“Unlock Hidden Powers: 27 Psychological Tricks That Will Change Your Life—Are You Ready to Discover Them?”
Have you ever wondered why we tend to take the easy route when faced with decisions? You know, like ordering the same takeout instead of trying that quirky new place down the block? Well, Katy Milkman, PhD, has been delving into these fascinating quirks of human behavior. As a professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the brilliant mind behind the podcast Choiceology, Milkman is on a mission to unravel the science of change — one small hack at a time. Her bestseller, How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, provides insights that suggest even the tiniest tweaks can spark significant transformations in our lives. In this article, we’ll explore some surprisingly effective psychological tricks that people have tried and loved — because who doesn’t want to sprinkle a little psychology into their everyday life, right? Ready to discover how to make those little changes? Let’s dive in! LEARN MORE.
Katy Milkman, PhD, is a professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She’s also the host of Charles Schwab’s popular behavioral economics podcast Choiceology and author of How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.
The best-seller describes the little things you can do to make a big difference in your life.
“How did Google become the great[est] search engine? Because it has this very efficient algorithm. It takes the path of least resistance. It looks for a fast solution. And that’s what we do too. We prefer to choose the easiest way to achieve any objective,” Milkman said.
“Most goals fail. And if you aren’t strategizing and making plans and setting goals and figuring out what could stand in your way and using the best science-based strategies, you’re not giving yourself the best chance at success.”
So, we decided to dig a little deeper and put together a list of psychological “hacks” that people have tested themselves and reviewed positively online.
Best one for kids, and this works wonders for behavioral problems. You never say “don’t do x.” I had a terror child in daycare and people would yell at him for acting out. I would start each day by saying “You’re going to be a good boy today!” And every time he acted out I would say “wait, you’re my good boy right?” He would say yes and stop doing it. When his mom came to get him I made a point to of telling her how good he was. That child never acted out around me after a week.
If you work with clients, prevent them from getting defensive and angry by not using the word “you”.
It’s not “you didn’t send the attachment”, it’s “the attachment didn’t send”. Don’t blame them, blame the thing you’re talking about.
I take my time when I write emails to clients because I like to word things *just* right…one word can be the difference between a happy client and an unhappy one. The right words in the right order can influence people to make decisions you want them to make. Words are powerful.
The concept of getting something for free completely derails a person’s critical thinking skills.
My dad was tool distributor and drove a truck to various repair shops selling tools to mechanics.
He got an idea to start selling candy bars on his truck for one dollar. But you would get a free candy bar with every tool purchase.
Almost everyone who asked how much the candy bar was didn’t want to pay a dollar for one, but they would buy a $100 socket set in order to get the candy bar for free.
You want someone you just met to like you? Ask them open-ended questions about themselves. Don’t wait for your turn to speak. Listen, and then ask a follow-up question based on what they said. If you do that a couple of times, that person feels heard and appreciated by you. If they realize they’re doing all the talking, they’ll apologize and ask a question of you. If your answer is short and pivots back into something they said, you have now formed a connection in their mind as a good listener who is interested in what they have to say. People like that a lot.
If you have trouble motivating yourself to do something like learn a skill (instrument, language etc.) tell yourself “Ok, I’ll sit down and do this for just five minutes”
A lot of the time you’ll end up going for much longer than five minutes, but even if you don’t it’s still five minutes of practice in whatever the heck you wanted to learn in the first place.
When you’re walking through a crowded hallway, if you keep your eyes focused in the exact direction you’re going, people will naturally clear out of your way because we sub-consciously use eye-contact with people in order to navigate around each other.
Giving students in my elementary class the illusion of choice. If you ask “do you want to start your work?” Or “isn’t it time we got something done?” I modify it to-
“Would you like to do your assignment with a pencil or blue pen?” They are too consumed with this choice that they have forgotten that they didn’t want to do it in the first place.
