A new study reported in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal, actually dug into the physiological responses to people who visit social networking sites.

Measurements of physical and psychological responses such as breathing rate, brain activation, and pupil dilation, designed to assess a person’s psychophysiological state, were collected in a group of individuals participating in either a relaxing or stressful task or being online on their own personal Facebook account. The results revealed a significantly different experience for stress or relaxation exposure compared to the response to Facebook.

The journal featured several articles on such topics as:

Pleasure to Play, Arousal to Stay: The Effect of Player Emotions on Digital Game Preferences and Playing Time

A Review of Internet Pornography Use Research: Methodology and Content from the Past 10 Years

It Is All About Being Popular: The Effects of Need for Popularity on Social Network Site Use

As Robert Lanza, M.D. of Wake Forest has a very interesting article, where he explains that as children we are taught that the universe is divided into 2 entities; ourselves and everything outside us. The humanistic mind sees this as logical, relavent. Things we can control, often ourselves give us a feeling of superiority, which makes us forget momentarily about the universe. For example: I can control my fingers, but I cannot turn your head left or right without physically touching you; we are individuals in control, that represents the line between self and non-self.

Take for example when an amputee loses a limb, the piece is missing, but for some reason the subject can still “feel” his or her missing apendage. One explanation is, the brain still perceives, even amongst the diminished limb, it as there.

“I think, therefore I am” this is a crude phrase for one of the most basic principles of philosophy; all knowledge, truth and principles of being, must begin at the individual sensation of self. The subject of the sense of self has been covered by many writers, philosophers and religious groups. These groups believe that there is an independent “self”.

Flip the script and the opposite of this is felt when your thinking ceases. Many people have had an almost out-of-body-experience in moments like watching their child play. Some fully realize this sensation and others may shrug it off as just a silly feeling. “Day-dreaming” we call it. The individual is momentarily out of conventional thinking or humanistic mindsets; it’s beyond common existence. You get that feeling as if you’re not actually there, but things are so much more clear and you are, in fact, physically in reality, but your consciousness is elsewhere.

Now, you may ask yourself where is this plane of outward existence? It’s a fascinating topic, which Lanza explores in depth in his essay.

The findings are based on a sample of 756 participants. Every patient involved had either high blood pressure or coronary heart disease.

Executive director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Mary Charlson explains:

“This simple approach gives patients the tools that help them fulfill their promise to themselves that they will do what’s needed for their health”

“Positive affect made a real difference — patients are better able to follow through on behaviors to improve their health”

So if you are not in a good mood be weary of the decisions you make.

If you’re the type that waits with bated breath as your Facebook homepage loads in hopes that you’ll be greeted with some new notifications but sadly are met with a dearth of notices, Dr. Benjamin Grosser has got the cure for your social network malady.

Actually, he’s not really a doctor (as far as I know). He’s just an astute software developer with a mind for how we interact with software and the emotional effect it has on us.

Grosser has developed a plug-in for Facebook called Reload The Love!, a new application that will automatically inflate the amount of notifications you see when you log in to your Facebook account. Tired of seeing zero notifications? Reload The Love! will make sure you see plenty the next time you reload the page or log in. If you should receive any real notifications after Reload The Love! has inflated them, the count will automatically revert to the actual values. If you start feeling the tug of loneliness due to no new notifications after that, you can re-inflate them anytime by reloading the page to Reload The Love!

The project is equal parts social psychology experiment and software development ingenuity as it cleverly explores the value social networks have on a person’s self-esteem and how something as seemingly minuscule as red word bubble notifications can impact a person’s mood.

“Reload The Love! is first and foremost an art project for me,” Grosser told WebProNews, “so I do consider it within that context. As such, one of its purposes is to get people thinking about how Facebook’s notification icons function in their daily lives. How many times do you check those icons, hoping to find a new friend or message? How do those icons make you feel?”

