Mind Bugs and Scam Victims – 2024

Mind Bugs and Scam Victims

The Mind Bugs Behind Scams: How Faulty Thought Patterns Make Us Vulnerable – Scam Victims Especially!

Primary Category: Scam Victim Psychology

Authors:
• Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

About This Article

Scams don’t just thrive on clever tactics; they exploit vulnerabilities in how we think. These “mind bugs”—cognitive biases and flawed thought patterns—play a critical role in making individuals susceptible to scams and complicating their recovery afterward. Whether it’s confirmation bias convincing someone that a scam aligns with their goals or authority bias leading them to trust impostors, scammers are adept at manipulating these mental glitches. For scam victims, mind bugs can perpetuate feelings of guilt, shame, and emotional distress, hindering healing and instilling irrational self-blame.

Schemas Part 4: SCARS Institute Theory – Schema Conflict Resulting in Psychological Trauma – 2024

Schemas Part 4: SCARS Institute Schema Conflict Theory Resulting in Psychological Trauma

Exploring the Connection Between Schema Conflicts and the Experience of Psychological Trauma

Primary Category: Psychology of Scams

Authors:
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

About This Article

When a person’s core beliefs, or schemas, are confronted with conflicting experiences, it can significantly disrupt their psychological equilibrium and result in trauma.

Schemas are deeply ingrained mental models that help individuals process the world based on past experiences. When a scam victim’s schema (such as trust in others or belief in financial security) is shattered, they experience cognitive dissonance and emotional distress.

The severity of the trauma depends on their ability to reconcile the conflicting experience with their mental framework. If they cannot resolve the disparity, it leads to heightened emotional turmoil, difficulty trusting others, and lasting psychological impacts.

Schemas Part 3: Schemas/Mental Model & Cognition – 2024

Schemas Part 3: Schemas/Mental Model & Cognition

Expanding Our Understanding of the Mental Model Cognitive Shortcuts

Primary Category: Psychology of Scams

Author:
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

About This Article

Schemas, the mental frameworks that help us organize and interpret information, can profoundly influence how we store and retrieve memories. These frameworks help us process new experiences by fitting them into pre-existing categories. However, this can lead to memory distortion, as schemas can reshape how we recall past events.

For example, we may recall events in ways that align with our existing beliefs, even if those details never occurred. This process can result in selective memory, where information consistent with our schemas is remembered more vividly while conflicting details are forgotten or altered.

SCARS Editorial Team2024-09-21T02:28:17-04:00September 21st, 2024|Categories: • PSYCHOLOGY, 2024, ARTICLE, Tim McGuinness PhD|Tags: Cognitive Shortcuts, Mental Models, Psychological Schemas, Psychology of Scams, Recovery Psychology, Scam Victims|0 Comments

Schemas Part 2: A Catalog of Schemas/Mental Model Types – 2024

Schemas Part 2: A Catalog of Schema/Mental Model Types

Better Understanding the Various Kinds Of Mental Model Cognitive Shortcuts

Primary Category: Psychology of Scams

Author:
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

About This Article

Schemas, also known as mental models, are cognitive frameworks that help individuals organize and interpret the vast array of information they encounter. They are built from life experiences, memories, and learned patterns and play a significant role in how we understand the world. Schemas help to simplify complex information and enable individuals to predict outcomes and respond to situations based on past experiences.

While these frameworks can help streamline decision-making and understanding, they are not always accurate reflections of reality. For scam victims, schemas often shape their perception of trust and relationships.

SCARS Editorial Team2024-09-21T01:29:19-04:00September 21st, 2024|Categories: • PSYCHOLOGY, 2024, ARTICLE, Tim McGuinness PhD|Tags: Cognitive Shortcuts, Mental Models, Psychological Schemas, Psychology of Scams, Recovery Psychology, Scam Victims|0 Comments

Schemas Part 1: Mental Models and Cognitive Shortcuts and Scam Victims – 2024

Schemas Part 1: Mental Models and Cognitive Shortcuts and Scam Victims

Another Way in which our Mental or Cognitive Shortcuts can be Used Against Us!

Primary Category: Psychology of Scams

Authors:
• Vianey Gonzalez B.Sc(Psych) – Licensed Psychologist Specialty in Crime Victim Trauma Therapy, Neuropsychologist, Certified Deception Professional, Psychology Advisory Panel & Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

About This Article

Schemas are mental frameworks that help people organize and interpret the information they encounter based on prior experiences and observations. These mental models are not always accurate reflections of reality but are shaped by positive or negative experiences and can be influenced by both true and false information.

For scam victims, these schemas can hide the truth by leading them to believe that the scammer’s actions fit the pattern of a trustworthy person. During the scam, the mental models they’ve built prevent them from seeing red flags or inconsistencies, as they subconsciously try to fit new information into their existing beliefs.

Psychological Schemas