In our daily lives, we often do not realize the extent to which our thoughts, decisions, and behaviors are shaped by subtle psychological mechanisms.
Named after psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik, it works by making people remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. To take advantage of this, if you want to make sure someone remembers something, start a discussion and then deliberately don’t end it. Also known as the Benjamin Franklin effect, it is based on the psychological phenomenon whereby a person who has done a favor for another person tends to view that person more favorably and is likely to do more favors in the future. Ironically, we tend to love the person we helped more than the person who helped us.
Named after a Greek myth, it describes the phenomenon in which higher expectations lead to better performance outcomes. If we set high expectations for ourselves or others, it may lead to better results. Of course, there are exceptions where high expectations can feel like pressure that weighs down on a person like a stone. However, it is valuable advice that can be used among professional colleagues or family members, to encourage them to achieve better results through positive expectations.
The more we hear a statement, the more we tend to believe it to be true, even if it is actually false. This psychological phenomenon explains why the repetition of false information can have a negative impact on our perceptions and judgments. It is important to be careful when repeating unconfirmed information and carefully check the facts before sharing it, because in this way you may unwittingly contribute to spreading rumors that negatively affect our thinking and work. The idea is that imagining success can increase your self-confidence and improve your performance in different situations. This technique involves mentally displaying the positive consequences of your actions, which motivates and inspires you to act, and helps you overcome fears and pressures related to achieving your goals. Success visualization is often used by athletes, business leaders and entrepreneurs to increase their effectiveness and achieve better results in their activities. This is a persuasion technique that involves starting out by making a very large and often unrealistic request that you expect will be rejected. Once this request is rejected, another, much smaller and more reasonable request is made. This second request is the real goal of the negotiator, and it is more likely to be accepted because it seems moderate compared to the first.
This is a psychological phenomenon in which an attempt to change someone’s beliefs using direct persuasion ends up backfiring – the person not only changes his mind, but also reinforces his original beliefs. This effect is particularly noticeable when persuasion methods are perceived as too aggressive or when the recipient feels pressured to change his or her mind.
