Why We do Dumb or Irrational Things: 10 Brilliant Social Psychology Studies

from PsyBlog

[Photo by Ayres no graces]

"I have been primarily interested in how and why ordinary people do unusual things, things that seem alien to their natures. Why do good people sometimes act evil? Why do smart people sometimes do dumb or irrational things?" --Philip Zimbardo

Like eminent social psychologist Professor Philip Zimbardo, I'm also obsessed with why we do dumb or irrational things. The answer quite often is because of other people - something social psychologists have comprehensively shown.

Over the past few months I've been describing 10 of the most influential social psychology studies. Each one tells a unique, insightful story relevant to all our lives, every day.

But, the question is which one has the most to teach us about human nature? Which one gives us the most piercing insight into how our thoughts and actions are affected by other people?

Have a read and then vote below:


1. The Halo Effect: When Your Own Mind is a Mystery

The 'halo effect' is a classic finding in social psychology. It is the idea that global evaluations about a person (e.g. she is likeable) bleed over into judgements about their specific traits (e.g. she is intelligent). Hollywood stars demonstrate the halo effect perfectly. Because they are often attractive and likeable we naturally assume they are also intelligent, friendly, display good judgement and so on.

» Read on about the halo effect -»


2. How and Why We Lie to Ourselves: Cognitive Dissonance

The ground-breaking social psychological experiment of Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) provides a central insight into the stories we tell ourselves about why we think and behave the way we do. The experiment is filled with ingenious deception so the best way to understand it is to imagine you are taking part. So sit back, relax and travel back. The time is 1959 and you are an undergraduate student at Stanford University...

» Read on about cognitive dissonance -»


3. War, Peace and the Role of Power in Sherif's Robbers Cave Experiment

The Robbers Cave experiment, a classic study of prejudice and conflict, has at least one hidden story. The well-known story emerged in the decades following the experiment as textbook writers adopted a particular retelling. With repetition people soon accepted this story as reality, forgetting it is just one version of events, one interpretation of a complex series of studies.

» Read on about Sherif's Robbers Cave experiment -»


4. Our Dark Hearts: The Stanford Prison Experiment

The famous 'Stanford Prison Experiment' argues a strong case for the power of the situation in determining human behaviour. Not only that but this experiment has also inspired a novel, two films, countless TV programs, re-enactments and even a band.

» Read on about Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment -»


5. Just Following Orders? Stanley Milgram's Obedience Experiment

What psychological experiment could be so powerful that simply taking part might change your view of yourself and human nature? What experimental procedure could provoke some people to profuse sweating and trembling, leaving 10% extremely upset, while others broke into unexplained hysterical laughter?

» Read on about Milgram's obedience studies -»


6. Why

We All Stink as Intuitive Psychologists: The False Consensus Bias
Many people quite naturally believe they are good 'intuitive psychologists', thinking it is relatively easy to predict other people's attitudes and behaviours. We each have information built up from countless previous experiences involving both ourselves and others so surely we should have solid insights? No such luck.

» Read on about the false consensus bias -»


7. Why Groups and Prejudices Form So Easily: Social Identity Theory

People's behaviour in groups is fascinating and frequently disturbing. As soon as humans are bunched together in groups we start to do odd things: copy other members of our group, favour members of own group over others, look for a leader to worship and fight other groups.

» Read on about why groups and prejudices form so easily -»


8. How to Avoid a Bad Bargain: Don't Threaten

Bargaining is one of those activities we often engage in without quite realising it. It doesn't just happen in the boardroom, or when we ask our boss for a raise or down at the market, it happens every time we want to reach an agreement with someone. This agreement could be as simple as choosing a restaurant with a friend, or deciding which TV channel to watch. At the other end of the scale, bargaining can affect the fate of nations.

» Read on about how communication and threats affect bargaining -»


9. Why We Don't Help Others: Bystander Apathy

In social psychology the 'bystander effect' is the surprising finding that the mere presence of other people inhibits our own helping behaviours in an emergency. John Darley and Bibb Latane were inspired to investigate emergency helping behaviours after the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964.

» Read on about bystander apathy -»


10. I Can't Believe My Eyes: Conforming to the Norm

We all know that humans are natural born conformers - we copy each other's dress sense, ways of talking and attitudes, often without a second thought. But exactly how far does this conformity go? Do you think it is possible you would deny unambiguous information from your own senses just to conform with other people?

» Read on about Asch's classic conformity study -»

Motivation: The Gurus Speak!

