Lecture Notes on Human Thinking and Negativity Bias

Introduction

• Speaker: Social psychologist and "professional people watcher".
• Topic: Exploration of how humans think and how to think better.
• Anecdote about personal experience with academic paper acceptance and rejection.

Key Observations

• Emotional Reactions: Positive events (e.g., paper acceptance) give a brief happiness boost, while negative events (e.g., rejection) linger longer.
• Central Question: "Do our minds get stuck in the negatives?"

Framing Effect

• People perceive the same information differently based on how it is framed (gain vs. loss).
• Gain Frame: Focus on positives (e.g., glass half-full).
• Loss Frame: Focus on negatives (e.g., glass half-empty).

Experiment 1: Surgical Procedure Framing

• Setup: Participants split into two groups; one saw a 70% success rate, the other a 30% failure rate for a surgical procedure.
• Result: Participants preferred the procedure when described with success rather than failure.
• Twist: Introducing the alternate frame led to changes in perception, notably, loss frame perceptions were more resistant to change.

Experiment 2: Political Framing

• Setup: Participants learned about a governor’s job-saving record, framed as either jobs saved or jobs lost.
• Result: Initial frame significantly influenced perception; switching from loss to gain frame was ineffective.

Experiment 3: Mental Conversion Difficulty

• Setup: Participants solved a math problem converting between saved and lost lives.
• Result: Converting from gain to loss was quicker than from loss to gain, highlighting mental persistence of loss framing.

Implications and Conclusions

• Negativity Bias: Tendency for negative perceptions and information to stick more than positive.
• Economic Example: Consumer confidence lagged behind economic recovery post-2007 recession.
• Personal Level: Requires conscious effort to focus on positives; gratitude practices can enhance happiness and well-being.
  • Example Exercise: Writing daily about things to be grateful for.
• Social Impact: Focusing on positive social interactions can counteract negativity propagation.
  • Emphasis on forgiving and spreading kindness.

Practical Applications

• Personal Practice: Encourage sharing and rehearsing positive experiences.
• Community Efforts: Promote awareness and actions to counteract negativity bias.

Conclusion

• Effort is required to shift our mindset from negative to positive.
• Emphasizing positive experiences can improve overall mental health and community well-being.

End of Lecture (Applause)