Cognitive Bias

Oct 1
4 min

The Power of Psychological Priming

Do you think retailers have the power to prime your brain? More likely than not, it happened the last time you went to the grocery store.

Embodied Cognition: Mind Games that Trick the Brain

Melissa Hughes

Sep 13
5 min

Embodied Cognition: Mind Games that Trick the Brain

The brain thinks in metaphors that have a powerful influence on the way we think and act. It's called embodied cognition and it's powerful

How the Ben Franklin Effect Makes Us More Likeable

Melissa Hughes

Sep 11
4 min

How the Ben Franklin Effect Makes Us More Likeable

The Ben Franklin effect is a psychological finding that when someone does us a favor they tend to view us more favorably.

Think you're all that? Dunning-Kruger effect may prove otherwise

Melissa Hughes

Jul 16
4 min

Think you're all that? Dunning-Kruger effect may prove otherwise

Dunning-Kruger Effect says that people who are ignorant or unskilled tend to believe they are much more competent than they are.

Melissa Hughes

Jun 29
3 min

Why Fake News Fools the Best of Us

Fake news and political propaganda are rooted in the illusory effect. It's a neural glitch that causes us to believe things that aren't true

How Cognitive Fluency Influences Who and What We Like

Melissa Hughes

Jun 29
3 min

How Cognitive Fluency Influences Who and What We Like

As amazing as the human brain is, it's also very lazy. The easier info is to process the more we like it, believe it and trust it.

Intellectual Humility: Are You Open to Being Wrong?

Melissa Hughes

Jun 21
4 min

Intellectual Humility: Are You Open to Being Wrong?

How receptive are you to understand why someone disagrees with you rather than persuade that person to see it your way?

The Negativity Bias: Why Bad Stuff Sticks

Melissa Hughes

May 26
3 min

The Negativity Bias: Why Bad Stuff Sticks

There is a reason why negative emotions have a greater psychological impact than positive ones. We can thank our ancestors for that.

Melissa Hughes

May 1
5 min

Do our Names Shape our Lives?

Studies show we gravitate toward occupations and lifestyles that fit our names.It sounds incredibly narcissistic, but the research is clear.

Melissa Hughes

Apr 13
3 min

So, You Say You're Not Biased?

Most of us would like to believe we are not biased. The question is not "are you biased?" but rather "HOW are you biased. Bias blind spot

Those Invisible Forces that Make Us Predictably Irrational

Melissa Hughes

Apr 1
3 min

Those Invisible Forces that Make Us Predictably Irrational

As incredible as the brain is, it’s also incredibly flawed. We all have biases that make us irrational, and they are completely predictable.

Melissa Hughes

Mar 9
3 min

The Rule of Three

Have you ever noticed how many things come in threes? The 3 little pigs, 3-ring circus, 3rd time is a charm. The brain loves threes!

The Value of Things has Nothing to do with Money

Melissa Hughes

Feb 8
5 min

The Value of Things has Nothing to do with Money

The IKEA effect is a fascinating aspect of our psychological wiring and explains how we tend to place more value on things we make ourselves

Melissa Hughes

Jan 13
2 min

The Power of "People Like Me"

There is a secret to becoming more likable and it's remarkably simple. Psychologists call this phenomenon the "reciprocity of liking."

Inquiring Minds are Smarter... and Happier!

Melissa Hughes

Jun 24, 2022
3 min

Inquiring Minds are Smarter... and Happier!

Whether you define happiness as a state of being or an emotion, research shows that our happiness is directly correlated with curiosity.

Melissa Hughes

Jun 15, 2022
6 min

The Persuasive Power of Social Proof

Social proof shows up in every aspect of our behavior and decisions. What other people say, think and do are powerful motivators.

Melissa Hughes

May 27, 2022
7 min

Why Facts Backfire

The most vocal defenders of any position are usually the least willing to consider a different point of view. There are 3 biases to blame.

Melissa Hughes

Apr 8, 2022
4 min

The Power of Psychological Anchors

Psychological anchors influence every aspect of our lives - from perceptions to evaluations to decisions - often resulting in errors.

Melissa Hughes

Mar 17, 2021
4 min

The Flawed Brain that Tricks the Mind

When you hear the word bias, what comes to mind? Racial prejudice? Maybe you think of mainstream media or a particular political persuasion.

Compared to What? The Power of the Contrast Effect

Melissa Hughes

Feb 25, 2021
3 min

Compared to What? The Power of the Contrast Effect

Contrast effect is an unconscious bias that happens when two things are judged in comparison to one another, instead of individually.