Magical Thinking

The New York Times had a excellent article in the Science Times section on what it calls "magical thinking." It points out that, rather than being a aberration, the belief in the ability to change reality through counterfactual methods like wearing lucky socks or performing certain pregame rituals is widespread, even among people who "know better" and admit that it has no logical basis. It would seem that the ability to detect complicated cause-and-effect relationships, especially when the mechanism is unknown, is so adaptive from an evolutionary standpoint that it outweighs the possible cost associated with mistaken beliefs. For example, the impulse to stick with a successful hunting technique or tool, even if one cannot rationally explain why it works, is extremely beneficial even if the same impulse also leads one utter a magical incantation as well. The potential upside (continued success) is much greater than the potential downside (spending a few seconds performing a ritual of questionable value).