Apophenia is the common tendency to detect patterns that do not exist. Also known as “patternicity”, apophenia occurs when we try to make predictions, or seek answers, based on unrelated events. This can lead to poor decision-making and mental health conditions.
The science of apophenia
Apophenia is the propensity to mistakenly detect patterns or connections between unrelated events, objects, or occurrences
- The term was first coined in 1958 by Klaus Conrad during his study of schizophrenia
- In schizophrenia, Conrad found that those who developed “apophany” started experiencing abnormal meanings in their daily life
- This over-interpretation of patterns in healthy individuals could be an evolutionary survival instinct
- Believing a false positive over a false negative could increase our chances of survival
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From fun imagery to financial risk
Mild apophenia is common and occurs in many domains such as finance, arts, and politics
- Can lead to risky behaviors or wrong beliefs about the meaning of a pattern
- Visual illusions
- Pareidolia
- Financial decisions
- Political theories
- Mental health
- Delusional thoughts
- Psychologists hypothesize that finding a pattern, and therefore a conspiracy theory, to explain the government’s policies was a coping mechanism for those who felt their power or safety was under threat
The Balance Between Embracing and Managing Apophenia
To avoid the pitfalls of apophenia, pay attention to any biased assumptions you make when faced with false patterns
- Work on accepting that not everything happens for a reason
- Perform your own research
- Allow yourself time to assess the reality of patterns you perceive
