Articles (page 30)

Telling people about an identity goal can give you the feeling of having arrived. Reporting progress to someone you respect tends to help.

Writing down why you like something can pull you away from what you actually like. The jam study behind the idea, what followed, and when to stop explaining.

Groups often do what few members want, because each assumes everyone else wants it. The research on dissent suggests one voice can do more than a statistic.

A mistake handled well can leave you happier than no mistake at all. The research says it does not reliably bring you back, and the paradox appears mainly under four conditions.

A minor flaw can make a brand more likeable, but only when it is small, comes after the good news, meets a reader who is not looking closely and comes from a brand already seen as competent.

Online shopping jumped in 2020, then gave back part of the jump. Six years on, it is about a sixth of US retail and just over a quarter of British.

Placements that stand out are remembered and placements that fit are liked. Russell's 2002 study shows the two can pull in opposite directions.

When many people make the same mistake, the design is usually the place to look. The lesson runs from 1947 cockpits to the dark patterns of shopping sites.

A bestselling book said warnings make smokers crave. Published brain studies that measured craving found it went down, and a trial found more quit attempts.