Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

This lively RSAnimate, adapted from Dan Pink's talk at the RSA, illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace.

via: RSABlog

Keep your mouth shut about your goals and plans.

When you have some great aspirations in your life, shouldn't you announce them to your family and friends?
Isn't it good networking to tell people about your upcoming projects?
Doesn't the “law of attraction” mean you should state your intention, and visualize the goal as already yours?
Nope.

Tests done since 1933 show that people who talk about their intentions are less likely to make them happen. 

Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you're less motivated to do the hard work needed. 

In 1933, W. Mahler found that if a person announced the solution to a problem, and was acknowledged by others, it was now in the brain as a “social reality”, even if the solution hadn't actually been achieved. 

NYU psychology professor Peter Gollwitzer has been studying this since his 1982 book “Symbolic Self-Completion” (pdf article here) - and recently published results of new tests in a research article, “When Intentions Go Public: Does Social Reality Widen the Intention-Behavior Gap?”
Four different tests of 63 people found that those who kept their intentions private were more likely to achieve them than those who made them public and were acknowledged by others. 

Once you've told people of your intentions, it gives you a “premature sense of completeness.”
You have “identity symbols” in your brain that make your self-image.Since both actions and talk create symbols in your brain, talking satisfies the brain enough that it “neglects the pursuit of further symbols.”

 At first you might feel unable to hold all your goals and aspirations only to yourself, but you should try and do it gradually to see the most benefit from it. If you can't hold off telling someone your goal then try rephrasing it into a way that will not give you any social satisfaction or gratification. For example, instead of saying: "I've joined a gym and bought running shoes. I'm going to do it!" say something like: "I want to get into shape and become more fit, and if I slack off you should kick my ass or not talk to me for a while". That way you will be dissatisfied with your statement to a friend and will still be compelled to do your hard work to reach that goal later on.

Happy guys finish last, says new study on sexual attractiveness

We've heard it before: nice guys finish last. And when it comes to sexual attraction, it appears the rule holds. Women find happy guys significantly less sexually attractive than swaggering or brooding men, according to a new University of British Columbia study that helps to explain the enduring allure of "bad boys" and other iconic gender types.

Although some of you might be saying that everyone knows that women are more likely to be attracted to a bad-boy attitude, but here is some actual research to back that claim up. The University of British Columbia researchers who worked on the study say there's an inherent contradiction in this finding.

The Science of Persuasion Answers

Here are the answers to yesterday's Science of  Persuasion quiz along with a brief explanation on each. Few people had actually guessed very close to the actual answers. Congrats to you guys! I Hope you enjoyed it and if you are interested in more such quizzes please visit Daily Planet's Mind Bender via  Discovery Channel.


1. How many times should an idea be repeated for maximum effect? 
a) 3-5

Studies have found that the maximum effect came from 3-5 repetitions of an idea or message. Repetition fails if people aren't paying attention or if an argument is weak. If an argument is strong, repetition increases its power to persuade. However, too much repetition can have the opposite of the desired effect.

The Science of Persuation

I recently was watching TV and came up on a show that listed some awesome facts about the power of persuasion. The host basically gave a short quiz about the topic and listed a few plausible choices and then revealed the correct answer. I will try to reproduce that quiz in this post and you will have to take guesses as to what the right answer should be

The Placebo Effect

Interesting video about the effects of a simple sugar pill. Some people that are told that it is medication, will actually have a perceived or actual improvement in their condition; this phenomenon is commonly called the "placebo effect". This word come from Latin word "placebo" meaning "I will please".

via: YouTube