By Geoffrey James

I’ve been talking about motivation lately, with some really positive results in my own life and hopefully elsewhere too. To round out the discussion, I thought I’d add some “quick hits” — short suggestions about motivation lifted from the conversations I’ve had with various motivation gurus, including Jeff Keller, Omar Periu, and Tony Robbins:

• Always act with a purpose — your purpose.
• Take responsibility for your own results.
• Stretch yourself past your limits on a daily basis.
• Don’t wait for perfection, just do it now!
• Be careful of what you eat; it takes energy to succeed.
• Hang around people who are as motivated as yourself.
• Don’t live a life of quiet desperation. Take action! Now!
• When you learn from failure, it’s not really failure.
• Don’t get complacent because you’re successful today.
• Always say “I must” rather than “I’ll try” when seeing goals.
• Don’t avoid a decision; that’s always a decision to fail.
• Keep quiet if you can’t say something positive.
• Respond to “How are you?” with “Terrific!” not “Hangin’ in there.”
• Don’t spout negative talk; it programs you for negative results.
• Stop complaining about that over which you have no control.
• Stop griping about your personal problems and illnesses.
• Expunge negative, de-motivating words in your speech.
• Focus on purpose and goals, not obstacles and problems.
• Start each day with at least 15 minutes of positive input.
• Reduce your exposure to depressing news media.

Anyone else have some pithy words of wisdom?

How Risking Failure Can Make You Happier

from john place online . com

Have you ever thought about taking a chance? Risking failure?

Maybe right now you’re thinking about starting a business, running a marathon, learning a new skill, or going back to school. Maybe you’re thinking about doing something simple, like asking your boss for a raise, or something complex, like trying to convince your board of directors to pursue a multi-million dollar business venture. Maybe you’re thinking about asking someone new out on a date, investing in a promising new stock, or changing careers.

With all these opportunities at your fingertips, what’s keeping you from taking a chance?

If your answer to that question involves fear of failure, listen up. The field of positive psychology suggests that you’re much more likely to regret “failing to act” than “acting and failing.”

If you’re looking for a little incentive to take a big chance, consider these words from Harvard Psychologist Daniel Gilbert:

In the long run, people of every age and in every walk of life seem to regret not having done things much more than they regret things they did, which is why the most popular regrets include not going to college, not grasping profitable business opportunities, and not spending enough time with family and friends.

We’ve got a lot of ideas about what decisions we’ll live to regret, and many of these ideas are just plain wrong.

Case in point: Let’s say that you own Stock in ACME Corporation. Last year, you thought about switching to stock in Big-Profit corporation, but decided against it, and now you’ve learned that you would have made an extra $1,000 dollars if you’d made the switch. Conversely, let’s say that during the same time you bought shares in RipOff Industries and ended up losing $1,000. Which of these two scenarios do you think you would regret the most? The foolish action? Or the foolish inaction?

According to Gilbert:

Studies show that 9 out of 10 people expect to feel more regret when they foolishly switch stocks than when they foolishly fail to switch stocks, because most people think they will regret foolish actions more than foolish inactions. But studies also show that 9 out of 10 people are wrong.

So why do foolish actions tend to make us happier than foolish inactions? The answer is simple: we learn from our failures.

Although it is possible to learn lessons by watching the failures of others and by reminiscing about all our lost opportunities, those lessons are not as immediate or tactile as those learned through hands-on trial and error. Put more simply, when you try hard to achieve something and fail despite your best effort, you are often able to justify your hard work with stories of valuable lessons learned and the quality of the experience itself.

But if you passively watch your opportunities evaporate, you’ll have no such justification.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we should jump at every high-risk opportunity, nor does it make the analysis of those opportunities easier.

But it does suggest that if you’ve been considering a big life-change for a while now, have weighed the pros and cons, and are sure you want to do it — and the only thing holding you back is fear of failure — your best play might be to go for it.

How to Be Happier with What You Have

by ScottHYoung

“There are two ways to increase your wealth. Increase your means or decrease your wants. The best is to do both at the same time.” - Benjamin Franklin
Misery shouldn’t be the price for ambition. Somewhere I believe many people got the idea that to want more, you have to be dissatisfied with what you have now. Believing this, your choice is either to dampen your passions or become miserable with what you have.

I think this is a false dichotomy. You can be satisfied and ambitious. And while many self-help books have covered the topic of ambition, fewer cover the idea of becoming immensely satisfied with what you’ve already got.

Beyond affirmations and beliefs, I think there are some practical tips to do this. Engineering your daily life can be a great way to maximize your current fulfillment. Best of all, it isn’t incredibly difficult to do. Here are some tips I’ve found useful in becoming happier with where I am:1 - Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

Investors understand that diversification keeps one bad fall from ruining you financially. Keeping your interests diversified, ensures that one slip won’t make you miserable. Tying your entire life into only one area isn’t just obsessive, it’s dangerous.

