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Our thoughts should belong solely to us, as they're housed in our minds, and if there's any space meant to be inviolable and private, it's within ourselves. Yet, this isn't entirely the case, as many external factors influence your thinking, leaving you to question how much of your emotions, beliefs, and feelings are truly your own.
10. Your Social Media Feed Can Alter Your Emotions
9. Presenting Facts in a Narrative Format Is Far More Impactful
Imagine you're in a sales meeting, hearing a personal account of how the boss landed their first major sale. Now, compare that to a list of statistics, facts, and numbers. Which one will stick with you more? Even if the list contains the same details as the story, you’ll likely remember the story better. That’s because storytelling is an incredibly powerful tool, backed by fascinating science that explains why we find stories a far more engaging way to absorb information.
When we look at a list, only areas of the brain like Wernicke’s and Broca’s are activated to process the information—and that’s the extent of it. A story, on the other hand, stimulates various parts of the brain, from those that interpret language to those connected to sensory perception. A story also forms a bond between the speaker and the listener, which a simple list cannot. This bond is crucial in helping us retain the details of a presentation. And when we’re invested in the story, we start to relate to the characters, not just dry facts, making us eager to find out what happens next.
This thirst for closure also has another consequence: it lowers our defenses. We become more open to the information, allow for some improbabilities in the narrative, and suspend our skepticism, often without even realizing it. A compelling story lets us overlook minor inconsistencies, but when faced with a dry list of facts, we start nitpicking to entertain our minds. The power of storytelling is so immense that some researchers argue fiction can be more effective in changing our perspectives and belief systems than raw scientific data.
8. Subliminal Messages Have an Impact
In the 1950s, James Vicary became the first to test subliminal messaging by flashing the words “Drink Coca-Cola” on movie screens during film showings in select theaters. He claimed the tactic boosted sales in those theaters, but science has long been skeptical about the actual effectiveness of subliminal messages. However, researchers from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research have demonstrated that, despite Vicary’s results being debunked, subliminal messaging does have an effect.
In the Netherlands study, volunteers were exposed to the subliminal cues “drinking” and “thirsty,” and researchers measured their likelihood of accepting a drink. The study revealed that subliminal messaging only works under certain conditions: there must be a pleasurable reward tied to the message, the thoughts need to be planted before the opportunity for fulfillment arises, and there must be a pre-existing connection between the reward and a positive feeling. Other studies, including one by University College London, support the notion that the human brain can process things too quickly for us to consciously recognize—especially negative emotions. In one study, volunteers were shown a variety of subliminal messages and were asked to identify whether the message was emotionally neutral or charged. They were surprisingly accurate, particularly when it came to negative words.
7. We Are Programmed to Trust—Especially When We’re Intelligent
It seems contradictory, but how often do we hear about some of the most intelligent people falling for scams that, in hindsight, seem so blatantly fake it’s almost painful? We now look back at events like the Trojan Horse with disbelief and wonder how anyone could be fooled. Similarly, we shake our heads at those who lost millions to a scam involving a Nigerian prince. Yet, psychologists suggest we’re hardwired to fall for these tricks. In fact, the smarter we are, the more susceptible we might be, as many hoaxes are designed to exploit our cognitive weaknesses.
Part of this has to do with ego. The smarter we are, the less likely we are to think we could be deceived. We believe we’ll recognize a scam from a mile away, and our overconfidence can actually make us blind to it. Another factor is that we’re programmed to trust sources that have always been reliable, like people with titles such as “Professor” or “Doctor.” That’s why we believe the priest who claims to have “found Heaven on Earth” or the astronomer who says gravity is going to “disappear for a while.”
There’s also the idea that intelligence comes in different forms—the intelligence that helps someone build a successful career might not be the same intelligence required to spot a scam. Psychologist and author Stephen Greenspan argues that intelligence can sometimes be overwhelmed by the social pressures that scams exploit, or by the allure of an outcome that seems just too good to be true or modest enough to be believable. Intelligence can also be undermined by another factor: kindness. No matter how intelligent someone is, they might not have the heart to reject a charming scam artist or turn down an offer after hours of discussion. And intelligence doesn’t stand a chance against emotions, especially those stirred by promises of wealth.
