If want to hear lots of specific details about a TV show you missed, you may be better off asking a shy person rather than a loudmouth talking about it in the break room. According to Dutch scientist Camiel Beukeboom, introverts use more descriptive and concrete language than extroverts. Extroverts are far more likely to…
Remember the invisible gorilla video? In an experiment popularized by the book of the same name, volunteers were told to keep track of how many times a basketball was passed between players. While the ball was being tossed, someone in a gorilla suit walked between them in plain view. Very few people noticed the gorilla because…
With the U.S presidential election imminent, not surprisingly politics are dominating everyone’s conversations. Last week I had an on-going discussion with a work colleague on whether brands have political connotations. We decided to try to figure out the politics of brand. The conversation started with my colleague’s observation about cars in our office parking lot: more…
Have you ever made dinner reservations at multiple restaurants and then forgotten to cancel the ones that you didn’t use? While multiple reservations might be convenient for diners, no-shows cost restaurants thousands of dollars per month. The most common way to reduce these losses is to take customers’ credit card information at the time of…
Would you drive 20 minutes out of your way to save $5 on a $15 calculator? Would you drive the same distance to save $5 on a $125 leather jacket? According to research from Richard Thaler, 68% of respondents would drive to get the calculator but only 29% for the leather jacket. On the surface,…
Would you rather do nothing or do something that serves no purpose? University of Chicago researchers discovered most people, given even a flimsy excuse to be busy, will choose doing something over doing nothing. People were happy when they were busy, even if they were forced to be busy or if the task had no…
The next time you go on a job interview be sure to bring your resume in a heavy, well-constructed portfolio and encourage the person interviewing you to drink a hot beverage. You’re more likely to get the job. Research in the field of embodied cognition has shown job candidates appear more important when they are associated…
In an article entire Solitude and Leadership, William Deresiewicz delivered this stinging indictment on the state of leadership in America: Why is it so often that the best people are stuck in the middle and the people who are running things—the leaders—are the mediocrities? Because excellence isn’t usually what gets you up the greasy pole….
We all use language to express our thoughts but does language influence culture? Research suggests inherent structures in languages shape our thoughts without us realizing it. In fact, differences in languages seem to impact how people act and interpret their surroundings. Psychology professor Lera Boroditsky provides some fascinating examples in a Wall Street Journal article…
The Mae West attributed quote “flattery will get you everywhere” may be good advice. Sometimes. Research published in the Journal of Marketing Research demonstrates flattery leaves a lasting and positive impression of the flatterer, even when people believe it is insincere. In the experiment, participants were shown a flyer from a fictitious clothing store complimenting…