Discussion through representativeness
We often evaluate the similarities between the two things based on their superficial similarity to each other. Psychologists call this phenomenon heuristically representative because we use the extent to which the two things are "representative" of each other to assess how similar they are. "Euristicity, by the way, is a mnemonic method or a rule of thumb.
Most often, heuristic representativeness (like other heuristic methods) serves us well. If we walk down the street and see a masked armed man running out of a bank, we will probably try to get out of there as soon as possible.
Because this man is representative - like the bank robbers we saw on TV and in the movies. Of course, maybe he's just kidding, or it's an actor in action movies, but, as they say, he's careful a, d God is saving (it's better to be safe). In this case, we relied on the mnemonic method and acted wisely.
However, sometimes we apply heuristic representativeness when not necessary. Not all things that resemble each other superficially are related to each other, heuristic representativeness sometimes confuses us. In these cases, common sense must be followed: we cannot always judge a book by its cover. Many myths about psychology are probably the result of a misapplication of representativeness. For example, some graphologists (handwriting specialists) argue that people who write in broad handwriting need interpersonal space, or that English-speaking people who draw lines in the letters "t" and "f" can behave violently. In this case, graphologists assume that two things that superficially resemble each other, such as the expanse of handwriting and the need for interpersonal space, are statistically related. However, there is no scientific evidence for such claims.
Another example is human drawing, which many clinical psychologists use to investigate the nature of respondents and their psychological abnormalities. For example, a human figure test is often used. The respondent is asked to draw the person (or, in some cases, two people of opposite sexes) as they wish. Some clinicians using these tests claim that respondents who draw people with large eyes are paranoid, drawing people with big heads are selfish and those who draw people with long ties are sexually concerned (a long tie is a favorite Freudian symbol for men's organs). All these statements are based on a superficial similarity between the "signs" contained in a human figure and certain psychological features. However, the studies do not provide evidence to these supposed associations).
Misleading films and images in the media
Many psychological phenomena, especially mental illness and its treatment, are often portrayed inaccurately in films, entertainment, and media reports.
These phenomena are most often portrayed as more sensational than they are. For example, in some modern movies, electroconvulsive therapy, unofficially referred to as electroconvulsive therapy, is shown as physically abusive and even dangerous. Sometimes, as in the horror film "The House on a Haunted Hill," people who are connected to the ESG machine experience severe convulsions. Indeed, ESHT was dangerous in its day, but thanks to technological advances in recent decades, it has become no more dangerous than anesthesia. And patients who receive modern forms of electroshock do not experience significant motor convulsions.
Another example. Most Hollywood films of adults with autism portray them as having highly specialized intellectual skills. In 1988's Oscar-winning film Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman played the role of an autistic with "erudite syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by remarkable mental abilities, such as "calendar counting" (the ability to name the day of the week of any given year and number), multiplication and division of extremely large numbers, knowledge of trifles, such as, for example, the average performance of all active baseball players from the top league. However, more than 10% of adults with autism are smart.