6. We’ll Trust Some Fonts More Than Others
Comic Sans. Just hearing the name brings to mind images of a child’s birthday invitation or an announcement for a local garden club event. It's not something you'd expect to see in academic journals or respected newspapers, and there's a reason for that (beyond just aesthetics). The font used in any given article, blog, or essay has an impact on how likely we are to believe its content. In 2012, New York Times columnist Errol Morris conducted an experiment. He selected a passage from a book about the likelihood of a cataclysmic event happening on Earth, had people read it, and then asked how many believed it (framed as part of an optimism vs. pessimism survey). The questionnaire was displayed in one of six random fonts: Trebuchet, Computer Modern, Baskerville, Georgia, Comic Sans, or Helvetica. By the end of the study, 45,524 people had participated in the quiz.
The results were analyzed, and it turned out that Baskerville had about a 1.5 percent edge over the other fonts in persuading people to agree with the passage. It also had the highest level of agreement. The responses were rated (from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”), and after factoring in these ratings, it was found that Baskerville led both in overall agreement and in minimizing disagreement. While 1.5 percent might seem like a small margin, the impact of these findings could be huge when applied to elections or sales campaigns. The psychologists who analyzed the results, including David Dunning from Cornell University, believe this happens because we tend to trust content that appears more formal, and our brains process this subconsciously. Or, as was the case when people criticized CERN for releasing major news about the Higgs boson particle in Comic Sans, sometimes it can also be a conscious choice.
5. We’re More Likely to Commit a Crime in an Area That Feels Unsafe
No matter how virtuous you believe yourself to be, your surroundings can influence you to act in ways that are less than honorable. This phenomenon is known as the “Broken Windows” theory, introduced by psychologists James Wilson and George Kelling. The theory suggests that the more neglected an area appears, the more lawless it seems, and this perception increases the likelihood that people will view breaking the law as acceptable. An experiment conducted in the Netherlands supported this idea, showing that people were twice as likely to take money from a mailbox if the surrounding area appeared rundown and neglected.
Other research, such as a study conducted by a Stanford psychologist in Palo Alto, California, and the Bronx in New York, also confirmed the Broken Windows theory. While untouched cars were left alone, a car that had already been vandalized was stripped within a single day. Even a car that had been left intact was destroyed within hours once researchers smashed it with a sledgehammer. Because of the theory’s implications, many police departments have made cleaning up the streets a priority. In several cities, increasing foot patrols has had a significant impact, not necessarily on crime rates, but in making people feel safer.
4. The Size of Our Plates Affects How Much We Eat
Known as the Delboeuf illusion, this principle has been studied since 1865. It is now most commonly examined in relation to how much food we put on our plates. Take two servings of equal size, place one on a large plate and the other on a smaller plate, and the serving on the smaller plate will appear larger. When studies have asked people to serve themselves, those given larger plates tend to put 13 percent more food on average than those with smaller plates. The same illusion occurs when we pour drinks. If you pour yourself a shot and then try to fill a pint glass with the same amount, it’s difficult because our brains can’t ignore the illusion of relative sizes. It’s particularly tough for our brains to estimate vertical measurements, so even experienced bartenders often think a tall, narrow glass holds more liquid than it does. Interestingly, the average dinner plate size in the United States has grown nearly 25 percent in the past century, which coincides with the rise of the obesity epidemic.
3. Some People Physically Cannot Resist Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is often seen as a negative force, but it can actually have positive effects by motivating individuals to learn from each other and discover new interests. However, the negative connotation persists, leading us to associate peer pressure with harmful behaviors, like encouraging friends to try drugs or steal. Despite our best efforts to resist, peer pressure continues to influence us, often without our awareness. It taps into a specific area of the brain that signals reward, making it difficult to avoid.
