Professor Reason recently persuaded 35 people to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for two weeks.
Professor
Reason
recently
persuaded
35
people
to
keep
a
diary
of
all
their
absent-minded
actions
for
two
weeks
.
When he came to analyze their embarrassing errors, he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groups.
When
he
came
to
analyze
their
embarrassing
errors
,
he
was
surprised
to
find
that
nearly
all
of
them
fell
into
a
few
groups
.
One of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her pet dog her earrings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear.
One
of
the
women
,
for
instance
,
on
leaving
her
house
for
work
one
morning
threw
her
pet
dog
her
earrings
and
tried
to
fix
a
dog
biscuit
on
her
ear
.
"The explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer," explains the professor.
``
The
explanation
for
this
is
that
the
brain
is
like
a
computer
,
''
explains
the
professor
.
"People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly."
``
People
programme
themselves
to
do
certain
activities
regularly
.
''
It was the woman's custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her earrings.
It
was
the
woman
's
custom
every
morning
to
throw
her
dog
two
biscuits
and
then
put
on
her
earrings
.
"But somehow the action got reversed in the programme."
``
But
somehow
the
action
got
reversed
in
the
programme
.
''
About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these "programme assembly failures."
About
one
in
twenty
of
the
incidents
the
volunteers
reported
were
these
``
programme
assembly
failures
.
''
Twenty percent of all errors were "test failures"--mainly due to not verifying the progress of what the body was doing.
Twenty
percent
of
all
errors
were
``
test
failures
''
--
mainly
due
to
not
verifying
the
progress
of
what
the
body
was
doing
.
A man about to get his car out of the garage passed through the back yard where his garden jacket and boots were kept, put them on--much to his surprise.
A
man
about
to
get
his
car
out
of
the
garage
passed
through
the
back
yard
where
his
garden
jacket
and
boots
were
kept
,
put
them
on
--
much
to
his
surprise
.
A woman reported, "I got into the bath with my socks on."
A
woman
reported
,
``
I
got
into
the
bath
with
my
socks
on
.
''
The commonest problem was information "storage failures".
The
commonest
problem
was
information
``
storage
failures
''
.
People forgot the names of people whose faces they knew, went into a room and forgot why they were there, mislaid something, or smoked a cigarette without realizing it.
People
forgot
the
names
of
people
whose
faces
they
knew
,
went
into
a
room
and
forgot
why
they
were
there
,
mislaid
something
,
or
smoked
a
cigarette
without
realizing
it
.
The research so far suggests that while the central processor of the brain is liberated from second-to-second control of a well-practiced routine, it must repeatedly switch back its attention at important decision points to check that the action goes on as intended.
The
research
so
far
suggests
that
while
the
central
processor
of
the
brain
is
liberated
from
second-to-second
control
of
a
well-practiced
routine
,
it
must
repeatedly
switch
back
its
attention
at
important
decision
points
to
check
that
the
action
goes
on
as
intended
.
Otherwise the activity may be gotten by another frequently and recently used programme, resulting in embarrassing errors.
Otherwise
the
activity
may
be
gotten
by
another
frequently
and
recently
used
programme
,
resulting
in
embarrassing
errors
.
Professor Reason recently persuaded 35 people to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for two weeks. When he came to analyze their embarrassing errors, he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groups.  One of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her pet dog her earrings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear. "The explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer," explains the professor. "People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly." It was the woman's custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her earrings. "But somehow the action got reversed in the programme." About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these "programme assembly failures."  Twenty percent of all errors were "test failures"--mainly due to not verifying the progress of what the body was doing. A man about to get his car out of the garage passed through the back yard where his garden jacket and boots were kept, put them on--much to his surprise. A woman reported, "I got into the bath with my socks on."  The commonest problem was information "storage failures". People forgot the names of people whose faces they knew, went into a room and forgot why they were there, mislaid something, or smoked a cigarette without realizing it.  The research so far suggests that while the central processor of the brain is liberated from second-to-second control of a well-practiced routine, it must repeatedly switch back its attention at important decision points to check that the action goes on as intended. Otherwise the activity may be gotten by another frequently and recently used programme, resulting in embarrassing errors.