5 powerful psychological effect, which changes our behavior

How to get behind the scenes of the brain and understand how instincts govern our decisions and why so we perceive the world around us?

Next 5 psychological effects - your pass to the secret world of the functioning of the human brain.


1. You like other more when making a mistake.

Those who never makes a mistake, we seem to be less attractive than those who commit blunders. Mistakes make you more human and attractive. And perfection creates distance and irritating aura of invincibility.

This "effect of the total failure" checked psychologist Elliot Aronson. His subjects were listening to records of people who took part in the quiz. Some records could hear some of the participants dropped a cup of coffee. The results showed that it was named the prettiest of those who spilled coffee.

2. Great Expectations create a new reality.

If you believe in something - one day it will happen. This is called the Pygmalion effect. Psychologist Robert Rosenthal studied it in school.

Earlier this year he showed the teachers a list of students who have had very good results in the test IQ. But this list does not correspond to reality, Rosenthal simply chose the names of students in a random order.

At year end, these students showed significantly better results than the others.

Expectations of teachers for these children were higher, and these expectations have created a new reality. Rosenthal explained his discovery that one expects from other people, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Remember the saying: "If a man is called a pig, then sooner or later he zahryukaet»?

3. The greater the choice, the less likely that we will be satisfied with them.

Are you familiar with buyer's remorse? You buy something and then you begin to regret: it was possible to buy cheaper, or a different model, or 2 weeks at a discount.

Even if our final decision absolutely right - we can remain unhappy if we have too much choice. This is the "paradox of choice" when the choice is too large - it is difficult to find satisfaction from the solutions.

4. The more people see that you need help - the lower the probability that you will be.

If you need help - do not look for her in the crowd. It works "bystander effect».

It examined psychologists Bibb Lathan and John Darley. When the subject thought he was the only witness - rushed to the aid of 85%. When a number was 1 other person - rushed to help 65%. When the subject knew that there was another 4 witness - came to the aid of only 31%.

Often witnesses an accident or a crime not to try to help the victim: everyone thinks that someone else will call the police, and so on. D. But the only witness understands that he can only help, and act much more decisively.

5. Your mistakes are not as noticeable as you think.

The feeling that we are watching all the time, just a game of imagination. The paranoia and insecurity that we feel every time you make a mistake, do not actually reflect reality. People notice our mistakes much less than we think.

To check this "spotlight effect" team of psychologists asked a group of subjects all day wearing strange t-shirt, and then estimate how many people have noticed it. Estimates of the subjects appeared twice higher than the actual number. You are the focus of much less than you think.

Knowing this, you can feel much safer public places and be themselves.