Sources
http://bodylanguagetrainer.com/mind-games-tv-show.html
http://www.newsweek.com/hypnosis-medical-treatment-successful-science-587388
http://www.anxietyguru.net/why-an-anxious-mind-can-make-you-vulnerable-to-suggestibility/
https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/forer-effect.htm
http://psych.fullerton.edu/mbirnbaum/psych101/barnum_demo.htm
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect
http://www.newsweek.com/hypnosis-medical-treatment-successful-science-587388
http://www.anxietyguru.net/why-an-anxious-mind-can-make-you-vulnerable-to-suggestibility/
https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/forer-effect.htm
http://psych.fullerton.edu/mbirnbaum/psych101/barnum_demo.htm
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect
Script
How can you become a hypnotist? How do horoscopes and mind readers work? We’ll be talking about these topics today on the new two part category: Personalities!
SAICOLOGY
Helllllo and welcome to Sai-cology, with me Saira!
First we’ll be what Mind Games refers to as “Adrenalized Implantation”In more scientific terms, this is about Suggestibility.
Suggestibility is what hypnotists use so it may seem like highly advanced, highly questionable, but it has powerful effects. It is our inclination to accept and act on others suggestions about ourselves or others. Intense emotions, self-esteem and assertiveness can affect how suggestible we are, but our overall suggestibility is usually pretty unchangeable over time and is written in our genes.
If you want to see just how intense the power of suggestibility is, there’s a great episode of Mind Field I’ll link to see that experiment in action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDCcuCHOIyY&list=PLZRRxQcaEjA7wmh3Z6EQuOK9fm1CqnJCI&t=0s&index=6
Our suggestibility is why the Placebo Effect works. This is any beneficial effect that comes from the belief that something is working rather than actual physical reasons. So, if you’re given a pill of flour or sugar but told it will make you sleep better, you’re more likely to actually sleep better even though the pill itself has no power. It is of course more effective if we are unaware that the pill or treatment is a fake, but it can still work even if we know that it has no effect. This works best on symptoms modulated by the brain like tiredness, hunger, or pain.
Basically the power of belief and suggesting things to others, particularly when they are under emotional stress, can be very effective in changing minds. I’m not saying take advantage of a sad friend—- this is more like if someone is incredibly angry, suggesting that they are a rational person who does the right thing would be more effective than when they are calm. Use your powers for good, friends. It’s because these intense emotions and anxieties help the natural walls and defenses against such suggestions lower. Suggestions made during an anxious mind state become more vivid and imminent. Also—if you scare or confuse someone then ask them a question they are more likely to say yes to it, since their mind is distracted and can’t expend energy on both situations.
Now, what about mind-readers and horoscopes? Barnum Effect, also known as the Forer Effect. This is how people get manipulated into believing others can read our personalities. You can claim to know things about someone by giving broad and vague descriptions that fit most people. Examples of this include “You have great potential” and “You prefer a certain amount of change and dislike being restricted.” Or “At times you doubt whether you have made the right or wrong decision.” By doing these things, you can convince people that something like their birth month determines their personality and they may start to adapt other traits that are characteristic to the traits associated with that “sign” creating a Self Fulfilling Prophecy. This is how popular personality readers like horoscopes or the Myers-Briggs test hook people and eventually sell and market other products towards us. People like feeling like they belong and love categories. If you can proudly wear your “Gryffindor, ESFJ, Pisces” labels, or relate to people over a BuzzFeed quiz result, you’ll feel like you belong in society and believe you can relate to others who are the same category as you, all while feeling special that some sort of test understands you. We stretch our ideas of ourself and our behavior to try to fit into a category and make things apply to us because of this need for belonging.
So, the “magic” of hypnotists and mind readers may not trulybe magic, but they do have factual backing and can be used to manipulate situations. The business of understanding personalities and changing them is something that has always fascinated humans. And now you too can harness that power to help you navigate through life.
If you want to check out my sources for this video or other cool psychology resources, check the description box below. Be sure to like, subscribe and hit that bell so you won’t miss the next episode where you’ll learn more about personalities! Also, be sure to comment any questions, thoughts or experiences you have and remember, to behave yourself.
SAICOLOGY
Helllllo and welcome to Sai-cology, with me Saira!
First we’ll be what Mind Games refers to as “Adrenalized Implantation”In more scientific terms, this is about Suggestibility.
Suggestibility is what hypnotists use so it may seem like highly advanced, highly questionable, but it has powerful effects. It is our inclination to accept and act on others suggestions about ourselves or others. Intense emotions, self-esteem and assertiveness can affect how suggestible we are, but our overall suggestibility is usually pretty unchangeable over time and is written in our genes.
If you want to see just how intense the power of suggestibility is, there’s a great episode of Mind Field I’ll link to see that experiment in action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDCcuCHOIyY&list=PLZRRxQcaEjA7wmh3Z6EQuOK9fm1CqnJCI&t=0s&index=6
Our suggestibility is why the Placebo Effect works. This is any beneficial effect that comes from the belief that something is working rather than actual physical reasons. So, if you’re given a pill of flour or sugar but told it will make you sleep better, you’re more likely to actually sleep better even though the pill itself has no power. It is of course more effective if we are unaware that the pill or treatment is a fake, but it can still work even if we know that it has no effect. This works best on symptoms modulated by the brain like tiredness, hunger, or pain.
Basically the power of belief and suggesting things to others, particularly when they are under emotional stress, can be very effective in changing minds. I’m not saying take advantage of a sad friend—- this is more like if someone is incredibly angry, suggesting that they are a rational person who does the right thing would be more effective than when they are calm. Use your powers for good, friends. It’s because these intense emotions and anxieties help the natural walls and defenses against such suggestions lower. Suggestions made during an anxious mind state become more vivid and imminent. Also—if you scare or confuse someone then ask them a question they are more likely to say yes to it, since their mind is distracted and can’t expend energy on both situations.
Now, what about mind-readers and horoscopes? Barnum Effect, also known as the Forer Effect. This is how people get manipulated into believing others can read our personalities. You can claim to know things about someone by giving broad and vague descriptions that fit most people. Examples of this include “You have great potential” and “You prefer a certain amount of change and dislike being restricted.” Or “At times you doubt whether you have made the right or wrong decision.” By doing these things, you can convince people that something like their birth month determines their personality and they may start to adapt other traits that are characteristic to the traits associated with that “sign” creating a Self Fulfilling Prophecy. This is how popular personality readers like horoscopes or the Myers-Briggs test hook people and eventually sell and market other products towards us. People like feeling like they belong and love categories. If you can proudly wear your “Gryffindor, ESFJ, Pisces” labels, or relate to people over a BuzzFeed quiz result, you’ll feel like you belong in society and believe you can relate to others who are the same category as you, all while feeling special that some sort of test understands you. We stretch our ideas of ourself and our behavior to try to fit into a category and make things apply to us because of this need for belonging.
So, the “magic” of hypnotists and mind readers may not trulybe magic, but they do have factual backing and can be used to manipulate situations. The business of understanding personalities and changing them is something that has always fascinated humans. And now you too can harness that power to help you navigate through life.
If you want to check out my sources for this video or other cool psychology resources, check the description box below. Be sure to like, subscribe and hit that bell so you won’t miss the next episode where you’ll learn more about personalities! Also, be sure to comment any questions, thoughts or experiences you have and remember, to behave yourself.