The mindless use of medical data

Naive realism is rampant in our culture. Whether it is the typical patient or the scientist collecting medical data, the implicit guiding belief seems to be we all experience a single reality. People of course pay lip service to the idea that things look different from different perspectives. Over thirty years of research on mindlessness/mindfulness suggests otherwise. A distinct difference exists between the theories we hold when asked and the practices in which we engage when going about our daily lives. All of this work strongly suggests that mindlessness is pervasive. This short piece contains two parts. First, I will give an overview of the concept of mindfulness and mindlessness as I study it and describe its causes and consequences. Second, I will apply some of these ideas to a new understanding of medical data, its collection, and use.