A study conducted by Temple University reveals that brain scans of teens who knew their friends were observing them engage in rebellious behavior—in this case, running yellow lights in a driving simulation—showed that the act of defying the rules triggered the brain’s pleasure and reward centers. The same study with adults did not show the same response, indicating that peer pressure has a more significant effect on teens. The activation only occurred when they knew they were being watched, not when they were simply playing alone, and there was no need for direct interaction between the observer and the teen.
This finding suggests that teens’ behavior can dramatically change when they’re aware of being watched—whether they consciously realize it or not. One way to help teens combat peer pressure is to equip them with the ability to argue. Those who are trained at home to voice their opinions and defend their views are better at resisting and recognizing peer pressure when it occurs.
2. Advertising Has An Impact, Even When We Don’t Realize It
Advertising undeniably works—if it didn’t, companies wouldn’t invest so much money into it. Advertisers know what resonates best with consumers, which is why we see ads that often feature unrelated or random content. A study by George Washington University and the University of California, Los Angeles, tested volunteers with two types of ads: one showcasing factual information about a product, and another featuring feel-good imagery or seemingly irrelevant visuals. The brain’s electrical activity was much lower when the factual ad was shown, compared to the increased response to the ad with fun, abstract images. Even if the imagery is unrelated to the product, it generates a stronger reaction from viewers’ brains.
Advertising is designed to be effective even when we skip over it. Initially, it was believed that the rise of digital video recorders, which allow viewers to fast-forward through ads, would diminish their impact. But research by the Harvard Business Review shows that’s not the case. Even if we fast-forward, we still absorb the ads. To fast-forward, we must look at the screen to know when to stop. This fleeting exposure still plants ideas in our minds—like seeing a Big Mac flash across the screen. Additionally, when shows are aired live, we continue to encounter ads even if we think we’re avoiding them. Nielsen ratings from 2009 indicated that only 68 percent of commercials were skipped, meaning there’s still a substantial amount of advertising material left in our memory for later.
1. Colors Have the Power to Transform Perception
Interior designers recommend that we select colors based on the ambiance we wish to create in a room, but there’s more to it than just setting a mood. According to Forbes, business owners can manipulate much more than the emotional tone of a space with their color choices. For example, warm colors such as reds and browns can make a space feel warmer, while cool tones like blues can have the opposite effect, making a room feel cooler—potentially reducing heating and cooling costs. Additionally, colors can trigger the Delboeuf illusion. When there’s a contrast between the color of the plate and the food, you’re more likely to think you’ve been served a larger portion, leading you to serve yourself less. But when the plate color matches the food, you tend to eat more.
Lighting color can have an even greater impact on how we behave, especially in public spaces. In 2000, Glasgow, Scotland, switched some of its streetlights to blue light, traditionally known for its calming properties. Following the change, crime rates in those areas plummeted. Japan later implemented the same idea, with Nara seeing a 9 percent reduction in crime after blue lights were introduced. Moreover, the Keihin Electric Express Railway Company used blue lighting at a notorious suicide hotspot on the Gumyoji Station platform. Afterward, reports indicated a significant decrease in suicide attempts at that location.
3. Background Music Influences Our Spending Habits
At first glance, the background music in stores might seem insignificant or even random, but its effect on consumer behavior is far from minor. Research has shown that the tempo and beat of the music can change the way we perceive time. Faster-paced songs can make us feel like we’ve spent less time shopping, leading us to browse for longer and make more purchases. The same effect happens when we’re placed on hold over the phone—faster music makes wait times feel shorter. One reason behind this phenomenon is that music requires a bit of mental processing, reducing the brain’s focus on time or spending, and making us more susceptible to sales pitches.
Other research has shown that the kind of music playing can strongly influence shoppers’ buying behaviors. One study, for instance, examined which types of wines customers purchased while different genres of music were playing in the store. On days when French music was played, sales of French wines saw a noticeable increase. When German music filled the air, German wines became the top choice among shoppers. What’s particularly interesting is that participants in the study didn’t recall the music being played at all and some even denied that it influenced their decisions, suggesting that music might be one of the most effective forms of subliminal messaging.
