Lunar Effects on Behavior the Term Paper

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" (Roach, John, 2004) This is related to cognitive biases which are supported and maintained by communities and cultures. "Once many people believe something and enjoy a significant amount of communal reinforcement, they get very selective about the type of data they pay attention to in the future." (Carroll R.T.

2005)

Therefore, if there is a general belief in a culture that a full moon will lead to increased crime rates then the bias or tendency will be to pay more attention to criminal activity during full moon and not be as attentive to crime at other times.

On the other hand, as has already been briefly suggested, there is some evidence that the moon does have a physical effect on nature. There are various arguments which attempt to relate these influences to humanity and human behavior. One of the strongest of these arguments is the repetition of these beliefs in world cultures.

This view is based on the fact that beliefs of the moon's influence can be found in all human cultures and that they have been a part of human society for centuries. This suggests that they must have some substance and reality.

In support of this view there are modern studies which have also put forward the hypothesis that there is a link between various environmental factors and human behavior patterns. Some studies claim to have "....established numerous links between regularly occurring human behavior and external natural cycles ranging from weather and solar radiation to phases of the moon and planetary cycles." (Townley, John)

However, these arguments are based on the false assumption that the effects of the moon on the sea and physical environment can be translated into influences on human behavior, actions and psychology.

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This correlation has been show to be false through careful scientific research.

A pseudoscientific explanation for "moon madness" is that the moon affects people in a similar way that it affects the oceans, causing tides. This is not justified by natural laws, however, since the human body is too small to be significantly influenced by the moon's pull. Through simple physics calculations, we can show that the earth's gravitational influence on the human body is huge compared to the small influence of a far-away object like the moon.

Hill S.)

In conclusion the idea that moon influences human behavior patterns and can have an occult and psychological affect on human life and vents, is one that has been shown to be a false in the modern scientific age. The most convincing evidence against lunar influence comes from extensive studies by researchers like Kelly who have shown no positive correlation between the moon and human behavior. Kelly for instance reviews as many as one -hundred studies claming that the moon and its phases influence human behavior and "...no correlation was found. " Similarly, a study of 4,190 suicides in Sacramento County over a 58-year period "...showed no correlation to the phase of the moon."(Lunar effect) This view is supported by many other scientific studies which can only lead to the conclusion that the moon has no significant effect on human life......

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