How metaphors shape the debate about crime fighting
Thursday, February 24, 2011 - 03:31
in Mathematics & Economics
Imagine your city isn't as safe as it used to be. Robberies are on the rise, home invasions are increasing and murder rates have nearly doubled in the past three years. What should city officials do about it? Hire more cops to round up the thugs and lock them away in a growing network of prisons? Or design programs that promise more peace by addressing issues like a faltering economy and underperforming schools? Your answer -- and the reasoning behind it -- can hinge on the metaphor being used to describe the problem, according to new research by psychologists. Your thinking can even be swayed with just one word, they say.