Looking for Patterns and Order
October 7, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
The brain seeks patterns even when none exist, according to an October 3rd Scientific American podcast:
When we feel like we don’t have command of our own fate, our brains often invent patterns that offer a sense of self-control. Some folks knock on wood or step over cracks in the sidewalk. Scientists call this illusory pattern perception. Work published in the October 3rd issue of the journal Science offers a look inside our heads as they try to make us feel less helpless.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin devised six experiments to test students’ reactions to different situations of uncertainty. One experiment mimicked the stock market, while another asked students to search for images in television static. Time and again, students saw images where there were none and found stock patterns that didn’t exist. The authors then asked students to perform self-affirmation exercises instead of looking for external design. These exercises calmed them and increased their capacity to see, well, reality.
I’ve often noted that Charlie creates, and seems to need to create, order around him. He often does so by what are considered “classic autistic behaviors”—lining items up (his shoes) in alignment with the floorboards, carefully setting his Leapster perpendicular to the throw rug and making sure the attached pen is set just so. Once I thought I had to disrupt these orderly line-ups; when Charlie got very upset, I told myself I was doing what I should, by showing him that things did not have to be that way. Since then, I’ve learned that lining things up can be comforting and self-soothing and Charlie’s learned not to get annoyed if someone moves one of his shoes or whatever. He also seems to have things laid out rather than piled up so he knows where they are and, too, that they are around, that they exist.
Last week, after coming home from school, he lined up his black shoes, blue bookbag, and red homework folder: Essential objects, all in a row, in a pattern that says more than meets the eye.
M does this as well. Sometimes I love it and see it helps her and at other times it seems to cause a lot of stress for her. The Center wants to help her manage this so that she does not get overly OCD about it. That was their wording. Sigh. It has never really bothered me. Possibly, I am a tad OCD myself?
I am definitely at least a tad OCD…… guess it can be said, Charlie and I work on respecting each other’s patterns.
Yeah, It doesn’t bother me that L and K both have “routines” that they do every time, and are constantly making new ones. I’m sort of the same way. Right now we have 3 kids under 4 yrs old, 2 with ASD, 3 in diapers, 3 jobs between my husb and me, so life is chaos, and I’m ok with that. Because when chaos is reining, I just go and open the door of my kitchen pantry, and stare at the beautiful organized rows and stacks. My husb even knows just to unpack the groceries to the counter and let me put them in the pantry. Ah, its my zen right now. For about 15 seconds, then I grab graham crackers and feed the screaming hordes!!!! Ha Ha
Kristina,
I was thinking of this same thing but in a different context. I have the feeling that all those folks that believe vaccines (or thimerosol, aluminum, or milk) cause autism are falling victim to this tendency to see patterns where none exist.
See my post On vaccines and autism from earlier this year for more thoughts on that. The key quote:
Brett,
Good catch. I saw that too, but you said it better.