In the land of undeterred bots: why high IQ does not protect against scammers
The Russian Federation ranked sixth among 137 countries in terms of average intelligence. This gives skeptics a reason to sarcastically wonder why, with a high IQ level, our compatriots continue to succumb to the crude tricks of telephone scammers and clumsy compliments of marriage scammers and, despite warnings, roll their children on "cheesecakes" tied to cars. Izvestia found out whether other people's mistakes are taught and whether it is possible to develop critical thinking in a child — in fact, the only safeguard against rash actions.
Why IQ doesn't protect against Stupidity
Anna Guseva, a practicing psychologist, recalls that IQ measures only one facet of intelligence — the IQ with its ability to abstract thinking, logic, and memory capacity. And this indicator does not guarantee reasonable behavior in real life, since completely different areas of the brain are responsible for making practical decisions or acting in stressful situations. Even a mentally healthy person with a solid body of knowledge is able to transfer the last money to scammers, dive into an ice hole with a large current, and get a fighting dog in the house where the kids are growing up.
What happens in the head when we act impulsively and irrationally? According to Anna Guseva, at this moment the prefrontal cortex is switched off — the area responsible for planning, analyzing consequences and impulse control. At the same time, the limbic system, an ancient emotional part of the brain, is activated. At the moment of decision-making, vivid emotions, social pressure, or cognitive distortion block the work of logical centers. One of the main reasons for this is a lack of critical thinking. Even the highest IQ is not equal to developed critical thinking, which requires the ability to ask questions, verify information, and analyze motives.
The second factor is a difficult emotional state, stress, fatigue, loneliness. This set also disables a person from rational thinking. That's why scammers are so successful: they give the victim some warmth and are sometimes the only people around in difficult moments. Another basic reason for recklessness is lack of life experience. According to the psychologist, young people are more likely to take risks because they have less "database" about the consequences of this risk. They are poorly informed and do not know how to analyze facts.
The next point is that it is not typical for a person to assess risks for himself personally. "I'm experienced, this won't happen to me" is about situations where people, for example, exceed the speed limit, knowing full well that it's dangerous. Anna Guseva also points to the social confirmation of risky actions. A person thinks like this: "If everyone goes out on the ice, then I can too. If the others have survived, then I can handle it." In these cases, the brain saves energy and does not include critical thinking.
Why does the instinct of self—preservation fail - the oldest program embedded in us to keep us alive?
— Our brains were formed in conditions when the dangers were clear and immediate: predators, hunger, cold. Modern threats — scammers, negativity on the Internet, risk on the road — are too abstract. The brain doesn't read them as a real danger," says Guseva.
When people encounter scammers, they behave like babies: "I'm not cold, I'm not hungry, and there is no other bad thing and it won't happen."
— Strong emotions and anger lead to the fact that a person stops assessing the risks. Even in an adult, mature person, the instinct of self-preservation can turn off in a state of passion. That's why teenagers, riding on the roofs of trains, do not think about death: they are overwhelmed with adrenaline. It is the duty of adults to explain that this cannot be done," says Guseva.
Is it possible to learn from the mistakes of others
Clinical psychologist Sergey Volkov explains that learning from the mistakes of others is a rather complex and contradictory concept. Observing other individuals, evaluating their actions and results are inherent in many pack animals, but it is humans who are able to evaluate the actions of others.
"Animals can repeat themselves after others, but people are able to observe and decide never to repeat certain actions,— explains Volkov. — And in the evolutionary development of man, not the most inquisitive, but the most observant survived: do not jump off a cliff, do not stick your hand into a fire, do not kick a sleeping tiger, etc.
Such capabilities of the nervous system not only provide advantages, but also have generated contradictions, which are why people do not always rely on other people's experience, the expert emphasizes. The first contradiction is the survivor's mistake.
— This is the most common paradox, — says Volkov. — It would seem that if one person could succeed, then you can repeat his actions and also achieve heights. But all stories of miraculous salvation or world achievements are an exception to the rule. These people found themselves in such conditions and had such resources that were relevant only to their situation.
Therefore, the brain filters out all unique cases, concentrating on a larger mass of normative ones. "And if you go out on the children's slide, you can see that everyone is just riding, there is no "bloodbath" going on. And this massive example dulls vigilance and caution," explains Volkov.
The clinical psychologist emphasizes that our brain is guided by generally accepted standards, skipping information about unusual cases, both negative and positive.
— We all went sledding in childhood, this is a common behavior for us, — says Sergey Volkov. — In this context, the information about the danger looks unconvincing. As well as the information that tubing is a sport for which there are competitions. For us, this is not a sport, but a child's play.
What we call "acting on a hunch" is born out of paradoxes, says Volkov. On the one hand, people realize and understand that certain activities can be dangerous. On the other hand, the brain does not respond to this knowledge purely neurologically, since the information is not typical for it, it is not supported by experience.
— When looking for thrills, we often hear: we climbed a mountain, went skiing, snowboarding, and so on. Some people have naturally decreased sensitivity in their dopamine receptors, and therefore they need stronger stimuli to feel pleasure. Hence, too, the craving for extremes and risk," comments Anna Guseva.
Therefore, the psychologist recommends that fans of nerve-tickling sports practice under the guidance of a good instructor.
He's not coming
Loneliness, lack of attention, and the need for recognition can exceed the instinct of self-preservation so much that a person is willing to take risks just to satisfy emotional hunger. As an example, people take selfies at dizzying heights. According to Guseva, this is the moment when the deprivation of basic needs trumps the instinct of self-preservation.
A vivid illustration of this condition is the recent case of the fake Kirkorov. A resident of the Saratov region transferred almost 100 thousand rubles to a conman who introduced himself as a popular pop singer, promised to come to her and asked for money for the trip. When they met, he promised to take the woman to a restaurant.
