure behind the uncomfortable feeling of 'this is kind of creepy.'
Literature Map: From Agnotology to 'Structural Invisibility'
Tracing the intellectual lineage from Robert Proctor's production of ignorance, through Miranda Fricker's epistemic injustice and Linsey McGoey's strategic ignorance, to ISVD's 'Reading the Structure' methodology.
The Production Mechanism of Taboos — Who Decides What 'Must Not Be Said'
A structural analysis of the questions raised by Akira Tachibana's 'Things That Must Not Be Said'—examining the mechanisms by which discussing genetics, intelligence, and appearance becomes 'forbidden to speak of' through the lens of agnotology. Taboos do not emerge naturally but are produced and maintained under specific social conditions.
Motivated Ignorance — The Cognitive Structure of 'Not Wanting to Know'
Analyzing the mechanism by which individuals voluntarily choose to 'remain ignorant' rather than being forced into ignorance from external sources, from a cognitive science perspective. Examining how the 'illusion of knowledge' demonstrated by Sloman & Fernbach's 'The Knowledge Illusion' and motivated reasoning form the individual-level foundation of structural ignorance.
The Pitfalls of 'I Asked AI' — Authority Bias and the Hollowing Out of Knowledge
Authority bias in accepting AI output uncritically and knowledge hollowing from skill delegation. From calculators to GPS to LLMs—a recurring pattern.
'Kūki' and Sontaku — The Japanese Form of Pluralistic Ignorance
This case study integrates the 'rule by atmosphere' (kūki) analyzed by Yamamoto Shichihei in A Study of 'Atmosphere' and the concept of 'sontaku' (anticipatory compliance), which gained political attention from 2017, within the theoretical framework of pluralistic ignorance. It illuminates the mechanism that structures the state of 'knowing but not speaking' by radically raising the cost of dissent.
Epistemic Injustice and Information Access Gaps in NPOs — Visualizing Structures Where Voices Go Unheard
Applying Miranda Fricker's epistemic injustice theory to the NPO context, this analysis examines how testimonial injustice and hermeneutical injustice create structural information access gaps in policymaking. Through connections with the 'complaint gap' concept from the Quiet City Project, we envision counter-design approaches grounded in agnotology.
Cognitive Debt — What Happens to the Brain and Society When We Delegate Thinking to AI
Brain connectivity among ChatGPT users dropped 55%, with 83% unable to cite their own writing. MIT Media Lab research reveals the structure of cognitive debt.