Recommended reading this week.
Tim Harford: Fresh starts
Psychological insight: A nice summary of Katy Milkman’s ‘fresh start effect’ i.e. how people choose landmark dates to start something new.
https://timharford.com/2025/02/its-february-time-for-another-fresh-start
Hidden Brain: Silence
Psychological insight: There are different types of silence! Hostile silence in particular is more likely to negatively affect mood.
https://news.hiddenbrain.org/p/the-perks-of-silence
Jen Clinehens: Decoy effect
Psychological insight: Sometimes brands add an option that they know customers are very unlikely to choose – but an option that makes the others look better!
https://www.choicehackingideas.com/p/how-apple-netflix-starbucks-use-psychology-to-charge-you-more
Science Says: Rankings
Psychological insight: Reframing a ranking, to show a brand within a longer list (e.g. 4th out of 50), increases preference.
https://app.sciencesays.com/p/expand-rankings-to-look-better
Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash
