quizas el problema no sea solo contigo porque seas gringa, o del subconsciente de ella... entre nosotros mismos (chilenos) tampoco nos entendemos..y eso que hablamos el mismo idioma.. eso sucede porque la gente realmente "no escucha" hace como que si, pero no.
no te preocupes.. gente asi hay en todos lados. no solo aca!
suerte
Ziggy
· 7 months ago
Your data suggest no difference in your automatic preferences for White people vs. Black people
Your data suggests a strong automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain
Right on!
Mamacita Chilena
· 7 months ago
Valentina, si eso es cierto! La raza humana en si tiene problemas con escuchar cuando uno habla...
Andrew, nice!
Lauren
· 7 months ago
Interesting!
I got a strong auto preference for black people over white and a slight auto preference for Barack over McCain.
Considering my feelings for McCain I'm not so sure about the second part!
lydia
· 7 months ago
i've found it to be not even something thats initial. both my suegra and one guy we're always around took at least months before they could understand me when i would say something. Even if i said it 100% correct and with minimal accent. Both of them would look at my boyfriend and ask him what I'd just said. I usually keep my calm about it but one time I almost freaked out when his mom asked my boyfriend to "translate" what I'd just said... the word "no". I get that all the time though. Sometimes he pulls an S. and says "just listen to her, she's speaking spanish!" We think kind of similarly, that some people just cant get over the "gringa" aspect.
Cincinnati Chile
· 7 months ago
Very interesting. I love the book Blink- I've heard Gladwell speak telling the story about the Greek statues and also about the person who could predict with a very high rate of accuracy if the tennis player would fault right as the ball hit the racquet.
I would say that I definitely cringe at the even mention of the name Barack Obama. I do not consider myself racist at all and I like you typically judge after I meet a person. In fact, I'm one to confront racial injustice if it happens and I know about it.
My test yielded "a slight automatic preference for Black people over White people" and" a slight automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain" I don't agree with either one of these and primarily the first- maybe I just process and click fast :) I would hope the whole black or white thing would be neutral but since the election I think it's really caused me to think more negatively about people voting based completely on race or gender. Or maybe this means I really have gotten over it :)
As you know my Spanish is limited but I have noticed that when I throw out some phrases or words in Spanish S often asks me to repeat. It seems the 2nd time he gets it even if I say it the same way. One time I got irritated about it and asked why he always asks me to repeat and he told me it's because he is not expecting Spanish and needs to switch his brain :) I think your analysis is right on.
Cincinnati Chile
· 7 months ago
hehe- Ok the theory works unless you are a gringo president speaking to Mexicans- even if they aren't expecting Spanish AND you get the Spanish wrong they still understand you and laugh
Here I was afraid that I'd hate black people: "Your data suggests a moderate automatic preference for Black people over White people
Your data suggests a moderate automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain"
However charming my results I really can't stand behind this test, and only in part because you primed me for it...
But on people and language, I do agree that expectations play a part in what you can quickly comprehend... I certainly threw some Parisians for a loop when I spoke in French rather than English, and not always because of my pronunciation-- they were listening in English... Unfortunately, a more common scenario was that I would slightly mis-pronounce something which would throw the entire state of affairs into chaos... This is how I came to find myself repeating "bastard" over and over again while attempting to buy a loaf of batard... Bahtard, Butard, let's call the whole thing off...
lydia
· 7 months ago
gosh all that button pushing for "Your data suggest no difference in your automatic preferences for White people vs. Black people
Your data suggests a moderate automatic preference for John McCain over Barack Obama" The first part makes sense to me, though I think if the test/test photos might have been violent in nature I might've been more skewed, just guessing my subconscious.
Also the second part makes not much sense because I voted for obama of course and.... I would prefer to look at a photo of Obama over Mccain any day! Though I don't think that has much to do with how it was calculated.
Plus, I'm typically button-happy. That throws things off hahah.
Sharon
· 7 months ago
Hi
I got the following results.
