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You should read Blink (specifically the section on priming) and then tell me again that advertising doesn't change your behavior. Advertising isn't just about "

You should read Blink (specifically the section on priming) and then tell me again that advertising doesn't change your behavior. Advertising isn't just about "see the ad, go buy the product" - it's meant to shape your thinking. Two example priming studies: Gladwell mentions the study of two Dutch researchers who had several groups of students each answer forty-two Trivial Pursuit questions. Half were asked to take five minutes to think about what it would mean to be a professor and write it down, while the other half were asked to do the same with soccer hooligan in place of professor. The students who thought about professors ended up getting 55.6 percent of the questions correct, while the soccer group got 42.6 percent correct. and In a separate study, when African-American students were asked to identify their race on a pre-test questioner, the simple act of checking the box next to African American was enough to prime them with negative cultural stereotypes associated with African Americans and academic achievement. The number of items they got right was cut in HALF. Malcolm Gladwell makes a strong point that priming is a powerful thing. Personally I think this has incredible implications in our society. If ‘smart’ is really just a frame of mind, these social cues (such as African American=less intelligent) are shaping not only the results of standardized tests, but the way we interact with each other in business and other professional fields. How do you think priming effects your buying decisions? How about your research decisions when pondering a purchase? How do you think it effects jury trials? Of course, you like to think you're above such manipulation-- so does everyone else.

10ren 18y ago
If ‘smart’ is really just a frame of mind When I was in comp sci tutes, I'd spend almost all my time helping other students. I got the very strong impression that my confidence was the crucial difference. Although I did have much more prior experience (in a different language), and lots of evidence that I was smart, the way I helped them solve problems that they couldn't solve, was by looking - whereas they didn't look. My extra experience really only helped in the sense of knowing to look at all places for the bug (not just where you think it is). What operationally made the difference in practice, was the confidence to look. Of course, this is not scientific: maybe I just knew more and was smarter. But my impression does fit with the scientific study you cite.
electromagnetic 18y ago
I like Malcolm Gladwell and I enjoyed reading Blink. However, he's selling a book. His arguments are all very biased and do not inform. Priming has similar effects as hypnosis, and is increasingly believed to be linked. 1/3 of people react negatively to priming and hypnosis, something that is rarely mentioned. Hypnosis research has repeatedly shown that you cannot get someone to believe something they don't want to, or to do something they don't want to. There's a very nice scene in Mythbusters where a researcher clearly refuses a hypnotic suggestion, and then quickly comes out of the hypnosis. Earlier in the episode they tried it on one of the main cast members who knew they were being implanted with a suggestion (to slap someone or jump up and down, depending on the cue) and he broke out in a laughing fit. Also if you want to see priming in the extreme, read about the Milgram Experiment and then about the Strip Search Prank Call Scam. Also I know I'm one of the 1/3 who doesn't react to hypnosis. I'm unsure about hypnotic flooding, but its effects are less certain than normal hypnosis due to the fact that it perverts the results. Incidentally I'm one of the (about 10% of people) who react negatively to sleep meds, they wire me like the energizer bunny. The true effects of priming are the country and state flags sat in the court rooms (this is especially bad in death-penalty cases as national pride usually ups the pro-death vote). What about seeing a guy accused of cop-killing being marched to the stand by two cops? We have to be careful of the unconscious effects of priming we place all around ourselves, because the conscious use of priming in wide civilization will likely have the opposite effect of what we desire. > Of course, you like to think you're above such manipulation-- so does everyone else. I do, as you say everyone does. It's just a mere fact that 1/3 of people are. So you, me and a random person means one of us is above such manipulation.
- webwright 18y ago
  Gladwell is citing several academic studies on priming-- they aren't "arguments". That said, of course, studies can be biased. But there's a pretty healthy supply of scary priming studies. > Priming has similar effects as hypnosis, and is increasingly believed to be linked. I don't know if there is any link between priming and susceptibility to hypnosis (do you have a source for that?). Even if there is, it certainly isn't a solid enough link to say that people who are resistant to hypnosis are always immune to priming. I have a degree in psychology-- but it's admittedly dated. > We have to be careful of the unconscious effects of priming we place all around ourselves, because the conscious use of priming in wide civilization will likely have the opposite effect of what we desire. Well, the REST of us do. You don't, due to your special mind powers. ;-)

10ren 18y ago

If ‘smart’ is really just a frame of mind When I was in comp sci tutes, I'd spend almost all my time helping other students. I got the very strong impression that my confidence was the crucial difference. Although I did have much more prior experience (in a different language), and lots of evidence that I was smart, the way I helped them solve problems that they couldn't solve, was by looking - whereas they didn't look. My extra experience really only helped in the sense of knowing to look at all places for the bug (not just where you think it is). What operationally made the difference in practice, was the confidence to look. Of course, this is not scientific: maybe I just knew more and was smarter. But my impression does fit with the scientific study you cite.

electromagnetic 18y ago

I like Malcolm Gladwell and I enjoyed reading Blink. However, he's selling a book. His arguments are all very biased and do not inform. Priming has similar effects as hypnosis, and is increasingly believed to be linked. 1/3 of people react negatively to priming and hypnosis, something that is rarely mentioned. Hypnosis research has repeatedly shown that you cannot get someone to believe something they don't want to, or to do something they don't want to. There's a very nice scene in Mythbusters where a researcher clearly refuses a hypnotic suggestion, and then quickly comes out of the hypnosis. Earlier in the episode they tried it on one of the main cast members who knew they were being implanted with a suggestion (to slap someone or jump up and down, depending on the cue) and he broke out in a laughing fit. Also if you want to see priming in the extreme, read about the Milgram Experiment and then about the Strip Search Prank Call Scam. Also I know I'm one of the 1/3 who doesn't react to hypnosis. I'm unsure about hypnotic flooding, but its effects are less certain than normal hypnosis due to the fact that it perverts the results. Incidentally I'm one of the (about 10% of people) who react negatively to sleep meds, they wire me like the energizer bunny. The true effects of priming are the country and state flags sat in the court rooms (this is especially bad in death-penalty cases as national pride usually ups the pro-death vote). What about seeing a guy accused of cop-killing being marched to the stand by two cops? We have to be careful of the unconscious effects of priming we place all around ourselves, because the conscious use of priming in wide civilization will likely have the opposite effect of what we desire. > Of course, you like to think you're above such manipulation-- so does everyone else. I do, as you say everyone does. It's just a mere fact that 1/3 of people are. So you, me and a random person means one of us is above such manipulation.

webwright 18y ago
Gladwell is citing several academic studies on priming-- they aren't "arguments". That said, of course, studies can be biased. But there's a pretty healthy supply of scary priming studies. > Priming has similar effects as hypnosis, and is increasingly believed to be linked. I don't know if there is any link between priming and susceptibility to hypnosis (do you have a source for that?). Even if there is, it certainly isn't a solid enough link to say that people who are resistant to hypnosis are always immune to priming. I have a degree in psychology-- but it's admittedly dated. > We have to be careful of the unconscious effects of priming we place all around ourselves, because the conscious use of priming in wide civilization will likely have the opposite effect of what we desire. Well, the REST of us do. You don't, due to your special mind powers. ;-)