The marketing value of such information, which Facebook is undoubtedly tracking, isn’t lost on Grosser, either, who has worked on other software systems for Facebook and Google. “It’s important to remember that Facebook’s value as a company is in the breadth of its data,” he said. “The source of that data is unwaged free labor contributed by us, their users. How do those icons prod us to keep generating more of that free data? As you mentioned, are we feeling happier when we see everyone else’s activities, or does it make us sad when we inevitably compare them to our own?”

Grosser’s Reload The Love! application turns the value of those notifications on its ear as it “nullifies those icons by turning them into a perpetual positive indicator.” So far, the response has been well received although, although since the application is very new it’s only been installed 366 times (wink, wink, hint). “When I show it or talk about it with people I get a variety of reactions,” Grosser said. “The first is humor – many people find it quite funny. But others find it sad and talk about their own emotional connection and/or reliance on those icons.”

And there’s the rub: people experiencing emotional distress over lack of attention and involvement on Facebook. Has social networking really moved beyond a fun pastime distraction to being a legitimate utility in our everyday lives? That’s one of the complexities that Reload The Love! exposes to ourselves – but not to Grosser. Yes, rest assured, he has zero ways of tracking any of your information through the use of this application and he was delightfully up-front in stating he wouldn’t want to even if that was a possibility. “I wouldn’t want to invade anyone’s privacy with that,” he said. “The source code is freely viewable so that users can verify for themselves that nothing nefarious is going on.”

Take that, Facebook.

But back to the existential question that Reload The Love! points at us: are we really that reliant on being noticed on Facebook? Maybe. Grosser admits that such questions are what drive his interest in software. “I am obsessed with how software functions to force us into certain types of behaviors or to see the world in certain ways.” He adds, “Software is a designed object, and even though we can’t hold it in our hands or pack it in a box, it has a profound effect on our daily life. These are the interests that led me to create Reload The Love!”

Reload The Love! isn’t a Facebook app that works within the Facebook UI itself but rather must be installed as a plug-in on Firefox, Chrome, and Safari browsers (don’t worry, it’s a piece of cake to install). You will need to get an extension for Firefox (Greasemonkey) and Safari (Ninjakit) but Chrome runs the app on a native browser extension. Installation is very user-friendly and you can find instructions on how to integrate Reload The Love! on your Facebook account here. If you’re so inclined to give Reload The Love! a try, let us know what you think in the comment section below.

The study, which sampled 23,000 students in the Boston area, found that “sexting can include overtones of bullying and coercion, and teens who are involved were more likely to report being psychologically distressed, depressed or even suicidal.”

In fact, twice as many teens who reported sexting in the past year had depressive symptoms, compared to teens that said they didn’t sext. When you talk about suicide attempts, the trend is similar. 13 percent of sexting teens reported an attempt in the last year, compared to only 3% of non-sexting kids.

Of course, “sexting” can mean a lot of different things to different people – like the sending of explicit photos or even just having explicit conversations. For the purposes of this study, “sexting” was defined as sending or posting sexually suggestive or explicit nude photos or videos.

In general, 13% of the students surveyed said that they have received a sext in the last year.

The lead researcher Shari Schneider wants to make sure we know that it’s not necessarily a causal relationship between sexting and depression, but that there’s definitely a link -

It’s a cross-sectional study — it shows an association but not a causal relationship.” However, “it’s important to know there’s a link between sexting and psychological distress. It’s something to be considered if you know of a youth who is involved in sexting.”

The study also includes some interesting advice from the Cyberbullying Research Center regarding what kids should do regarding sext messages:

“You should delete it and not tell anybody. If it’s doesn’t get disseminated and distributed, it’s ended.”

That message has gotten them some heat, but they stick to it –

“If you tell adults, you’re throwing that person under a bus. Adults, it seems, are forced to respond to sexting in extreme ways — ways that have long-term, irreversible consequences. Until we can develop reasonable responses that do not potentially foreclose on the futures of all involved, we are wise to advise that students do not contact adults, unless the situation is appearing to get out of control. And I think teens know when it is out of control.”

What do you think about sexting? Is it a real cause for concern for parents? Or is it just kids being kids in the age of the internet and smartphones? Let us know in the comments.

