What Drives Human Behavior?
Are you interested in the surprising truth about human behavior? Then, this article is for you. Have you ever wondered why we do what we do? Why do we feel certain emotions, act, or make certain decisions? Human behavior is not always rational or predictable but also fascinating and revealing. Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behavior, and it can reveal some surprising and fascinating insights into ourselves and others. By learning more about psychology, we can gain more insight into ourselves and others and enhance our well-being and happiness. Below are 15 psychological facts that will change how you see human behavior.
Mere exposure effect
Do you like a song more after hearing it several times on the radio? Do you prefer a brand name that you see on billboards or TV commercials? The more you see or hear something, the more you like it. That is why we tend to prefer familiar things over unfamiliar ones. Thus, advertisers use repetition to make us remember their products.
Halo effect
Have you ever had a positive impression of someone after seeing their attractive profile picture on a dating app? How about a negative feeling of a person after hearing them say something rude or ignorant? These are only a few examples of the halo effect. For example, if we think someone is attractive, we are more likely to assume they are also clever, friendly, and competent. The traits of a person affect how we perceive their other qualities.
Bystander effect
You may be less likely to help a person who is being harassed on the street if there are many other people around or more likely to help someone who is having a heart attack if you are the only one nearby. The more people there are, the less likely someone is to help someone in need. On top of that, people assume that someone else will take action, or they want to avoid standing out from the crowd.
Confirmation bias
Are you fond of horoscopes? Do you only remember what resonated with you and forget the rest that didn’t happen? This theory asserts that we tend to look for and remember information confirming our beliefs and ignore or dismiss information contradicting them. It can lead us to form inaccurate or biased opinions and resist changing our minds even when faced with evidence.
Dunning-Kruger effect
Sometimes, you may think you are good at singing after singing along to your favorite songs in the shower but realize you are not after recording yourself or performing in front of others. Or you may think you are bad at math after struggling with some problems in school but realize you are not after taking an online test or learning from a tutor. People who are less skilled or knowledgeable in a domain tend to overestimate their abilities, while people who are more experienced or knowledgeable tend to underestimate their abilities. It is because the less we know, the more we think we know, and the more we know, the more we realize how much we don’t know.
Endowment effect
It is likely to ask for more money to sell your old car than you would pay to buy a similar one, or you may have trouble throwing away your old clothes or books even though you don’t use them anymore. We tend to value something more when we own it than when we don’t. This is why we often ask for more money to sell something than we would pay to buy it or have trouble letting go of things we no longer need.
Anchoring effect
You may think that a wallet is a good deal if it is marked down from ¥31,900 to ¥19,711, even if it is still overpriced compared to other wallets. Or you may think that a restaurant is expensive if the first item on the menu is ¥12,000, even if the rest are cheaper. The first information we receive about something influences how we judge subsequent information. Furthermore, if we see a product with a high price tag, we may think it is of high quality, even if it has a discount later.
Framing effect
The way something is presented or worded affects how we perceive it. For example, people are more likely to buy meat labeled “75% lean” than “25% fat”, even though they are the same. Another example is that you may be more likely to buy a product if it is advertised as “90% effective” than “10% ineffective”, even though they mean the same thing.
Primacy and recency effects
You may remember the first and last items on a grocery list better than the ones in the middle of the first and last names of the people you meet at a party better than the ones in the middle. We remember the first and last items in a list or sequence better than the ones in the middle. It is why speakers often start and end their speeches with the most essential points, or teachers frequently review the main concepts at the beginning and end of a lesson.
Cognitive dissonance theory
Have you ever felt guilty after eating junk food while on a diet and either decided to eat healthier next time or justified your behavior by saying that it was just a one-time thing or that you deserved a treat? Or have you ever felt uncomfortable after lying to your friend and either confessing the truth or convincing yourself that it was for their good or not a big deal? This theory asserts that we experience discomfort when our thoughts, beliefs, or actions are inconsistent. To reduce this discomfort, we either change our thoughts, ideas, or acts or rationalize them away.
Self-serving bias
Specifically, you may take credit for getting a good grade on a test because of your hard work or intelligence and blame your lousy quality on a problematic teacher or bad luck. Or you may praise yourself for winning a game because of your skill or strategy and criticize your opponent for losing because of their lack of skill or cheating. In this case, we may attribute our successes to our efforts or abilities and our failures to external factors or circumstances. It helps us maintain a positive self-image and protect our self-esteem.
Fundamental attribution error
We tend to explain other people’s behavior in terms of their personality or disposition and overlook the role of situational factors. For example, if someone cuts us off in traffic, we may think they are rude or careless rather than consider that they may be in a hurry or have an emergency. Another example is that you may think your coworker is lazy or incompetent if they miss a deadline and ignore the fact that they had a personal crisis or a heavy workload.
Social comparison theory
In this theory, we tend to compare ourselves with others who are similar to us in some way and evaluate ourselves based on how we measure up. For instance, you may feel happy or proud after comparing yourself with someone less successful or attractive than you and feel sad or insecure after comparing yourself with someone more successful or attractive than you. It can affect our self-esteem, motivation, and happiness.
Scarcity principle
Most people want something more when it is rare or hard to get. It is why limited-time offers, exclusive deals, or out-of-stock items can increase our desire and willingness to pay for them. The typical example of this theory is you may want to buy a product more if it is labeled as “limited edition” or “only three left in stock,” even if you don’t need it or like it. Or you may want to date someone more if they are hard to get or unavailable, even if they are incompatible with you or treat you poorly.
Placebo effect
We can experience positive effects from a treatment or intervention with no active ingredient or mechanism simply because it will work. It shows how powerful our expectations and beliefs influence physical and mental health.
Conclusion
These psychological facts show us how complex and fascinating human behavior is and how we can utilize this learning to enhance our lives and relationships. By being more aware of these effects, we can make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and understand ourselves and others better.
I hope this article about the surprising truth about human behavior has inspired you. If you did, please comment below and share it with your friends. And don’t forget to check out our other articles. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one!
