Psychology Archives

Overconfidence Bias in Decision-Making: A Company’s Downfall

How does overconfidence affect decision-making? How does overconfidence hurt businesses? In his book How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins claims that one of the reasons why companies fail is because managers or workers are overconfident that the company can only go uphill. Companies should always be prepared for the worst, and believing otherwise will only hurt them. Let’s look at how overconfidence bias in decision-making hurts companies.

6 Benefits of Reading to Your Children: The Power of Story Time

Do you read to your children? Why do so many experts recommend this shared experience? Reading benefits adults and children alike. But, there’s something particularly special about a parent reading to their child. In addition to the obvious bonding it cultivates, reading to your children helps them develop cognition, emotions, and skills. It also sparks imagination, creativity, and a love of learning. Keep reading to discover the profound benefits of reading to your children that will serve them throughout their lives.

What Is Network Theory? Historian Niall Ferguson Explains

What is network theory? How does it explain the way humans interact and organize themselves? In The Square and the Tower, best-selling author and Stanford University historian Niall Ferguson applies network theory to the study of world history. He describes social, commercial, and other networks that existed at various times in history. First, he explains what network theory is and how networks operate. Read more to understand what network theory is and to learn about different types of networks.

How to Recognize Stress Personalities & Speak Their Language

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Doubt Avoidance Tendency

How do you respond to stress? If someone wants to persuade you of something when you’re stressed, what tack should they take? In Words That Change Minds, Shelle Rose Charvet discusses two basic stress personalities. She explains how you can identify someone’s stress personality and speak to them in an influential way in the midst of a stressful situation. Keep reading to learn about the two basic stress personalities and how to get through to people and even influence them during times of stress.

Hierarchical Network Model in Society: 3 Truths About Hierarchies

What, exactly, is a hierarchy? What does a hierarchical network look like in society? Historian Niall Ferguson applies network theory to his analysis of world history. In doing so, he makes three key observations: Hierarchies are necessary to maintain social order, additional networks tend to undermine hierarchies, and hierarchies can deal with only a limited amount of complexity. Continue reading to see how Ferguson applies the hierarchical network model to society.

How to Enjoy Everyday Life: Finding Joy in Mastering the Mundane

Do you dread doing the dishes? Do everyday tasks seem small and insignificant? With a shift in attitude, you can find significance and even joy in life’s smallest moments. In Mastery, George Leonard says the path of the master is a life lived in disciplined dedication to your chosen skill, craft, or art. The most direct way to get on this path is to master the mundane aspects of your day. Keep reading for Leonard’s insights into how to enjoy everyday life.

Team Player vs. Lone Wolf Personality Type in the Workplace

Which people on your team work best in collaboration? Which ones have a lone wolf personality type? We all have mental habits or motivation patterns that inform the way we behave. One of these is our work style. Generally, people prefer to work alone or in collaboration with others. They find that one style over the other brings out the best in their performance. Read more to learn how to identify the work style of the people on your team and interact with them in a way that resonates with their style.

Self-Preoccupied vs. Interpersonally Aware: Spot the Difference

What’s the difference between self-preoccupied people and interpersonally aware people? How can you influence both types? In Words That Change Minds, communication and influencing language expert Shelle Rose Charvet explains the difference between these two wirings. She contends that, if you learn how someone thinks, you can consciously match their frame of reference and speak in a language they understand. Keep reading to understand both self-preoccupation and interpersonal awareness and how to interact effectively with both types.

Personal Standards: Rule Structure vs. The Four Tendencies

What rules do you have for yourself? What expectations do you have for the people in your life? In Words That Change Minds, Shelle Rose Charvet’s Rule Structure describes the behavioral standards that someone expects themselves and others to meet. We’ll compare her Rule Structure with Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies. Continue reading for an insightful discussion about personal standards.

How to Identify and Leverage Persuasion Styles & Requirements

What does it take to convince you of something? How in touch are you with what it takes to persuade the people around you? Influencing language expert Shelle Rose Charvet contends that everyone has a persuasion style. She identifies four persuasion styles and provides advice on how you can detect a person’s style and communicate with them in a way that hits the mark. She also addresses the amount of evidence people require. Read more to understand Charvet’s arguments and to get some analysis on both persuasion styles and requirements.