Asking a question just to share your own answer makes people like you less
“Boomerasking”, asking someone a question only to answer it yourself, makes people seem less sincere and less likable than simply sharing. In a first-date study, willingness to accept a second date fell from 70.9 to 55.9 out of 100.
Copying a stranger’s smile makes you trust them more, three experiments show
In three experiments with about 170 usable participants, people who mirrored a smiling face more strongly rated that person as more trustworthy and sent them more points in a trust game, and forcing smile-like muscle activity raised trust ratings.
Muted colors make luxury brands look higher status, and shoppers pay more for them
Across seven studies, low-saturation products made luxury brands seem older and more prestigious. In a boutique bidding test, shoppers offered about 3,160 yuan for a muted handbag versus about 2,540 yuan for a vivid one.
Baseball hitters with long contracts run slower to first base, Statcast data shows
Tracking 325 veteran MLB hitters from 2016 to 2024, researchers found that more years left on a contract meant weaker hitting and slower running, while players in a contract year ran faster to first base. Luck measures showed no link to job security.
People think failure leads to success far more often than it does
Across 11 studies, people overestimated success after failure: they guessed 58% of lawyers pass the bar on retest (true rate 35%) and 51% of overdose survivors enter treatment (true rate 16.6%). Learning the real rates raised support for rehabilitation.
Fund managers with hidden Facebook ties to executives earn 16% a year extra
Concealed Facebook friendships between mutual fund managers and company officers were linked to abnormal returns of 135 basis points a month, over 16% a year, concentrated around earnings and merger news.
People work out harder when the treadmill feels like a workout buddy
Across eight studies, people exercised and studied harder with tools given human-like traits, because the tools felt like companions that made the task seem more enjoyable and the goal more attainable.
Obese candidates pay an election penalty half as large as lacking a college degree
Matching perceived weight from photos of 3,612 candidates in the 2022 US Congressional elections with real results, researchers found obesity carries an electoral penalty about 50% as large as not having a college degree, across parties, offices and genders.
Anxious words in Yelp reviews rose about 20% from 2006 to 2021
An analysis of nearly 7 million Yelp reviews from 2006 to 2021 found the share of anxiety-related words rose by about 20%, across states and restaurant price levels, and faster than words for anger or sadness.