• Question: Do you believe that one day we may be able to understand and therefore predict all behaviours, including behaviours within a relationship?

    Asked by Jack to Ben, Sam, Kirsty, Maggi, Rose on 13 Jun 2017.
    • Photo: Kirsty Miller

      Kirsty Miller answered on 13 Jun 2017:

      Wow, that’s an excellent question! I think in some ways we might be able to predict behaviour more accurately in the future. With advances in technology, we will probably have computers that can predict behaviour in certain situations (in the way that there are now robots that can answer to basic questions (https://phys.org/news/2017-01-bionic-woman-chinese-robot-charm.html), computers that can play chess etc), but I don’t think we could ever predict everything. For example, it’s very hard to predict our environments – the weather, other people, the amount of sleep we’ve had…. anything really could happen and these events are very hard to predict. When we think about these kinds of things, I don’t think even sophisticated technology would be able to predict them!

    • Photo: Rose Turner

      Rose Turner answered on 17 Jun 2017:

      Great question Jack! I think, theoretically, that this could be possible, though it requires the view that humans can be thought of as a bit similar to computerised robots – involving lots of causal relationships (one thing makes another thing happen). From that perspective, I think it’s possible, though I don’t know that we’ll ever develop that level of technology (think of all the variables it would need to take account of!)
      However, if you don’t think that humans are completely controlled by structural factors (which could be genetic or environmental) but think that we have ‘free-will’ then the argument wouldn’t work. What do you think? 🙂

Comments

  • Photo: Jack

    Jack commented on :

    Thankyou for replying @Kirsty and @Rose ! I think that far in the future when coding can code other things as complex as behaviours, we could potentially predict some things. However due to so many variables as you both have said, it may be near impossible to predict/control everything. the weather for example can affect moods and how people feel and we can’t even predict that accurately. Maybe in the far off future quite possibly, however at the moment that sort of technology and processing is way beyond us.

    • Photo: Rose

      Rose commented on :

      I think you’re right, Jack; it’s theoretically possible, but way in the future. I wonder what that would be like though. It would definitely raise big philosophical questions about what it means to be human! In psychology, we sometimes use information processing models (where we imagine human cognition in terms of how a computer might do it) and computational modelling involves building computer models of human cognitive processes (so you might develop an information processing model into a computational model). That might be an interesting area for you if you’re interested in this kind of approach to human cognition and behaviour – it overlaps with robotics 🙂

  • Photo: Kirsty

    Kirsty commented on :

    You’re welcome, it’s a fascinating topic! I think possible even more so for the moral and philosophical issues associated with it! If you think about for example, if technology allows us to predict everything (even other’s behaviours, the environment etc), then would that turn us into nothing more than robots, and would it take away our control of our own lives (and would it allow other people such as the authorities to control us!)?? It’s such an interesting subject, definitely keep thinking about it – and keep questioning! Well done 🙂