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Discover The Strange Ways That We Are Subtly Influenced Every Day
Did you know that numerous factors can affect your behavior? You may be unaware, but your thoughts and actions are constantly being influenced by forces within you and around you – some of which you can’t even begin to imagine!
Let’s take a look at some of these factors: names that trigger negative feelings, labels that create false memories, the colors around us making us behave differently, the letters in our name having an impact, the climate in our country influencing our decisions, and people in our surroundings affecting how we act.
From learning why hitchhikers should wear red to discovering why female lap dancers make more money when they ovulate, Drunk Tank Pink Book Summary offers astounding facts on what influences the human mind – even down to why bright pink is a naturally occurring sedative.
Understanding these subtle things will offer invaluable insight into how we interact with those around us.
We Often Let Our Names Influence Our Decisions: How Names Shape Our Behavior And Life Outcomes
Your name plays an important role in the life you lead.
It turns out that the name you are given at birth triggers strong mental associations in the minds of others, which can then influence their behavior towards you.
Research has revealed a strong connection between a person’s name and demographic information such as gender, ethnicity, age, or even social status.
For example, when someone sees a name like Dorothy, they are likely to assume it is a white female; Fernanda is associated with being Hispanic; and Aaliyah is typically thought to be black.
Moreover, names can also predict life outcomes.
Studies have found that job applicants with white names (Emily, Anne, Brad) were more likely to receive callbacks than applicants with black names (Aisha, Kenya and Jamal), even if their applications were equal in strength.
This implies that our names may cause racial discrimination and shape the course of our lives.
Interestingly enough, people tend to actually like the letters in their own name – so much so that individuals tend to donate more money when charities share similar initials with their own names!
This phenomenon was discovered following Hurricane Katrina in 2005: those whose names started with K donated 150% more than normal.
In conclusion, your name holds a lot of influence on how others perceive you – but not only that: it can even shape your specific behaviors!
How Labels Shape Our Perception, Judgement, And Memory
It is no surprise that the words and labels we use on a daily basis, both in our native language and in English, can have an effect on how we perceive things.
In fact, research has suggested that linguistic labels can shape our view of the world around us, influence our judgments and even create false memories.
In one experiment involving color perception, Russian and English participants were shown two blue squares of slightly different shades and asked to identify which matched a third square on their computer screen.
The results showed that the Russians found it much easier to identify the correct colors because they had two distinct linguistic labels for light blue (goluboy) and dark blue (siniy).
Furthermore, when subjects were given 3 faces with written labels such as “black” or “white” beneath them, people perceived the labeled face as darker than its counterparts.
These examples demonstrate how labeling something alters our perception of it.
Moreover, research suggests that language also has an impact on our recollection of memories.
A study involving two groups of subjects watching a video of two cars colliding revealed that those who were told by researchers that the cars had smashed into each other incorrectly remembered the presence of shattered glass when recalling details from the video.
This clearly shows how linguistic labels can alter memories and distort one’s recollection.
The moral here? We must take note of how powerful language is and be aware of how it affects everything from what we see to what we remember – for better or for worse.
Symbols Have An Unconscious Impact On Our Behavior And Beliefs
Symbols are incredibly powerful.
They have the ability to evoke strong reactions without us even being aware of them.
In an experiment, subjects’ brains were scanned while they watched a video of hands destroying money – a symbol of wealth and power – and the temporoparietal network, which processes how things should be used, became overly active.
This suggests that the misuse of money causes people to feel agitated and uncomfortable on an unconscious level.
In another study, researchers put Monopoly money on top of the table beside participants who were trying to solve intellectual tasks independently.
Interestingly enough, those who had this subtle reminder of financial independence were much less likely to ask for help when confronted with difficulties!
The same goes for a lightbulb – even just having this in the room made participants better at solving insight-based problems without ever realizing why!
So it’s clear that symbols can have a profound effect on our behavior even if we’re not consciously aware of them; these symbols manage to shape our thoughts in ways that develop meaningful reactions.
The Presence Of Other People Affects Our Behavior — For Better Or Worse
It has been well-documented that the presence of other people changes how we act and think.
Genie, a 13 year old girl who was rescued from her parents in 1970 and had never interacted with another human being before, showed us all the vital role that social interaction has for our overall behavior development.
Further evidence of this phenomenon is seen in an experiment carried out in a psychology department.
Just by placing a picture of a pair of eyes in their kitchen, they were able to encourage staff members to pay the coffee/tea fee — demonstrating how even just the suggestion of someone watching can make us more honest.
We can also be affected simply by considering other people’s standards; Opower developed an app which enabled users to compete against their neighbours for “most efficient energy use” and it turned out that this actually lead to less energy consumption!
However, not all impacts of other people are positive.
In some cases instances, they can actually lead to a weakened sense of personal responsibility – as demonstrated by what is now known as the Bystander Effect.
This is exemplified by 2004’s infamous assault on Kitty Genovese; despite dozens of witnesses being around at the time, nobody came forward or called the police during her half-hour attack.
The reason? Everyone assumed somebody else would take on that responsibility.
Our Most Basic Needs Drive Us To Seek Reproduction, Safety, And Love
Our basic drives for safety, love, and reproduction have a remarkable impact on how we think and act.