Life balance has become a bit of a cliche. Balance implies a weak compromise where efforts are juggled. But the alternative to balance doesn’t need to be obsession. Having several areas of focus at a time will help smooth out the fluctuations in your experience. Pick 3-5 things that are critical for you and a dozen more you feel are important.2 - Engineer Your Day

Spend a bit of time reorganizing how you run your daily life. Looking over at the horizon it can be easy to miss what is under your feet. Focusing on improvements of your routines, habits and environment can make a huge impact in your current satisfaction. Even if they have little influence on your bank account or GPA.

Start by doing a run down of how you invest your time. Carry around a notepad with you for a day. Record every time you start or stop an activity. This will give you a detailed look at how you spend your time. It should also give you an idea of where you can make improvements.

The goal isn’t to have the most productive day possible or one that is devoid of all “bad” habits. Your objective is simply to experiment with changes that might make your day more interesting, fun or fulfilling.3 - Break Comparisons

If you are like most inhabitants of industrialized nations, you are richer than most medieval kings. You are free of most diseases that plagued our ancestors. You have far more human rights. And you are far less likely to die a violent death. By such a comparison, you should be overjoyed compared to your great-great-grandparents. Why doesn’t this feel like the case?

The answer is because most people base their satisfaction on comparing themselves with others. You may be fabulously wealthy compared to your forefathers, but you also have to compare your life to people who are far wealthier, healthier and more attractive than you.

Breaking comparisons with other people will make you happier, but it isn’t easy to do. There isn’t an OFF switch in your brain for competition. However, there are a few ways you can make adjustments to your life that help avoid the competitive misery:

Diversify your social life. If you only associate with people from one class, you will always struggle with comparison. My suggestion is to broaden the groups of people you associate with. Not just in terms of income, but age, experiences, culture and background. The more diversification, the more difficulty you have nitpicking.

Shut off the media. If information isn’t helping you make decisions and only makes you feel miserable, why are you consuming it? Surrounding yourself with celebrity magazines and television shows featuring spoiled rich kids can fuel that urge to compare.

Find your talents. Emphasize the things you are good at and make you unique. The more you cultivate a unique identity, the less chance you have of making linear comparisons between your life and your friends.

Cultivate abundance. Competition is largely based in zero-sum. The idea that someone else’s gain is my loss. Rarely is this the case. Focus on how the effects of another’s win can become your own gain. Emphasizing an abundance mindset can help you avoid the comparison that inevitably comes from thinking scarcity.

Focus internally. Perhaps the most important tip at all is to put less focus on external results. If you build a stable inner world, you can survive the storms of the outer world. Focusing on the intangibles of your passions, challenges, bonds and purpose will lead to a greater current satisfaction.

Successful People Build Their Confidence

It's never too late to get the confidence you desire in any area of your life. People talk about confidence as if it is something you either do or do not have. This is not the case! Confidence is specific to particular situations and can both increase or decrease over time. You may be confident at networking and building relationships but you may tremble at the thought of public speaking; lacking any confidence at all.

When faced with something new, even the most confident of us all get pangs of self-doubt. At that moment we all have a choice: give in to the fear and remain where we are or face the fear head on and master the confidence.

In order to gain confidence, you have to do the very thing you are unconfident about. The fabulous thing is that with a few tools up your sleeve, you can make the process a little easier and master the confidence at just about anything.

How to Develop Confidence:

Choose a specific area that you want to achieve greater confidence.

Create a vision of what it will look and feel like when you have confidence in this specific area. Make the vision as detailed and vivid as possible. Focus on all your senses: what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste.

Practice focusing on this vision every morning and every evening before going to bed. Also focus on this vision immediately prior to any situation where you want to draw on this confidence.

Model people who are already confident in this area. What do they do that makes them appear, behave and feel confident? Start doing those same things!

Form a 'hierarchy of tasks' you can face in order to build your confidence in this area. Start with tasks that are easiest and work your way through to more difficult tasks. Remember 'large doors swing on small hinges'.

For example, one of my clients, Claire, used this exercise to overcome her lack of confidence to network effectively. She set the big goal to walk away from every networking event with 3 new contacts. Claire made the following hierarchy of tasks that would lead to the development of her big networking goal:

- Attend a networking event alone
- Talk to one person I have never met before
- Get contact details of one person I have never met before
- Send a follow up email to one person I met at a networking event
- Make a follow up phone call to one person I met at a networking event
- Talk to two people at a networking event that I have never met and get their contact details
- Follow up two people with phone calls and organise to meet
- Talk to three people I have never met, get their contact details, follow up with a phone call and organise a meeting.

She steadily progressed through each task, moving onto the next level only once she had mastered the level she was on. By the end of three months, Claire had gone from detesting networking events to using networking as her main marketing tool. She now enjoys walking away with three contacts every event. She is more confident than most other people at any networking event and now focuses on helping other people feel at ease at these events by approaching them herself!

Decide to never again run away from something because you lack the confidence! Face it head on. You may just find it's the most liberating thing you have ever done.