Apophenia Tendencies

Question 1

Clustering illusion

Answer 1

The tendency to overestimate the importance of small runs, streaks, or clusters in large samples of random data (that is, seeing phantom patterns).

Question 2

Illusory correlation

Answer 2

Inaccurately perceiving a relationship between two unrelated events.

Question 3

Pareidolia

Answer 3

A vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) is perceived as significant, e.g., seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, and hearing non-existent hidden messages on records played in reverse.

Question 4

Apophenia

Answer 4

Apophenia (/æpoʊˈfiːniə/) is the tendency to perceive meaningful connections between seemingly unrelated things.[1] The term (German: Apophänie) was coined by psychiatrist Klaus Conrad in his 1958 publication on the beginning stages of schizophrenia. He defined it as “unmotivated seeing of connections [accompanied by] a specific feeling of abnormal meaningfulness”. He described the early stages of delusional thought as self-referential, over-interpretations of actual sensory perceptions, as opposed to hallucinations.