Take a look at the psychology study conducted at a gentlemen’s club – the results showed that lap dancers were tipped more during their fertile phase, which indicated that men were driven by sexual reproduction desires.
This demonstrates just how powerful these needs can be in shaping our behavior.
We are also prone to choosing familiarity as a source of safety – which is why the students in the Psychology study had a preference for those they saw most frequently – preferring to go with what they know is safe.
Lastly, when examining how oxytocin (the love hormone) affects people’s behaviour, researchers were surprised to see that even when small doses of it were sprayed into test subjects noses – they displayed much more trust towards complete strangers when tasked to gamble with them.
This really shows that our need for love can bring us together and make us more accepting even of those we don’t yet know.
Clearly, our basic biological needs have deep implications for our behaviour – influencing where we decide to direct our attention and offer trust.
East And West Have Different Perceptions Of The World, Shaped By Their Cultural Contexts
It is clear that our culture greatly influences the way we perceive the world around us.
This was demonstrated in an experiment where Chinese and American students were shown different photographs with objects against different backgrounds and asked if they remembered them.
The Chinese students had a harder time remembering, while the Americans did not.
The root of this difference goes back to ancient Western philosophy where Westerners tended to break objects down into independent elements from their contexts.
This can be seen in East Asian portraits which usually take up more space, allowing their subjects cover only four percent of the canvas whereas it reaches fifteen percent in Western counterparts.
Meanwhile, an experiment revealed that When Japanese students were asked to interpret emotions of a cartoon person standing in front of a group with different expressions then him, they took the group’s feelings into account while the Americans saw him as separate from his background.
Thus, we get further proof that cultures affect our perception on things and how we react towards them making it obvious that our culture indeed shapes our outlook on life.
How Color Can Physically And Emotionally Affect Us: The Story Of Drunk Tank Pink And Red’S Ties To Romance
Colors play a powerful role in how we perceive and interact with the world around us, as they can affect us physically and evoke certain associations.
In 1979, Professor Alexander Schauss conducted experiments which revealed that when subjects were exposed to bright pink, they suddenly appeared much weaker, even barely able to resist being pushed down.
This prompted many county jails to paint their holding cells an arresting hue of “Drunk Tank Pink” in order to tame aggressive drunks.
Red is another color that impacts us on a physical level; studies have shown that people exposed to red light tend to become more agitated due its association with increased blood flow and nervous system responses.
Moreover, red has long been associated with romantic and sexual thoughts; an experiment demonstrated that heterosexual male motorists are more likely to stop for hitchhikers wearing red shirts than any other color.
Researchers believe this happens because when women are sexually aroused, their skin naturally reddens.
Ultimately, these findings suggest that colors play a considerable role by affecting our physical state and evoking specific kinds of associations.
Our Surroundings Have A Powerful Influence On Our Thoughts, Feelings And Behaviour
It’s no secret that our physical location and surroundings have a big influence on us.
Our thoughts, feelings, and behavior can be affected by whether we’re in a noisy or quiet area, full or empty space.
This was seen in an experiment conducted on college students living in low-, medium-, and high-density places – the ones in the low-density locations were more likely to aid their fellow schoolmates than those living in the denser environments.
Another factor that has a strong impact is how ‘natural’ our environment is; research has found that people recover four times faster from gallbladder surgery when their hospital room offers them views of trees rather than brick walls, and kids who inhabit more natural settings are better shielded against stresses compared to those with man-made environments.
But it goes beyond the visible features too – even subtler cues like littering play a role.
For instance, if passersby find flyers placed on their car windshields amidst already littered parking garages, they’re more likely to drop it on the ground too instead of disposing it properly.
Ultimately, this showcases how our physical position and environment have much power to shape us – both positively and negatively.
The Weather Has A Profound Impact On Our Behavior
It’s clear that the weather has a powerful effect on our mood and behavior.
Researchers have found that when the temperature rises, aggression escalates due to people being more easily agitated due to discomfort.
This leads to an increase in crime rates and more violent crimes during hotter months.
On the other hand, when we experience physical coldness, it can lead us to seek out social comfort which in turn leads to physical attraction and increased conception rates during colder months.
Unfortunately, wintertime also brings with it seasonal affective disorder where sufferers suffer from depression due to reduced daylight hours.
We may not be able to control many of our environmental cues but one thing we cannot change is the weather – it may indeed be the most powerful of all forces affecting us.
Wrap Up
The drunk tank pink is an essential book to understanding the subtle but powerful influences our environment have in our thoughts and behavior.
From name changes that can induce helpfulness, to pink rooms that can alleviate aggression, this book offers insight on how subconscious influences may be guiding our actions.
Ultimately, this book reminds us to be conscious of the impact we can have on each other—and even ourselves.
For instance, if someone’s in need of help, even if it’s not your responsibility, take action.
In doing so, you’ll reduce negative events from occurring in society.
At the same time, use pink as a tool for calming individuals during intense situations or conflicts.
It’s a simple intervention yet effective when it comes to managing angry emotions in an unlikely manner.
If you want to better understand why environments shape thoughts and behavior then pick up this book!
