專題：Science報導
據10月3日的《科學》（Science）雜誌報導說，當個人對一種處境缺乏控制能力的時候，他們更容易看到某些實際並不存在的模式，希望籍此恢復其對這種處境的控制能力。但是，自我肯定的訓練可以減少某個人的這種被稱為錯覺模式感知的欺騙性現象。這些發現證實了長期存在的信念，即對某種模式的感知是一種由缺乏控制能力的無助感所引起的一種代償性的機制。他們還對如何克服這種錯覺模式感知提供了見解。
Jennifer Whitson 和Adam Galinsky在人類受試者中開展了6個試驗。在這些試驗中，他們誘發出一種缺乏控制能力的情況並用多種不同的刺激來測度錯覺模式感知以得出這些結論。他們發現，在不同的試驗中，缺乏控制能力的試驗參與者會感受到更多的錯覺模式，如，在喧鬧聲中看到畫面，在股票市場資訊中形成錯覺性模式，感受到陰謀論以及出現迷信信念等。研究人員提示，感知模式，即使是錯覺性的，也足以使缺乏控制的無助感得到安慰，並甚至會不時地令人適應它，但人們可以通過自我肯定的訓練來減少這種錯覺性感知模式。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Science，Vol. 322. no. 5898, pp. 115 - 117，Jennifer A. Whitson，Adam D. Galinsky
Lacking Control Increases Illusory Pattern Perception
Jennifer A. Whitson1* and Adam D. Galinsky2
We present six experiments that tested whether lacking control increases illusory pattern perception, which we define as the identification of a coherent and meaningful interrelationship among a set of random or unrelated stimuli. Participants who lacked control were more likely to perceive a variety of illusory patterns, including seeing images in noise, forming illusory correlations in stock market information, perceiving conspiracies, and developing superstitions. Additionally, we demonstrated that increased pattern perception has a motivational basis by measuring the need for structure directly and showing that the causal link between lack of control and illusory pattern perception is reduced by affirming the self. Although these many disparate forms of pattern perception are typically discussed as separate phenomena, the current results suggest that there is a common motive underlying them.