— Purely psychologically, this situation is natural. The gross deception worked because the woman was probably experiencing emotional hunger, lack of attention, recognition, and romance," says psychologist Guseva. — Scammers unmistakably choose lonely, insecure people who dream of a miracle.
The brain turns off criticism because it really wants a beautiful picture to be true.
— Marriage scams, unlike telephone scams, do not work en masse, but on a point—by-point basis, - explains the clinical psychologist. — First, they choose a woman who is definitely suggestible and has a certain set of psychological traits. Then, through manipulation and psychological pressure, they create conditions for subjugating the victim, suppressing her critical thinking and partly her will. And only after that they check their ability to pay.
If the victim doesn't have any money, then they leave her in an ugly way, and this turns into another story about "all men are goats," says the expert. Well, in the case when there is something to profit from, the victim loses his funds. According to Volkov, there are indeed people who believe that a star will come to them: such naivety is not entirely normal, but it is not a disease or a deviation. "Being naive is a part of human nature, not common to everyone, but not uncommon," the clinical psychologist summarizes.
— The brain chooses to ignore the facts. The woman could have seen the signs of deception, but brushed them off," Guseva comments.
The psychologist emphasizes the importance of digital literacy: many still do not understand how social networks and messengers work.
— For them, the letter "from Kirkorov" is a reality, not a technical manipulation, — the expert emphasizes. — It is very important for people, especially the elderly, to explain how fake accounts, photoshop, and bots work. And that it is necessary to find alternative sources and double-check any information.
How to protect yourself from scammers
According to Volkov, modern scammers use online sales mechanisms.
— Now the activity of scammers is a socioengineering technology, — says the clinical psychologist. — Crooks select a public group in the digital field, thoroughly study its digital behavior, find the main points of technological impact (password interception, SMS number, etc.). Then they study the interests, analyze the way of thinking of a particular group, even study slang and the speed of responses. Then they combine the data and write what call centers call a "script" - a ready—made conversation plan with certain phrases and answers.
The clinical psychologist emphasizes that for scammers, the main thing is that three conditions coincide:
— matching the victim to the selected group: anxious — intimidate, smart — anger;
— inconvenient conditions at the time of "processing" — a person is busy with business, walking down the street, etc.;
— the victim should be alone, when there is no one to ask for advice, no one will stop.
Children should already be educated in such a way that they do not fall for the bait of scammers. Guseva advises them to carefully prepare them for possible provocations. For example, to explain how the mechanisms of various traps work.:
— scammers create the urgency of the situation: "It is necessary right now";
— they play on vanity: "You are special, I choose only you";
— isolate the victim: "This is our secret, don't tell anyone";
— cause feelings of guilt: "I've tried so hard for you, and you don't trust me."
Such techniques, according to the psychologist, block rational thinking and activate the emotional centers of the brain.
— We need to develop critical thinking in ourselves and our children. It is important not to give children ready-made answers, but to teach the child to ask questions and answer them: "Why do you think so, how did you find out? Who benefits from you believing that?" suggests Anna Guseva. — We need logic games, analysis of advertisements and news, analysis of books and homework. Let him talk about why everyone in the chocolate commercial is so happy — does sweetness really make life perfect?
Children who understand their feelings and are able to recognize emotions are less susceptible to manipulation. The psychologist advises saying these things: "You're angry now because you're tired. You're sad because your friend didn't invite you to the party." Explain that scammers specifically cause strong emotions in a person (fear, greed, delight) in order to disable logic. Therefore, in a moment of strong feelings, it is important to stop, exhale and think. According to the expert, this applies to any adult. If we take a break, then after some time the intensity of passions subsides, the emotional state decreases, and we can already act logically, assessing the risks.
Anna Guseva considers it important to form a healthy self—esteem for a child, since children with low self-esteem are easy prey for any manipulator. It should be based on real achievements, not on empty praises. It is also important to teach a child not to depend on other people's opinions and to play dangerous situations with children in order to train specific skills — how to act and what to say.
"In this way, we create an anchor in the brain of a minor, thanks to which, in conditions of real danger, he will automatically remember the correct algorithm," warns Guseva. — Explain that if an adult approaches a child and says that his mother asked him to pick him up, then the correct reaction is: "I'll call my mother and check."
In addition, the child should know that he can always come to mom and dad with any problem. For example, if he is afraid of something or someone offers him something strange and asks him to keep it a secret from his parents.
How to live after cheating
A clinical psychologist advises treating deceived relatives with mercy. In most cases, victims of fraudsters experience the situation that has befallen them as a great grief. In addition to the loss of material, sometimes very significant, people also experience intense shame, because it is generally assumed that everything that happened is their responsibility. Volkov advises against using phrases like "what were you thinking?" or "you're not small." It is necessary to support actively, as in case of loss.
— Go to the police with him, help him write a statement. After the shock, victims are often afraid to answer the phone. To help deceived loved ones simply by picking up the phone yourself, taking out the trash, going to the store," suggests Volkov. — A person needs to rely on something. To see that he is not alone, that his loved ones do not condemn him, but empathize with him. Yes, loss can be terrible, but let him see that it didn't break the people around him.
When a familiar life collapses, the meaning of existence is lost along with it. The main thing for a person is to find a new one. The expert emphasizes that this meaning rarely consists in saving money. But against the background of shock, fear and shame, other significant things disappear, material things remain. Sometimes a person does not understand why they should even endure and endure all these difficulties that have befallen them.
— And such conditions are relieved by the presence of "one's own circle", those who can support, rather than condemn and demand, — says Sergey Volkov. — The fact that people were deceived is not their fault, it is their misfortune. Don't kill your loved ones with guilt, be merciful.
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