User:Tmtoulouse/magical thinking

Superstition as a function of Hebbian learning between context network and reinforcement learning network, likely enhanced by dopamine mediated VTA signal. Context cues that "fire" with salient consequences become part of the internal model. Slight deviations in context cues can become "super salient" in the presence of non-predicted salient outcomes, hence dopamine mediation. Provides coherent explanation for "aboutness" phenomenon and conspiracy theories in schizophrenia. Question, does context sensitivity correlate with degree of superstitious beliefs? Is there higher endogenous dopamine levels or VTA activity in more superstitious individuals relative to controls?