A series of studies found that watching a self-created avatar exercise and achieve expedited time-lapse results may motivate a person to actually, you know, exercise. Similarly, people who create an avatar that is actually a more attractive version of themselves seem to view themselves as more attractive and thus more likely to score out of their leagues, so to speak.

Though some are skeptical about the long-term effect—Mike Masnick brings up the short-term emotional effect playing video games has on kids—the research could give valuable insight into how a sense of self is a key motivator.

It reminds me of a basketball coach who told us to imagine ourselves making free-throws before actually taking the shot. In that vein, the study seems to back up other visualization philosophies, a la Norman Vincent Peele’s The Power of Positive Thinking, or more recently, The Secret.

Or, to ruin it, R. Kelly’s If-I-can-see-it-then-I-can-do-it believe in yourself epic ballad.  

Case in point: Associations with brand logos. No core belief is needed to deal with company logos and associations made with them, thus those associations are more easily influenced. A recent study showed people subliminally exposed to Apple’s logo were more creative with their tasks than people exposed to IBM’s.

Likewise, as posted on the Today show’s website, it’s easy to send subtle cues to other people physically in order to get them to associate certain positive traits in their mind. For example: having a picture of a dog on your desk to convey loyalty or wearing a black suit to convey authority. This is what is also referred to as "the power of suggestion."

In short, perception is easily manipulated because people are less likely to guard their perceptions than their beliefs. Changing someone’s faith, on the other hand, would be a much more difficult task, as belief is protected at the center of the onion.

Understanding this relationship is important when considering the implications of other studies and how those implications apply to marketing efforts. More than one piece of research has found, for example, that people are more likely to be influenced by friends and families than they are an A-list blogger. Part of that rests with the belief that someone is trustworthy versus the perception that someone is trustworthy. Some, though, take that information and jump to the conclusion that blogger endorsements and celebrity endorsements are over-credited for effectiveness.

The underlying assumption is that it all comes down to how much trust people put into a recommendation. People these days are much less likely to put trust in a celebrity they know is paid to say something. That distrust could extend to bloggers as well, either for that reason, or lack of certainty of the person’s identity (especially in light of recent hoaxes), or a myriad other reasons not to trust a stranger.

So, a consumer in the market for an automobile is more likely to trust a friend or relative, especially one with long-term brand experience than a blogger in another state. Yeah, well, when you put it that way, it’s not such a surprise, is it? 

Veteran communications specialist Shel Holtz doesn’t think it should be shocking, either, and criticizes competing viewpoints that trust is the most important metric in marketing:

“Whatever happened to the importance of building awareness?” asks Holtz at his blog. “While the influential bloggers—the so-called ‘A-listers’—may not have influence, they do have eyeballs. They are A-listers, after all, because people read them. I may have greater trust in my friend in the next cube, but where did he hear about it? And if he heard about it from a trusted friend or family member, they read about it from a source that gets broad distrtibution [sic]. The information has to start somewhere.”

A good place to start, it could be argued, is search ads (regardless of direct ROI), especially if a marketer has strong organic rankings with specific keywords. Exposure to the brand, with reinforcement along the discovery process (sponsored plus organic), sends a subtle message to viewers that will sit somewhat idly and relaxed in the perception areas. If not there, a nice endorsement from someone respected is also a good start, just for those subtle associations people don’t take too seriously but do allow to alter their behavior just slightly, either negatively or positively.

This is why branding professionals are so careful (and sensitive about) the person spreading their message. It’s not as much about trust as it is about association and perception. Perception and associations can change very quickly, which is also why OJ Simpson doesn’t get endorsement deals anymore.

The Internet’s Making Us Shy?

But they did talk to ah, um…hang on, I have to look at it again…a psychologist, Harvard Business School researcher, and etiquette columnist. What, no chemist/librarian/TV chef to talk to?

Just joshing, I’m sure Ms. Robin Abrahams is more qualified than I am, and is much, much more familiar with the topic. She says the increasingly internal and textual world thrust upon society by the Internet and associated technologies is making people shyer, as the percentage of people that report being shy increased from 40 percent to about half.