Your data suggest no difference in your automatic preferences for White people vs. Black people
Your data suggests a slight automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain
However, I am not from the U.S.A but have blond hair and green eyes.
I wonder if it matters?
Sharon
flojindamesa
· 7 months ago
Something else to keep in mind is that Starbucks is a hub for study abroad students, so the people working there are accustomed to dealing with English speaking tourists/students and so even more likely to make that assumption.
Lori
· 7 months ago
The same thing happened to me at a Mexican restaurant in California. I had just returned from 3 years living in Ecuador as a Peace Corps volunteer and I wanted to show off my newly acquired Spanish language skills. I asked for a lemonade in Spanish and the girl thought I had asked for a beer in English. I still can't figure out how she heard "beer" when I said "limonada" but after that I gave up trying to speak Spanish in Mexican restaurants in the States.
Robespierre
· 7 months ago
How about blond Chileans, do they get the same feeling, before they speak?
Mamacita Chilena
· 7 months ago
Good question Robespierre...
One of the other thing the book did mention is that our subconscious also picks up on details and cues that our consciousness doesn't. So maybe people can tell when looking at a Chilean blond, somehow that she's Chilean because of differences so slight our conscious doesn't see them? Or maybe Chilean blonds have the same problem. I don't know any that I could ask!
Robespierre
· 7 months ago
Funny, I live in Canada and I experience something similar. I speak English with a a Spanish accent but I don't fit the "hispanic" stereotype so when I speak to someone I don't know many times people look kinda puzzled because they were not expecting an accent. They are not listening to me, they are wondering where is that accent from. Same thing happen to some non-caucasian Canadians; the clerk expects an accent and baffles when gets none.
Anyway, once I asked for a Combo No. 6 at a Burger King, I could tell that the girl was struggling with my accent and when my order came it was a milkshake!!!
Mamacita Chilena
· 7 months ago
HAHA, this is hilarious reading about other people's adventures in miscommunications...
A beer instead of a limonada...a milk shake instead of a #6.
It's actually amazing how crazy it is that someone could misunderstand so badly!
Robespierre
· 7 months ago
LOL! I have misunderstood people too. I was in Canada only for a couple of years so my English had much to be desired, when I caught a bat in my backyard. I put the critter under a bucket. My neighbour came and asked me what I have caught. "A bat" I said. "It could be rabid" he replied. I looked at him very offended and said "Off course is not a rabbit, don't you think I can tell the difference between a bat and a rabbit?”
Rita
· 7 months ago
Robespierre - funny story.
I have to say that I am guilty of not understanding people due to language expectations as well. It happens to me all the time. And it might have nothing to do with the speaker. For instance after listening to my Mandarin CDs on my way home from work, I'll hear something/someone and my brain can't process it because it is still thinking in Mandarin. This is just an example. This happens to me all the time. I don't comprehend until I figure out what language is being spoken.
My favorite story is when I was in Mexico w/some dealers and we were at a restaurant. I was sort of paranoid about ordering and so was relieved after my turn was over. I can't remember what I got, but I got quite a laught because when dinners were served mine was exactly what I ordered but the dealer principal (native Mexican)was presented with a baked potato. The waiter heard him order "papa al horno" but what he really asked for was "pavo al horno" (baked turkey).
Mamacita Chilena
· 7 months ago
FYI Mom, you might want to clarify what kind of dealers you were with. :)
Robespierre, great story about the bat-rabbit!
lydia
· 7 months ago
I originally got a smirk out of the ambiguous mention of "dealers" but I didn't take note of whose reply that was, until your comment and I realized it was your mom and started laughing pretty hard. Makes it all the better.
Cincinnati Chile
· 7 months ago
I think sometimes even the accent in Spanish can make it difficult- I know that S has a hard time understanding people with a Mexican accent and sometimes can't understand what they are saying like when I'm trying to be nosy about what the workers at Chipotle are talking about behind the counter. Also- on my comment I realized I meant to say I was surprised on the 2nd result about Obama- not the first.
