Single-subject Design

I am on what I am sure is a lifelong quest to better understand myself — and just Life, with and without Dogs.

Do you ever think of yourself as a Single-subject research project?

Probably not.

I do.

One of my recent observations is random bad things quickly get translated into my “inconvenience” category rather than spinning me into the depths of despair. I recognize that not everyone is like this and I find that interesting.

Two woody near-tragic things? Meh. Good stories. (Once I stop shaking).

Where I become obsessive and intense is in an area that most people seem willing to just move on by. I am not sure what to call that area or feature of life — injustice?

But it is not just injustice — it is a specific area of injustice that makes me bristle.

Hmmmm.

In thinking of situations that send me off to obsessively hunt and stalk like a quiet lion after prey, I realize the commonality is this: Taking advantage because of a morally bankrupt character and/or position. In such circumstances, I simply won’t back down.

Why, I wonder, am I like this?

On the positive side, I have learned to line up the dots and make sure I am correct before moving in for the take down.

Further, experience and maturity (!) has taught me to use only the amount of pressure that will generate desired change. No need to announce the name of the Cheater, for example, if more subtle pressure will work.

But yes, I do wonder why I walk through the world like this, triggered by things that cause others to shrug with resignation.

“Speak softly and carry a big stick.” (Theodore Roosevelt)

Interesting.

Maybe this is a kind of important diversity?

I don’t know.

What I do know is that this is just an aspect of who and what I am, and I am okay with that because I also know that I am loyal, fair, and quick to extend Grace — because in the end, we are all only human.

Except dogs — they are not human. They are so many other and better things.

I love research. Even — or maybe especially — when the subject is me.

Monday Round-Up & Confirmation Bias: An Example

Let’s start with some wonderful news.

I tuned in to the live stream of a big show back east and who do I see but Lori and Ruthie (Sparkler)! I watched while Ruthie was placed third in a lovely and big class of Open Bitches — well-handled by Lori. How awesome is that?! Congratulations Team Ruthie.

Littermate Kiri also had a good weekend at one of the same giant shows. In spite of being the only of the many lovely Special bitches sporting her summer coat, Kiri received an Award of Merit from Breeder-Judge Libby K. VERY cool. Kiri is, of course, owner-handled — and very well, I might add. Love the live streaming!

Congratulations are also due to Marti and her girl, Lili — Lili (an adopted member of the Kaibab family ;) completed the requirements for the BMDCA Versatility Excellent award! WOO HOO and big congratulations to Team Lili.

Okay —now onto Confirmation Bias: An Example.

I was giddy with excitement — the countertops were arriving!!!

They wheeled in the first slab.

“Is this the color you ordered?” he asked with a smile, clearly joking.

“No, actually it isn’t,” I said.

Awkward and incredulous silence ensued.

We both got on our phones — him to the Countertop Mothership and me to the Kitchen Designer.

In the end, the guys offered to just install the wrong ones so we have countertops until the new ones arrive, and told us how much they appreciated we were nice people and were not irate.

Check out the current mortuary-themed kitchen — or maybe Halloween?

I sigh a lot.

Sigh.

An important and related aside: It is okay if we say “at least…” to ourselves but never to others.

At least I have countertops now!

You may recall the giant tree episode — the one that missing falling on me and two dogs by a matter of minutes?

Apparently I have offended the Wood gods.

I was driving home from tracking yesterday and chatting on speaker with my Perfect Sister when suddenly there was a giant BOOM and the window right behind me exploded.

With Claire in the crate. Luckily, I had the mesh screen up and that prevented the glass from showering her.

It did not seem likely that someone shot my window with a cannon but it sure sounded that way.

I called 911 and a nice deputy showed up. He went up the road to investigate and at the point there was glass, he also found this…

It even had incriminating glass that matched my window embedded in it! Clearly the culprit.

Okay, how shall I interpret these three unfortunate experiences?

The experiences and events we have as we walk through the world are pressed through our mental filters and those things are either grabbed as evidence or discarded as irrelevant based on what we already tend to believe — about ourselves, about others, about the Universe, about God.

THAT is Confirmation Bias.

We can understand our Confirmation Bias(es) by paying attention to what emerges after an event/experience goes through those mental filters.

For example, I tend to quickly and easily see the benefits and positives when things do not go according to plan.

My windshield needed replacing anyway — this shattered window will get me to finally take care of it.

At least I have countertops now — the end is in sight!

What a blessing I was running late and not crushed by the tree.

My Mental Channels tend towards the Optimism Channel and Good Intentions Channel — not the “Poor Me” or “Life Sucks” Channels.

How and why can I do that after almost being crushed by a tree, having a piece of wood miss my driver’s side window by inches, and having yet another kitchen mess up/delay?

Because Mental Channels are a choice and in my mind, I control the remote.

Berners with The Edge, Week Five

I was not thrilled with the video I made for the week and so I plan to make another/better one later this week. As I watched it (over and over), I realized that what I did not like was that it seemed like I was merging two concepts: The quick and often unconscious thinking that happens between show/event and feelings…

I swiped that photo from the Internet but am unsure of original source and since people are not identifiable in my cropped version,I decided it was acceptable.

… and the process of communication.

They are related BUT the video lacked context to explain how they are related. Therefore, I ditched the video, will plant seeds of context in this post, and plan to re-do the video later in the week.

I think we all pretty much agree that the Black Box contains thoughts.

I also believe that we all likely understand when we think unfortunate and negative thoughts, we feel unfortunate and negative feelings.

AND I hope we also understand that negative and unfortunate feelings are transmitted to the dog, lickety-split.

Finally, because we cannot just explain to the dog that she should ignore our physiologic panic and danger signals, the dog’s performance will/is impacted. Well, unless our dog doesn’t really care if we are about to get trampled by a herd of elephants or eaten by a lion (since both things are likely at shows — hence our very reasonable fears and anxiety at dog shows).

Both my Ring Nerves Study (yes, I really did one) and our online group identified thinking about what other people are thinking as a significant source of dog event anxiety.

Oh boy.

So, we have our own negative thoughts AND because apparently those are insufficient to the task, we add in what we imagine are the negative thoughts of others.

AND (yes, there is more) just in case all those negative thoughts are not quite enough, we absorb every word, every laugh, every whispered comment, every funny look — and find more reasons to think bad thoughts (and feel rotten as a result).

Through a (very normal and human) process of Cognitive Biases, we stuff that Black Box so full that it is a wonder it doesn’t just explode.

And that, my dear friend, is where the whole communication thing came into play.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are two related issues at play.

First, there are negative thoughts — our own plus what we imagine are the negative thoughts of others. Second, there is the process of filtering verbal and non-verbal communication around us through our favorite cognitive biases. Two that I suspect are especially relevant to our discussion are the Fundamental Attribution Error (click HERE for a brief video) and Confirmation Bias, which is “…a tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions” (Science Daily, n.d.).

Hmmmm….

We think communication is pretty easy — but is it?

Ponder all that, if you would.