Sandy Pentland of MIT (courtesy of MIT)
Why do ideas spread from person to person? How do we marry the worlds of social influence, big data, and behavioural economics?
Enter Social Physics, a concept coined by MIT Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland. Director of the Human Dynamics Laboratory, Pentland’s book Social Physics: How Good Ideas Spread – The Lessons from New Science proposes a new theory of human social interaction.
Courtesy of Fearless Men
You woke up late. As you rushed to get ready for breakfast, you stubbed your toe against a table.
“Ouch! #%*@&!”
FREE. Its a powerful word. Everybody loves freebies.
Besides its a great way to attract customers right?
Russian psychologist/psychiatrist Bluma Zeigarnik (source of image)
What do video gamers, book worms and waiters taking multiple orders have in common?
Well, they usually remember what they have not completed until the task is done. And then, it literally gets wiped out of their system.
Pink prisons aren’t just fashionable – they work! (source: The Cairns Post)
Have you wondered why seeing red makes you mad? Or why Apple products are so popular with creative types?
Thanks to a fascinating podcast on Social Triggers Insider, I discovered the answers from social psychologist Adam Alter, author of Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave.
Why do underdogs triumph over mightier enemies? How does one turn a weakness into a strength?
In yet another entertaining trip of the intellect, Malcolm Gladwell’s latest volume David and Goliath tackles perennial paradoxes with much aplomb. Written in his usual captivating prose, Gladwell’s book – subtitled Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants – provides one with much food for thought while challenging conventional wisdom.
Courtesy of Life Hacker
Decisions, decisions, decisions. If only you can make better ones in the course of your work and life.
Thanks to a recent podcast on Derek Halpern’s Social Triggers Insider featuring Dan Heath, co-author of Decisive, I uncovered a couple of secrets to making good decisions.
Courtesy of Healthland.Time
Have you heard of the “marshmallow test” for kids?
First conducted by American psychologist Walter Mischel in the 1960s, the experiment involved putting four-year olds in a room with a marshmallow on a plate, and testing how long they could endure before popping that sweet morsel into their mouths.
Mockup psd created by freepik – www.freepik.com
Good or bad, habits are hard to break. Try refraining from showering for a week—or even a day—to see what I mean!
As the old song by Chicago goes, habits can be hard to break. Especially addictive ones like smoking, binge drinking, watching television (especially Netflix), scrolling through Facebook or Instagram (oops guilty!), or lazing on the couch.
How much risk are you willing to take? (courtesy of Condominium Insurance Review)
In life and at work, there are two kinds of people. That is, if you believe psychologists Heidi Grant Halvorson and E. Tory Higgins in their fascinating article in HBR.
The first, promotion-focused people, see their goals as a way to advance forward. They zoom in on the rewards that can be realised when goals are achieved. Eager to “play to win”, they like to dream big and stretch their imaginations in whatever they do.