Every single day, we make thousands of decisions. - from the food we want to eat, the clothes we wear, whether to stay at home or go to school - all of our choices, big and small, can make a significant impact in your life. And if you think you completely understand your reasons behind these choices then you're wrong because you actually don't. Even psychology suggests that people's behaviors are mysterious even to themselves.
So here are the reasons behind the baffling decisions you make.
1. People have the tendency to conform to the choices of the majority. According to a 2005 experiment by Gregory Berns, a psychiatrist, and neuroscientist, the group pressure influences one's decision making because deciding otherwise cause them to feel emotional discomfort.
2. The environment plays a key role in an individual's behavior which is why most people tend to resort to the default option.
3. We have the mentality that other people's mistakes and shortcomings are because of their character and personality while the mistakes we commit are influenced by circumstances. If someone errs on you, you instantly assume or blame the kind of person that he or she is, instead of recognizing the possible reasons.
4. Power influences a person's behavior and this is supported by a study by Kevin Coe. Researchers suggest that "power disinhibits more pernicious forms of aggression as well,"
5. People tend to rely on the very first piece of information available when making a decision. In psychology, this is called the "anchoring effect".
6. The likelihood of liking someone more is influenced by doing them a favor. This phenomenon is called "Ben Franklin Effect". Researchers have tested this theory in 1969 which proved them that if you get someone to do you a favor, they'll actually going to like you more, instead of less, in contrary to what most people assume.