Sara
· 7 months ago
Great post! I was thinking about posting something similar to this because I just had a few experiences that made me angry. I think now I will take that test too.
kumichan83
· 7 months ago
white noise - I don't know if you meant for that to be a pun but it sounds kind of cool, hehe.
Hahaha, once I asked a taxi driver in Ecuador to take me to SANTA CLARA and she took me all the way to a hospital on the other side of town with a name that was completely different. I don't think my accent is that bad! I think when some people who aren't accustomed to speaking with foreigners see you, whatever you say automatically sounds like Charlie Brown's parents in The Peanuts. and I love how strangers throw in the whopping 2 words they know in English when they talk to me, even when we are having a full blown conversation in Spanish. Once that even happened to my husband in Mexico. We went out to eat at a restaurant and when my husband chatted with the waiter, he said "MONKEY" as if my husband would get a kick out of his English. Because you know, Chile is the 51st state.
Deidre
· 7 months ago
A similar thing happens to me in Australia - AND WE ALL SPEAK ENGLISH. I think they expect an Australian accent and just are flabbergasted by the american one which means they don't understand me for a few a minutes...
it's awkward.
Emily
· 7 months ago
This makes sense to me. I don't usually have this problem, but then again I at least have brown hair. Although as you and Robespierre touched on, I can tell the difference between a blonde gringa and and blonde Chilena, so I'm sure that being brunette doesn't completely Chilean-ize my look (at least I hope not, considering how I feel about fashion here!). That said, the one time it's happened was when a guy picked up on my accent after we'd already exchanged a few sentences back and forth and suddenly asked "wait, you don't speak Spanish?" Although I'd been speaking Spanish and he in fact asked in Spanish, I think his brain realized I wasn't Chilean and couldn't figure out how a non-Chilean would speak Spanish. I also find that when I expect Rodolfo to speak Spanish and he instead says something in English I have to ask him to repeat it, and on a Swiss Air flight between Chile and Switzerland with a stop in Brazil I was expecting any combination of Spanish/Portuguese/French/German and therefore did not even recognize the language the flight attending was using when he spoke to me in English, to the extent that I asked him if he could please repeat it in English!
And for the record, I am not racist and slightly prefer Obama...woo hoo!
Deidre
· 7 months ago
I slightly prefer black people and strongly prefer Mr. Obama -- by the way :)
Fned
· 7 months ago
hahaha, Hubby told me about this book a few months ago... he said it was really interesting to read...
I got bored after the first pages...
But maybe it was because I had a 2-second blink moment where my conscious told me that all that psychological bull-- was going to bore the crap out of me.
All Comments
no te preocupes.. gente asi hay en todos lados. no solo aca!
suerte
Your data suggests a strong automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain
Right on!
Andrew, nice!
I got a strong auto preference for black people over white and a slight auto preference for Barack over McCain.
Considering my feelings for McCain I'm not so sure about the second part!
Both of them would look at my boyfriend and ask him what I'd just said. I usually keep my calm about it but one time I almost freaked out when his mom asked my boyfriend to "translate" what I'd just said... the word "no".
I get that all the time though. Sometimes he pulls an S. and says "just listen to her, she's speaking spanish!"
We think kind of similarly, that some people just cant get over the "gringa" aspect.
I would say that I definitely cringe at the even mention of the name Barack Obama. I do not consider myself racist at all and I like you typically judge after I meet a person. In fact, I'm one to confront racial injustice if it happens and I know about it.
My test yielded "a slight automatic preference for Black people over White people" and" a slight automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain" I don't agree with either one of these and primarily the first- maybe I just process and click fast :) I would hope the whole black or white thing would be neutral but since the election I think it's really caused me to think more negatively about people voting based completely on race or gender. Or maybe this means I really have gotten over it :)
As you know my Spanish is limited but I have noticed that when I throw out some phrases or words in Spanish S often asks me to repeat. It seems the 2nd time he gets it even if I say it the same way. One time I got irritated about it and asked why he always asks me to repeat and he told me it's because he is not expecting Spanish and needs to switch his brain :) I think your analysis is right on.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97VNDT80&show_article=1
I guess the OPrompter wasn't working today ;)
But I think the fact that I read the blog post first influenced my answers.
