hey everyone and welcome to top think today we're gonna learn about seven psychology secrets that
school never taught you now let's begin number one the penny experiment have you ever tried
to remember what a penny looks like almost everyone would know right away it's a brown
coin with Abraham Lincoln on it but what about the rest do you know what the words say do you
know what building is on the back this seems like something we should know right most of us have
seen thousands of pennies before so why is it so difficult to remember these details a psychologist
might tell you that you can't remember because you never actually knew this experience is often
called mindlessness it's when you do something without paying attention or storing any new
memories just think back to the last time you brushed your teeth how much were you really
paying attention you know what happened but your memory probably stops there you couldn't tell me
how much time you spent on each tooth or how often you looked in the mirror the same thing happens to
many students when they study after looking over your notes you might realize you can't remember
anything the problem isn't your memory instead of encoding new information you were studying
mindlessly you stopped focusing on the specific pieces and when that happens you don't actually
learn anything to make the most out of everything you do operate with intention try concentrating
your mind on each individual thing it may take a little more time but you'll remember information
when it counts number two the 3r technique the average person spends about 12 years in school
now if you take out summer vacation that's one hundred eight months in class four hundred sixty
nine weeks of reading writing and doing homework so how is it that we can dedicate one thousand
three hundred and forty days to learning yet no one ever teaches us how to learn students are
forced to develop their own strategies to study and retain information some use flashcards others
make huge study guides there are thousands of techniques but how did they get so diverse first
of all most students are just trying whatever they think works they might be studying the wrong way
because no one ever told them otherwise second everyone learns a little bit differently the
most commonly used model often called vark breaks students down into four learning groups visual
auditory reading and writing and kinesthetic each one learns best from a different medium
visual learners for example prefer pictures and diagrams while kinesthetic learners enjoy
tactile experiences this has always been one of the biggest arguments against the modern school
system classes and lectures favor certain kinds of learners over others however schools have made an
effort to even the playing field many teachers started mixing in spatial and hands-on content
to rope in visual and kinesthetic learners who couldn't retain much information from a lecture
but the Vark model raises another important question if there are so many different kinds of
learners what learning techniques should people be teaching is there really an optimal way to
learn yes and no many researchers have discovered incredibly effective ways to revolutionize your
study habits the 3r technique for example comes from a 2009 study by a trio of developmental
psychologists they found that a simple change to the way you read significantly improves retention
you start by reading a chapter and taking notes then you close your book and put your notes away
now you recite as much of the content as you can remember out loud after you finish look back and
review everything that you got wrong participants who use this technique scored higher and they
spent less time studying but why does this work the 3r technique engages multiple parts of your
brain that means it works for several different kinds of learners visual and reading learners
enjoy the combination of steps one and three auditory and kinesthetic learners on the other
hand get the most from step two even though there are strategies like the 3r technique out there
everyone's ideal way of learning looks a little bit different for whatever reason school doesn't
teach you to identify the type of learner that you are but that information will help you way beyond
graduation your learning habits may point you toward a career if you've been learning the wrong
way you may uncover interests and passions that you never knew existed most importantly the right
techniques motivate you to continue learning so no matter what kind of learner you are you should
never stop discovering new things number three Weber's law this basic principle of perception
is rarely ever mentioned but you experience it almost every day imagine you're in a department
store when you see two items on sale one was originally five dollars but it's marked down
to two dollars the other was originally $40 but it's marked down to $37 so which is the better
deal most people instinctively choose the first even though you're saving three dollars either
way you think like this because it's harder to detect small changes in a more intense stimulus
the pricier item is better at hiding the small discount it seems like you're saving less money
simply because you're spending more now think about the last time you were standing in a
crowded room if you started whispering would the room be any louder no you'd have to yell to make
a difference in the rooms overall volume but if only one other person was in the room they could
easily hear you whisper in different contexts the same stimulus can completely change your
perception of the world around you number four mental rewiring learning affects more than just
what you know or why you know it the way you learn actually changes the way you think you
develop different habits and cognitive models you use particular references because your memories
are structured differently than everyone else's those unique thought patterns change the way your
brain functions they activate new neurons they strengthen connections in certain places while
leaving others unused schools tell you what you need to know but they forget to consider how that
knowledge might change who you are number five cognitive upkeep have you ever heard the phrase
it's just like riding a bike it means you never really forget how to do something people often
believe once is enough that their skills will stick around for years whether they practice
or not but even riding a bike isn't really like riding a bike there are some parts of your body
that will remember how to balance pedal and steer even if you haven't ridden for ten years you won't
have to relearn the basics but you won't be good at it either you'll feel wobbly and out of control
you'll wonder how you were so good at it as a kid when you can barely do it now your physical and
cognitive abilities need regular exercise to stay sharp and capable if you're not regularly using
them they'll fade the guarantee you stay good at something consistent practice is the best thing
you can do whether it's math dancing or playing video games regular rehearsal will keep your
talents intact number six the Barnum effect school teaches you how to be logical but we are full of
contradictions educated or not you consistently make unreasonable assumptions and uphold absurd
biases you can argue you're a rational person but let me ask you this when your food looks better
doesn't it taste better too if someone's better looking than you do they seem more confident when
a magician read your mind are you surprised by how accurate they are these probably sound
like three very different questions however they all point toward the same kind of mistake when
searching for answers we aren't focused on the truth we're looking for someone to tell us what
we want to hear we're more willing to believe a lie or perceive something that isn't there
simply because we want it to be true this idea is captured by the Barnum effect which is named
after the famous showman PT Barnum he didn't actually come up with this theory but he did
make a living off of it he popularized the idea that people see what they want to see his shows
were filled with a V Sly's yet people were still fascinated by his productions all he had to do was
convince them that he was a reputable source in the modern world personality tests are one of the
best examples of the Barnum effect after answering a few generic questions these tests claim they can
offer some insight into who you are but what are they really saying about 99% of the time the same
results could apply to just about everyone their general enough to give every person something to
latch on to that isn't to say that all personality tests are bogus or that every performer is just
lying to their audience but the next time your mind is boggled by a fortune cookie just take a
step back and ask yourself am I just seeing what I want to see number seven a small world have you
ever played the game six degrees of Kevin Bacon this game comes from the idea that everyone is on
average six degrees apart in this case a degree is anyone you know whether it's a family member
or someone you went to kindergarten with there's something most people don't realize about this
game it's actually based on real research it stems from a study run by an infamous psychologist named
Stanley Milgram in his small world experiment he connected people in Massachusetts to complete
strangers in Nebraska on average it took only 5.2 connections or six if you round up so what
does this mean well for some people a single school neighborhood or city can feel like a
massive and diverse place but maybe the world is a lot smaller than you think thank you for
watching top think and be sure to subscribe because more incredible content is on the way