It’s not unusual to feel like you keep seeing the same object or animal popping up unexpectedly. The octopus seems to be an especially common one! This phenomenon when you start noticing something everywhere is known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, or frequency illusion.
What is the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon?
The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, also called frequency illusion or recency illusion, is when you learn about something new, and then suddenly start to notice it everywhere. It was named after an incidence in the 1960s when a West German radical group called the Red Army Faction came to public attention. People started reporting seeing references to this obscure group everywhere, even though it was likely just that their attention had been drawn to it.
This phenomenon happens because of selective attention and confirmation bias. When you learn something new, it gets your attention. Then your brain starts looking for it places it never bothered noticing before. Simultaneously, you tend to ignore or forget all the times you don’t encounter the object of your attention. This makes you feel like you’re seeing it at a hugely increased frequency, even if that’s not necessarily the case.
Why do we notice frequency illusions?
There are a few key psychological reasons we fall for frequency illusions:
- Selective attention – Once something grabs our interest, we focus on it more.
- Confirmation bias – We notice when we see the object and ignore when we don’t.
- The availability heuristic – Things that readily come to mind seem more common.
- Cognitive dissonance – We must justify our new knowledge by seeing it often.
So in summary, selective attention and confirmation bias lead us to notice something a lot more after it gains significance to us. And thanks to the availability heuristic and cognitive dissonance, our brain then concludes it must be very common if we’re noticing it so much.
Why octopuses seem so common
Octopuses likely gain significance and grab our attention so much because:
- They are intriguing, unusual animals.
- Their strange appearance imprints on our memory.
- We associate them with the ocean and marine life.
- They feel symbolic or metaphorical to us.
An octopus seems to make a frequent appearance because it stands out. Once we learn about this unusual creature, we start noticing it everywhere – in books, movies, logos, art, and so on. Of course, it was likely always there, but we just didn’t have a reason to focus on it before.
Examples of octopus frequency illusions
Some common ways an octopus might start appearing more frequently once it grabs your attention include:
- Noticing octopus references in media – books, movies, TV shows, video games
- Seeing octopus art and imagery – sculptures, paintings, decorations
- Encountering octopus jewelry or fashion items
- Spotting octopus toys and stuffed animals in stores
- Reading about octopuses in science or nature articles
- Learning interesting octopus facts and trivia
- Trying octopus delicacies at restaurants or fish markets
- Visiting aquariums and suddenly noticing the octopus exhibits
- Taking note when friends or family mention octopuses
Once you learn about something and start looking for it, suddenly examples will stand out to you everywhere.
When are frequency illusions harmful?
Frequency illusions are usually harmless quirks of cognition. But they can be detrimental in certain cases:
- If they reinforce an obsessive fear or paranoia
- If important information gets overlooked as a result
- If they contribute to superstitious or magical thinking
- If you become overwhelmed by frequencies you cannot control
In clinical cases like OCD, schizophrenia, or paranoia, frequency illusions may feed unhealthy obsessions or delusions. They may also cause anxiety or feelings of being overwhelmed.
In everyday cases, illusory frequencies can lead to ignoring statistical realities. If you start seeing octopus references everywhere, but ignoring actual rates of octopus encounters, it may skew your perceptions.
How to manage frequency illusions
Some tips to keep frequency illusions in check:
- Note similarities, but acknowledge differences too.
- Look for objective frequency data when available.
- Consider whether you are primed to look for something.
- Ask others if they also notice an increased frequency.
- Keep an open, curious mindset about occurrences.
- Focus on any positive or enriching effects of noticing.
It also helps to find productive ways to satisfy your interest. For octopuses, you could read educational books about ocean life, visit an aquarium, or watch nature documentaries. That way you engage with the topic without necessarily distorting its importance.
Table of Tips to Manage Frequency Illusions
| Tip | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Note similarities, but acknowledge differences too | Don’t get locked into only seeing matches; note cases that differ from the pattern too. |
| Look for objective frequency data | Try to find statistical data about actual frequencies, not just your perceptions. |
| Consider priming factors | Ask yourself if anything primed your brain to start noticing something. |
| Get an outside perspective | Talk to others to see if they also notice an increased frequency. |
| Keep an open, curious mindset | Stay receptive and don’t force explanations onto occurrences. |
| Focus on positive effects | Note enriching or beneficial aspects of noticing new things. |
Conclusion
In summary, frequency illusions like noticing octopuses everywhere are common quirks of cognition. They occur due to selective attention, confirmation bias, the availability heuristic, and cognitive dissonance. Octopuses in particular may stand out because they are unusual animals that imprint distinctly in our minds.
Frequency illusions are usually harmless, but can become detrimental if they reinforce delusions, skew risk assessments, or overwhelm us. Remaining objective, getting outside perspectives, and satisfying your interest productively can help manage illusory frequencies.
So next time you start encountering something everywhere, don’t worry – it’s likely just your mind playing tricks! With awareness of this phenomenon, you can actually enjoy the noticing process as an interesting quirk of psychology.