I also blogged about this same thing: http://abbyline.blogspot.com/2009/01/its-all-co... had the same theory you did before reading blink. Now I really want to read that book!
"Your data suggests a moderate automatic preference for Black people over White people
Your data suggests a moderate automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain"
However charming my results I really can't stand behind this test, and only in part because you primed me for it...
But on people and language, I do agree that expectations play a part in what you can quickly comprehend... I certainly threw some Parisians for a loop when I spoke in French rather than English, and not always because of my pronunciation-- they were listening in English... Unfortunately, a more common scenario was that I would slightly mis-pronounce something which would throw the entire state of affairs into chaos... This is how I came to find myself repeating "bastard" over and over again while attempting to buy a loaf of batard... Bahtard, Butard, let's call the whole thing off...
Your data suggests a moderate automatic preference for John McCain over Barack Obama"
The first part makes sense to me, though I think if the test/test photos might have been violent in nature I might've been more skewed, just guessing my subconscious.
Also the second part makes not much sense because I voted for obama of course and.... I would prefer to look at a photo of Obama over Mccain any day! Though I don't think that has much to do with how it was calculated.
Plus, I'm typically button-happy. That throws things off hahah.
I got the following results.
Your data suggest no difference in your automatic preferences for White people vs. Black people
Your data suggests a slight automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain
However, I am not from the U.S.A but have blond hair and green eyes.
I wonder if it matters?
Sharon
One of the other thing the book did mention is that our subconscious also picks up on details and cues that our consciousness doesn't. So maybe people can tell when looking at a Chilean blond, somehow that she's Chilean because of differences so slight our conscious doesn't see them? Or maybe Chilean blonds have the same problem. I don't know any that I could ask!
Anyway, once I asked for a Combo No. 6 at a Burger King, I could tell that the girl was struggling with my accent and when my order came it was a milkshake!!!
A beer instead of a limonada...a milk shake instead of a #6.
It's actually amazing how crazy it is that someone could misunderstand so badly!
I have to say that I am guilty of not understanding people due to language expectations as well. It happens to me all the time. And it might have nothing to do with the speaker. For instance after listening to my Mandarin CDs on my way home from work, I'll hear something/someone and my brain can't process it because it is still thinking in Mandarin. This is just an example. This happens to me all the time. I don't comprehend until I figure out what language is being spoken.
My favorite story is when I was in Mexico w/some dealers and we were at a restaurant. I was sort of paranoid about ordering and so was relieved after my turn was over. I can't remember what I got, but I got quite a laught because when dinners were served mine was exactly what I ordered but the dealer principal (native Mexican)was presented with a baked potato. The waiter heard him order "papa al horno" but what he really asked for was "pavo al horno" (baked turkey).
Robespierre, great story about the bat-rabbit!
Hahaha, once I asked a taxi driver in Ecuador to take me to SANTA CLARA and she took me all the way to a hospital on the other side of town with a name that was completely different. I don't think my accent is that bad! I think when some people who aren't accustomed to speaking with foreigners see you, whatever you say automatically sounds like Charlie Brown's parents in The Peanuts. and I love how strangers throw in the whopping 2 words they know in English when they talk to me, even when we are having a full blown conversation in Spanish. Once that even happened to my husband in Mexico. We went out to eat at a restaurant and when my husband chatted with the waiter, he said "MONKEY" as if my husband would get a kick out of his English. Because you know, Chile is the 51st state.
it's awkward.
And for the record, I am not racist and slightly prefer Obama...woo hoo!
I got bored after the first pages...
But maybe it was because I had a 2-second blink moment where my conscious told me that all that psychological bull-- was going to bore the crap out of me.
Guess I should try to give it another go.
:s
Fned.