From the Daily Telegraph‘s report:

"People shop online, they listen to their iPods rather than the radio  — and they e-mail or text each other rather than talk.

"What we have is an increasingly complex social environment, combined with less practice at dealing with it because of technology.”

And that’s causing everybody to be put on meds, rah rah Prozac.

TechDirt CEO Mike Masnick, ever the cynic, says, "It would be nice to see this backed up with a little more than just the fact that more people self-report being shy — though, it’s certainly possible that these gadgets do put up a shield that prevents people from getting over shyness."

Or maybe it’s just overcompensation, a silent apology, for all the times they’ve been jerks in comment sections. Oh no, is that Sunshine1289? Shoot, shoot, shoot! You think she knows I’m the dude that said she looked like a horse kicked her?

I’d like to get into the details of a salesperson’s psychology so that, when it comes to building your team and individual team members, you are equipped with the knowledge of what’s really going on in there. As a holder of a management or other sort of leadership position, you may have already experienced being a salesperson yourself. However, it never hurts to review and be reminded of what it’s like to “carry the bag.” I also want to emphasize the mental game because so many companies focus on external things, like product knowledge, licensing, etc. And while these things are all important, companies that focus on such externalities often neglect the cultivation of their salespeople’s proper mindset. I’ve always found this selling mentality ironic, because it’s what’s going on in the inside that will most dramatically affect sales.

A direct relationship exists between self-image and sales performance. If you don’t already, try to get a handle on how your reps perceive themselves. What kind of self-talk plays in their brains all day long? You and your team will never experience exponential success if it is not something they can mentally conceive of first. And the major precursor to vivid envisioning of success in the workplace is vivid envisioning of success in oneself and one’s abilities. How can you, as a sales manager, cultivate healthy, solid self-confidence and self-belief? One of the easiest ways to do so is to offer sincere praise. Ra1ph Waldo Emerson said, “Every man is entitled to be valued by his best moments.” There is no need to fear that you will create an egomaniac by giving someone simple but honest praise and appreciation for good, hard work.

Often, it is more effective to praise the specific act rather than the person. This way, your praise is attached to something distinct and concrete. Praise is harder to be interpreted as flattery or favoritism when there is a specific and concrete thing being praised. General compliments may produce a temporary effect, but they can incite jealousy in others and create even more insecurity in the recipient if the specific activity that merited the compliment remains unknown.

Then there is a new pressure to live up to this higher standard, even though the praised individual is not sure how s/he set it. Even more insecurity is bred if the praised individual fears you will retract your praise. That’s because in not knowing concretely how s/he earned it, s/he doesn’t know how to keep it. One single person feeling this kind of anxiety or insecurity can really cause your entire teambuilding effort to backfire. Have you ever witnessed (or experienced) coworkers who huddled together to complain after a “pep rally” with the boss? Instead of feeling inspired and motivated, all they could do was gripe. Unfortunately, it only takes one person’s bad attitude to drag down the rest.

We know that when a specific behavior is praised, that behavior will increase. At a small college in Virginia, 24 students in a psychology course decided to see whether they could use compliments to change the way women on campus dressed. For a while, they complimented all the female students who were wearing blue. The percentage of the female student population wearing blue then rose from 25 percent to 38 percent. The researchers then switched to complimenting any woman who wore red. This shift in the color being praised caused the appearance of red on campus to double from 11 percent to 22 percent. Praise is a simple but often overlooked concept. If you want to use this technique to your best advantage, be sure you give honest and sincere praise.

Closely related to praise is acceptance. We all long for acceptance. We want to feel like our actions and contributions help an effort or cause. We all want to be noticed by others. We also all want to be some one of significance who is held in high regard. Knowledge of this common craving from acceptance can help you motivate your team. If you can make them feel that their help is appreciated, that they are personally accepted and that their contributions are essential, they will be more inspired to perform.

When your team members feel accepted unconditionally, with no strings attached, their doubts, fears and inadequacies will go out the window. One way to make your team feel accepted is to offer them genuine thanks. Seek to make a conscientious and deliberate effort to thank people in all aspects of your professional life. Don’t assume your team members know you care about and appreciate them. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a paycheck is thanks enough. One of the main reasons why people are dissatisfied with their sales job is because they are never thanked or given any recognition for their efforts.

