Psychology
Discover facts about psychology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Psychology
Society judges people far more harshly for taking an action that causes harm than for sitting back and letting the exact same harm happen, a moral blind spot called Omission bias.
Society judges people far more harshly for taking an action that causes harm than for sitting back and letting the exact same harm happen, a moral blind spot…
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Completing a single virtuous action gives individuals a subconscious psychological license to subsequently behave in a highly selfish or prejudiced manner.
Completing a single virtuous action gives individuals a subconscious psychological license to subsequently behave in a highly selfish or prejudiced manner.…
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Consumers will completely change their preference between two options when presented with a third, asymmetrically dominated option designed solely to manipulate them.
Consumers will completely change their preference between two options when presented with a third, asymmetrically dominated option designed solely to…
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Genuine smiles involve the involuntary contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle around the eyes, making them biologically distinct from fake, socially obligated smiles.
Genuine smiles involve the involuntary contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle around the eyes, making them biologically distinct from fake, socially…
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Agreeing to a massive, unreasonable request becomes highly likely if you have already agreed to a tiny, seemingly innocent favor beforehand.
Agreeing to a massive, unreasonable request becomes highly likely if you have already agreed to a tiny, seemingly innocent favor beforehand. Known as the…
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Rejecting a massive, completely outrageous request makes you significantly more likely to agree to a smaller, secondary favor immediately afterward.
Rejecting a massive, completely outrageous request makes you significantly more likely to agree to a smaller, secondary favor immediately afterward. This…
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Judging the likelihood of an event based entirely on how easily an example comes to mind is a mental shortcut known as the availability heuristic.
Judging the likelihood of an event based entirely on how easily an example comes to mind is a mental shortcut known as the availability heuristic. Because…
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Humans lose roughly ninety percent of newly learned information within a matter of days unless they actively and aggressively review it, as demonstrated by the Ebbinghaus…
Humans lose roughly ninety percent of newly learned information within a matter of days unless they actively and aggressively review it, as demonstrated by…
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Nostalgia was originally diagnosed as a highly debilitating neurological disease in the seventeenth century, complete with physical symptoms like weeping, irregular heartbeat, and loss of appetite.
Nostalgia was originally diagnosed as a highly debilitating neurological disease in the seventeenth century, complete with physical symptoms like weeping,…
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Performing a favor for someone you actively dislike actually tricks your brain into liking them more, a wildly counterintuitive loophole named the Benjamin Franklin effect.
Performing a favor for someone you actively dislike actually tricks your brain into liking them more, a wildly counterintuitive loophole named the Benjamin…
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Placing a disproportionately high value on products you partially created yourself is a consumer bias brilliantly dubbed the IKEA effect.
Placing a disproportionately high value on products you partially created yourself is a consumer bias brilliantly dubbed the IKEA effect. You will spend six…
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When people are introduced to new safety measures, they automatically increase their risky behavior, entirely offsetting the intended benefits of the safety device.
When people are introduced to new safety measures, they automatically increase their risky behavior, entirely offsetting the intended benefits of the safety…
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Reaction formation makes people loudly oppose desires they secretly have
When a subconscious desire terrifies you, reaction formation ensures you loudly advocate for the exact opposite. If someone is intensely drawn to a taboo…
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Your paycheck can train you like a seal
Your boss trains you exactly the same way a marine biologist trains a seal. Operant conditioning relies on rewards and punishments to mold actions. You keep…
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When emotional distress causes real pain
When psychological distress becomes entirely unmanageable, it conveniently downloads itself into your lower spine. Psychogenic pain occurs when severe…
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Munchausen syndrome fakes severe illness for attention
While most people despise going to the hospital, those with Munchausen syndrome treat it like a luxury resort. This severe factitious disorder involves…
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Source amnesia keeps the fact but loses the messenger
You proudly repeat a fascinating statistic to a friend, only to realize that very friend is the one who told you yesterday. Source amnesia occurs when you…
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How gaslighting makes you doubt your own reality
Derived from a stage play, gaslighting is a toxic psychological manipulation where an abuser forces the victim to question their own memory and sanity. By…
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Why adults still chase gold stars
Kindergarten teachers use stickers to control toddlers, and frequent flyer programs use miles to control adults. A token economy is a behavior modification…
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How therapists pair phobias with pleasant experiences
To fix an intense phobia, therapists use counterconditioning, pairing the terrifying stimulus with something overwhelmingly pleasant. If you are terrified of…
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When a trip to Jerusalem triggers religious delusions
Visiting a profoundly historic city should require a psychiatric warning label. Jerusalem syndrome is a bizarre phenomenon where completely balanced tourists…
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When kidnappers start sympathizing with their victims
The exact inverse of Stockholm syndrome is Lima syndrome, a bizarre anomaly where captors become highly sympathetic toward their victims. Instead of…
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Prospective memory fails when you need to act later
Your ability to remember to pick up milk on the way home relies on prospective memory, and it is notoriously unreliable. Unlike recalling past events, this…
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Why old habits can suddenly come back
You successfully quit biting your nails years ago, yet one afternoon you catch yourself gnawing on your thumb. Spontaneous recovery is the cruel joke of…
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