This section will attempt to dissect the variety of human and animal traits that influence how we perceive and interact with our environment.

The Science of Cognitive Psychology and Behavior is an extremely challenging matter. First of all, there is the matter of the term "science", and what it means for an investigation to be "scientific" in nature. The labels that we attach to things and endeavors in order to describe them are important. When one group or individual understands a term to mean one thing, and another interprets that same term differently (and confidently so!) then confusion results.

Click here to review how the ConserveLiberty resource uses the terms "scientific methods and endeavors."

Cognitive Psychology as a scientific endeavor is problematic. Why? Because behavior ultimately has a multi-multi-multi factorial explanation for its mechanism. There are genetic elements, environmental elements, situational elements, random elements. It is nearly impossible to control for all of these other than with the simplest of organisms and experiments. To attempt to assess an full mechanistic explanation for a particular behavior for a higher organism (including human) requires the ability to be able to control and manipulate each and all of these factors in order to test, retest, and validate various hypothesis on the way to gaining the clarity of fact.

Often, when these types of challenges are encountered, scientists go to the next best thing - the statistics of groups. Statistics can be powerfully illuminating, so long as one understands what a particular statistical approach can bring to an inquiry. I have not found many scientists who themselves are robust with an understanding of the power and limitations of the statistical methods they apply to the data they were able to gather.

      Click to view larger image. No, its not moving.

And so we begin to fall back on intuition when both the ability to design and control a good experiment is lacking (for practical or ethical reasons), the amount and type of data or observations we do have is limited, and the statistical analysis we can bring to bear either lacks the hoped for power, or is misapplied and thus leads to unclear, or clearly erroneous interpretation. In fact, our facility for intuition evolved long before our facility for statistics. And, while it has been good for our survival from time to time, our tendency to rely on our own intuition over analytical rigor has retarded the pace with which we have come to understand the world factually for millennia.

And then there is the human factor - biases based on a particular narrative we find appealing or interesting. Biases based on the need for something compelling or emotionally compelling to say in order to attract funding from sources that are not scientifically grounded, nor committed to being so. Etc.

Cognitive Psychology is at this state as of this writing (October, 2014.) Enormous advances in the field have been made in the last 100 years. Even in the last 10 years. Theories have been honed to be more consistent with what data we do have that has been made in as "scientific" a manner as possible. And yet, we are still at a place where we have multiple theories to select from. We do not have definitive science that can explain, for example, why a particular individual perceives and behaves one way, and another differently.

What we will do in this section of ConserveLiberty is to start with one predominant framework that exists for creating a model for human behavior, and then proceed to evolve it through modification, clarification, addition, and subtraction. The goal will be to improve our understanding as the years go on. The end result ... well, in the next several years NO END RESULT is anticipated, other than having a better model for those who come after us to work with.

There will be advancements, and, while not intentioned, there will certainly be some setbacks along the way. That is how science proceeds. That is how working with the unknown happens. That is how working in a maze is done. Those who appreciate greater certainty will probably enjoy other, more certain sections of ConserveLiberty. The curious may have fun here.

Why is this section important to the ConserveLiberty resource? Quite plainly because we all behave, interpret, and react to our world and our selves differently. This section will at the very least support the idea that the reason we all behave differently is because we are all built differently. Built in ways that CANNOT be changed. And, as our diversity in behavior (like our diversity in other traits) allows us the advantage to adapt and thrive in any number of differing situations, we need to continue championing our ability to conserve our liberties as they pertain to allowing us to pursue our preferences, instincts, ideas, and ideology ... insofar as we are not overtly doing harm to others.

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