Often, individuals increase their feelings of acceptance by building their association with certain people, places or things. This sense of identification has been referred to as the Social Identity Theory. For example, a sports fan may enhance his sense of belonging by plastering his walls with his favorite team’s sports paraphernalia. Even though no one on that team has any clue who he is, he feels better about himself anyway, just because of the association and identity he has created for himself with that team.

Are there ways in which you can use the Social Identity Theory to your advantage? Think of ways to create strong team association. These methods should be things that are unique to the team and that help team members individually feel like they are “insiders.” Maybe your team needs a mascot, a mission statement or even a theme song. I once knew a sales team that played the theme music from Rocky over the loud speaker every time someone closed a sale. Things like this might seem silly, but they really build team spirit and morale. If you worry that things like this will be distracting or disruptive to your particular workplace, look for ways to adapt. The energy that grows from each team member feeling accepted is worth the effort.

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The science of pricing is an art in itself. Rounding off the figures may be good for basic math but never in business. The art of setting prices for articles has been an ever challenging task in business. Keeping in mind the changing economy, heavy competition in the market and consumer affordability, the trick of pricing an article has been more on a psychological evaluation of the consumer. Pricing is usually done by keeping with industry standards. But in order to sell their products after a baseline or whole sale price has been fixed, individual business organizations have most often dealt with pricing in terms of smaller denominations such as cents and pennies.

While quoting the universal example of $9.95 or 9.99 being more attractive to consumers as compared to $10, this psychology seems to hold in business world wide. The main reason for this is that people tend to see the first figure in dollars as compared to the cents. $9 is cheaper than $10, and the cents don’t figure in the perception. While shopping, consumers tend to overlook small differences in cents but go by the dollar value. And funnily, the highest single odd digit is the most psychologically favored and 9 is that most fortunate figure of acceptance.

However one cannot rule out the fact that the cents are totally ignored by the customer but the ignorance is at the subconscious level and is partial. Also the use of odd figures has a background in that it was used to curb theft by employees by way of forcing them to give change and enter the amount in the cash register a practice that was originally put forth way back in 1875 by the publisher of Chicago daily news, Melville E. Stone.

Another most popular way of attracting consumers has been introductory offers. Suppose a new toothpaste is released in market, it often sells better when its accompanied by a free sample, a toothbrush or even 25% extra toothpaste. And more so when the actual price is quoted and struck off, with a new pricing quoted in a different color alongside to attract the consumer. Often in these cases the consumer has this inherent feeling that he is getting more for a lesser price. Sometimes he also compares another similar priced similar product with the one available on discount to satisfy himself that he is certainly getting more for the price quoted.

When an article comes to shelf with a certain price, consumers most often never question how and why it was priced. If a group of articles is priced at say in the range of $20′s, the price is taken for granted and the evaluation and comparison of prices is limited to that range only even if the product may be of lower or higher value of that price. However, when the price of the same set is increased after a certain period, the consumers do not appreciate it. The tactic of increasing the price by 20% and giving a 10% discount on the same article is perceived better than just an increase in price. “Buy one take one free” is another pricing tactic to attract buyers although the offer maybe for a limited period of time. Definitely such articles sell fastest.

By increasing the price of a product by a few cents, a company can earn profit as there seems to be no complaints from the consumer as the price hovers around a key threshold point and minor increase is accepted. Consumer sensitivity in pricing can be found when the consumers have no other product to compare with or when the product is exclusive and unique. Even in such cases, when the product is bundled with a few other accessories, the aspect of consumer emotion is very much aroused and they sell better.

Above all, when a customer is satisfied, both the company and the customer are profited. But then the response to the concept of psychology pricing has always been mixed. As long as the customer is not cheated, the concept is of advantage to sellers.

Konstantin Goudkov studies the psychology of pricing, ways
to manipulate prices for maximum profit, and tactics to
control consumer price perception.
You can find his latest report at:

http://www.PricePointReport.com