There’s a specific failure-mode related to this that I’m sure a lot of LW has encountered: for some reason, most people lose 10 “agency points” around their computers. This chart could basically be summarized as “just try being an agent for a minute sheesh.”
I wonder if there’s something about the way people initially encounter computers that biases them against trying to apply their natural level of agency? Maybe, to coin an isomorphism, an “NPC death spiral”? It doesn’t quite seem to be learned helplessness, since they still know the problem can be solved, and work toward solving it; they just think solving the problem absolutely requires delegating it to a Real Agent.
Many people vastly overestimate the likelihood of results like “computer rendered unbootable” or “all your data is lost forever.” (My grandfather won’t let anyone else touch the TV or remote because he thinks we could break it by trying to change the channel in the wrong way.) If I thought those were likely results of clicking on random menu items I’d want to delegate too.
When I notice myself acting this way around computers, though, the thought process goes something like this:
I have a problem, likely because I did something that my social circle would consider stupid.
Past attempts to solve computer-related problems myself have a low (30% or so) success rate, so I am likely to have to explain the whole situation to someone who will judge me less intelligent as a result.
Any attempts at solving the problem myself will lengthen this explanation and raise the chance that it includes something truly idiotic (this also makes the explanation more stressful, which makes me worse at explaining everything I’ve done, which makes the problem harder for an expert to solve).
Meanwhile, if I succeed it is unimpressive. “Oh, you’re 25 and just figured out how to tie your own shoes?” Not exactly an accomplishment I can feel good about.
Just ask for help now before I make it any worse (or perhaps read for a while, try one or two methods based not on likelihood of working but on how easy they are to justify under stress, then ask for help).
There’s a specific failure-mode related to this that I’m sure a lot of LW has encountered: for some reason, most people lose 10 “agency points” around their computers. This chart could basically be summarized as “just try being an agent for a minute sheesh.”
I wonder if there’s something about the way people initially encounter computers that biases them against trying to apply their natural level of agency? Maybe, to coin an isomorphism, an “NPC death spiral”? It doesn’t quite seem to be learned helplessness, since they still know the problem can be solved, and work toward solving it; they just think solving the problem absolutely requires delegating it to a Real Agent.
Many people vastly overestimate the likelihood of results like “computer rendered unbootable” or “all your data is lost forever.” (My grandfather won’t let anyone else touch the TV or remote because he thinks we could break it by trying to change the channel in the wrong way.) If I thought those were likely results of clicking on random menu items I’d want to delegate too.
When I notice myself acting this way around computers, though, the thought process goes something like this:
I have a problem, likely because I did something that my social circle would consider stupid.
Past attempts to solve computer-related problems myself have a low (30% or so) success rate, so I am likely to have to explain the whole situation to someone who will judge me less intelligent as a result.
Any attempts at solving the problem myself will lengthen this explanation and raise the chance that it includes something truly idiotic (this also makes the explanation more stressful, which makes me worse at explaining everything I’ve done, which makes the problem harder for an expert to solve).
Meanwhile, if I succeed it is unimpressive. “Oh, you’re 25 and just figured out how to tie your own shoes?” Not exactly an accomplishment I can feel good about.
Just ask for help now before I make it any worse (or perhaps read for a while, try one or two methods based not on likelihood of working but on how easy they are to justify under stress, then ask for help).