Human behavior

Shorter Emails, Doubled Responses

• Todd Rogers and a doctoral student surveyed US school board members, sending two versions of an email.


• One version was long (120-130 words), respectful, and deferential. The other was short and to the point (50-60 words).


• They A/B tested these emails and surveyed people beforehand on which they thought would be more

Finally, the response delivers a reward. Rewards are the end goal of every habit. The cue is about noticing the reward. The craving is about wanting the reward. The response is about obtaining the reward. We chase rewards because they serve two purposes: (1) they satisfy us and (2) they teach us.

Metaphor Downloads Playbook

• Blair Enns shares his whitewater kayaking experience where a metaphor helped him understand the skill quickly.


• The instructor said, "Kayaking is like skiing," which downloaded the skiing playbook into his brain for kayaking.

Simplifying Choices

• Flex Lewis ate from a baby spoon while dieting to feel like he was eating more.


• Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg wear the same outfit daily to reduce mental stress.

Transcript:

Scott Fleer

Of the quickest ways to get like a good habit in and obviously you're free to eat what you want on macros right but if you have your staples it do

The IKEA Effect

• The IKEA effect explains our preference for self-made items.


• We overvalue these items due to invested effort, even if objectively flawed.

M&S Food Porn

• Marks & Spencer's food advertising uses slow-motion visuals of food, dubbed "food porn," to trigger primal responses.


• This technique, focusing on food in motion, dramatically increased sales, exemplifying multi-sensory marketing.

Transcript:

Phil Barden

So my second example is Marks& Spencer's in the UK, which is an

As the brain can generate counter-arguments prolifically when directly challenged, it’s best to avoid this. Instead use subtler cues. That way the conscious mind doesn’t realise it’s being persuaded and confirmation bias isn’t activated.

The British Airways ads illustrate the pervasive power of subtle cues – ever since 1989 they have featured the Fl

It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action.

When changing your habits means challenging the tribe, change is unattractive. When changing your habits means fitting in with the tribe, change is very attractive.