Relationships are an integral part of our lives, but did you know what? There are some psychological effects that unconsciously affect how we relate to others. This article will introduce four common psychological effects and give some practical application methods to help you better understand and deal with interpersonal relationships.
The Franklin Effect: How to Make Difficult People Become Friends
The Franklin effect means that after a person helps another person, he will have a more favorable impression of the person being helped, even stronger than when he was helped by the other person. This effect was discovered by the American politician Franklin, who won the friendship of a hostile congressman by borrowing books.
The principle of the Franklin Effect is that when a person helps another person, he will find a reasonable explanation for himself in order to maintain the consistency of his behavior and attitude, that is, the other person is worthy of helping. And when a person is helped by others, he may feel guilty or burdened and resent the other person.
So if you want to build a good relationship with a difficult person, try asking him for small favors that will make him feel valued and respected. This way, you can use the Franklin Effect to break the ice and even make the other person more willing to do bigger things for you.
Halo Effect: Why First Impressions Matter
The halo effect means that when we have a specific impression of a person or thing, we tend to infer or evaluate other aspects of him or it based on this impression. This effect was first proposed by American psychologist Thorndike in the 1920s. He found that when teachers grade students, they will be affected by factors such as students’ appearance and personality, while ignoring students’ actual learning abilities.
The halo effect illustrates that when we get to know a person or thing, we are often affected by the first impression or certain salient features, while ignoring other more important or real information. This effect is very common in life. For example, we think that good-looking people must be smart and kind, or that famous brand products must be of high quality and high performance. In love, the halo effect also causes us to have a tendency to beautify or idealize the people we like, while ignoring their shortcomings or problems.
The halo effect may cause us to make incorrect judgments and decisions, and even cause harm to ourselves or others. For example, the great Russian writer Pushkin once fell in love with his wife Natalia’s appearance at first sight, but ignored her character and personality flaws, which ultimately led to the tragedy of his death in a duel with his love rival. Therefore, we should avoid judging people by their appearance, but should understand and evaluate a person or thing from multiple aspects, and not be fooled by appearances.
Broken windows effect: the spread of bad phenomena
The broken window effect means that when some undesirable phenomena or irregularities occur in an environment, if they are not corrected or stopped in time, more undesirable phenomena or irregularities will occur. This effect was proposed by American sociologists Wilson and Kelling in the 1970s. They used a building with broken windows as an example to illustrate that if the broken windows are not repaired in time, more vandals will be attracted. Smash more windows and even take over the building.
The broken windows effect reflects people’s sensitivity and conformity to environmental and social norms. When some bad phenomena or violations appear in an environment, people will think that this is a norm or trend, thereby lowering their moral standards and behavioral norms, and even imitate or join these bad phenomena or violations. This effect is applicable in any field. For example, a sidewalk that is not cleaned will be treated as a garbage dump; a scratched car will be further damaged; a lover who has been domestically abused or cheated on will be treated as a garbage dump. will continue to be hurt or betrayed.
The broken window effect reminds us to promptly prevent and correct adverse phenomena or violations to avoid causing greater losses or harm. We should keep our environment clean and orderly, abide by social norms and laws and regulations, promptly report or stop any adverse phenomena or violations we encounter, and do not stand idly by or follow suit.
The Dark Effect: The Effect of Light on Mood and Behavior
The dark effect means that when the light in an environment is dim, people will feel more safe and comfortable, and it is easier to express their emotions and wishes. This effect was discovered and named by scientists at the University of Toronto in the 1980s. Through a set of experiments, they found that participants who watched commercials in a dark room were better than those who watched commercials in a brighter room. The participants had a more tolerant and friendly evaluation of the protagonist in the commercial, and were more willing to buy the product in the advertisement.
The Dark Effect reveals the impact of light on people’s mood and behavior. When the light in an environment is low, people will feel that their privacy and freedom are protected, thereby relaxing their psychological defenses and social pressure, and making it easier to express their true thoughts and feelings. This effect is especially obvious in love. For example, on a date in a dimly lit restaurant or movie theater, both parties will feel more intimate and romantic, and it will be easier to generate attraction and interaction.
The dark effect can help us increase our confidence and comfort in certain situations, and can also enhance communication and relationships between us and others. Of course, this effect also has certain limitations and risks. For example, when making some important decisions or actions in a dark environment, some details or risks may be overlooked, leading to regrets or consequences. Therefore, we should rationally utilize or avoid the dark effect according to different situations and purposes.
The above are the four common psychological effects and their impacts introduced in this article. I hope they will be helpful to you. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a message. Thank you for reading! 😊
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