Welcome to our February newsletter.

We see a psychological mistake from Zoom. And how our brains process complex tasks.

How do our moods change how we process language? And why do we love uncomfortable content?

And why technical experiences shouldn't be too perfect.

And don't forget we're here to help. From improving your marketing with psychology and data to making your communications more persuasive. Tell us what you're trying to do and we'll show you how we can help.

Every so often we use our Monkey Business newsletter to share useful nuggets, opinions, and findings as food for thought. Sign up here.

How does your brain processes complex tasks?

Your brain actually “zips and unzips” information to prepare for “skilled” activities, according to this new research from the University of Birmingham and Bangor University.

The study looked at physical activities such as dancing and athletics, and it suggests your brain stores certain skills across different parts of the brain, often over time.

Then, specific cues - like music or a starting gun - trigger it to “unzip” all that information, in preparation for the complex activity.

The research has important implications for neurological disorders. But it is also valuable for understanding what makes people flexible and resilient to change as well as how to drive behaviour change in complex or deeply embedded situations.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto

Oh just **** off!

How your mood changes the way you process language.

Vicky Lai, a UArizona assistant professor of psychology and cognitive science, explored the differences between when people are in happy and negative moods.

We show that when people are in a negative mood, they are more careful and analytical. They scrutinize what's actually stated in a text, and they don't just fall back on their default world knowledge", she explains.

 "If we're in a bad mood, [we are better at doing] things that are more detail-oriented, such as proofreading."

Researchers also found that they could manufacture a negative mood (by showing sad clips from movies) a lot easier than they could create happy ones.

But perhaps there are benefits to putting your audiences in a negative mood - or at least interacting with them when they are in a negative mood - if you want them to focus on details.

Just make sure the details are right, though, as the research finds that “When people are in a negative mood, they may be quicker to spot inconsistencies in things they read”.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Don't make the mistakes that Zoom did

This recent email from Zoom, announcing their one pound price increase could have been much more effective (or less harmful).

If you’d like to know how - then watch our on-demand price psychology webinar - “Money and our Monkey Minds”.

Our brains, evolutionarily speaking - are still not very good at dealing with numbers. Zeroes and Currency symbols have very specific effects, which you should definitely know about.

Do get in touch for more help on how to apply price psychology to your challenges.

Why do we love uncomfortable content?

We spend our time with unlikeable people, feeling disturbed and precarious. Why?

In a new book, Hunter Hargreaves shares fascinating insights into these counter-intuitive habits.

Whilst “postmillennial American television has dazzled audiences with novelistic seriality and cinematic aesthetics”, he explains, “this television is also more perverse: it bombards audiences with … violence, … [and] unlikeable protagonists”.

He explains that it “makes its audiences find pleasure through feeling disturbed” and that “this turn to discomfort realigns collective definitions of family and pleasure”.

Also, how “unease trains audiences to survive [as] individuals accept a certain amount of discomfort, dread, and irritation into their everyday lives”.

Food for thought, in unusual times.

Photo by Ron Lach

Why tech shouldn't be too perfect

Mimicking involuntary human behaviours might help us trust technology more

Marcos Maroto-Gómez at University Carlos III of Madrid shared new research on this topic.

“To make people more comfortable and trusting of robots that may one day assist with work or aid in daily life, researchers are modeling involuntary aspects of human behavior, like blinking or reacting to unexpected situations, to help robots seem more natural”.

The research suggests that “infusing robots with these involuntary behaviors will make social human-robot interactions feel more natural and will reduce the reluctance some people feel when engaging with machines”.

Useful insight for building experiences that resonate better with your audiences.

Photo by Lenin Estrada

As ever, if there's anything we can help with, do get in touch.

James, Patrick and Dan

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We practically apply the science of the human mind for hard, commercial results 

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