The human nature is extremely interesting.
Neuroscience and psychology help explain and describe our behaviors.
Our brain controls our actions.
Everything from making decisions, to feeling love, to daydreaming, to creating habits and
even remembering.
At times we tend to wonder why we act, think or feel a certain way.
So, here's a list of 12 fun and awesome psychology facts you wish you knew.
Fact number one; multitasking.
Did you know you can't multitask?
According to science, your brain can only focus on one thing.
It might seem like you are multitasking but the truth is, your brain is shifting its focus
quickly.
The reason we can talk and walk at the same time is because these behaviors are automatic.
On the other hand, your brain cannot process simultaneously tasks that require high levels
of brain function.
For example, reading a book and watching television at the same time.
Fact number two; gossip.
Do you like gossip or deep conversations?
If you enjoy communicating in a meaningful manner, I hate to break this to you;
Up to 75 to 80 percent of your conversations contain gossip.
People use this as a source of information to get to know people and formulate their
own conclusions.
Fact number three; addiction to social media.
Are you addicted to social media?
Some of us continuously check out Instagram and other social pages.
Dopamine makes you addicted to seeking information.
This is a neurotransmitter in the brain that gives you the desire to constantly look for
information, therefore, you will feel gratified when you browse your feed on social media.
Fact number four; habit.
have you ever wondered how long it takes to form a habit?
At first it was believed it took 21 days, but recent research suggests it takes approximately
66 days.
Which is the reason why many people try to create a new habit such as exercising only
to fail within the first couple of days.
Fact number five; holding hands.
Do you fancy holding hands with a loved one?
Well, I have good news for you;
Holding hands with someone you truly care about can alleviate stress and physical pain.
This is beneficial because it decreases cortisol levels and increases oxytocin.
Cortisol is a stress hormone and oxytocin is the love hormone.
Therefore, you end up feeling better after holding hands.
Fact number six; junk food.
Do you have a difficult time stopping yourself from buying and eating junk food?
Food addiction involves the same areas of the brain as drug addiction.
Junk food activates the reward system in your brain releasing dopamine.
Your brain unconsciously seeks out rewarding behavior, making it harder for you to control
yourself from eating processed food.
Fact number seven; Dunning Kruger effect.
Did you know that intelligent people tend to underestimate their intellect?
This is called the Dunning Kruger effect.
This is a phenomenon that occurs when people fail to appropriately evaluate their capacity
to do things, therefore minimizing their potential.
Fact number 8; long-term memory.
Have you ever looked back at your past only to realize your memory got distorted?
This occurs because the brain alters the memory every time you think about it.
Research suggests when you recall a memory, you're remembering the last time you recalled
it and not the actual memory introducing faulty information to it.
Fact number 9; decision-making.
Have you ever wondered how you make your decisions?
Well, I hate to break this to you but most of your decisions are made subconsciously.
Your brain will become overwhelmed if you consciously calculated every decision.
Your brain receives loads of information per second and it simply doesn't have enough power
to process it all consciously without overloading.
Fact number 10; nature and the brain.
Did you know your brain secretes chemicals when you're in nature?
These chemicals help boost your thinking and relieve stress.
Spending time in nature allows your brains prefrontal cortex to rest.
Research also suggests that spending time in nature will improve your mental health.
Fact number 11; rejection and physical pain.
Have you ever wondered why the brain can't differentiate rejection from physical pain?
Although the brain processes physical pain and emotional pain differently, it can't discriminate
between the two.
This is because the brain releases the same natural pain killing chemical when a person
is shunned or physically hurt, therefore confusing the brain.
Fact number 12; daydreaming.
Did you know you can daydream 30 to 47 percent of your day?
Why do you do this?
Well, it allows your brain to wander freely.
Research suggests that daydreaming increases productivity and boosts creativity.
Scientists think daydreaming also allows you to understand your thoughts and help you exercise
different scenarios in your brain.
These are only a few of many interesting psychology facts out there.
Which of these facts have you enjoyed the most?
What other cool information do you know?
Let us know in the comments section.