20 psychological facts you didn't know about yourself

The human psyche remains one of the biggest mysteries in the world.

Although researchers have learned many interesting facts about human psychological characteristics

, and can even predict our behavior based on certain rules, much remains unknown.

Did you know how fallible your memories are, how long your habits take to form, or how many friends you can make?

Here are these and other psychological facts that will help you get to know yourself better.

Interesting facts about human psychology: recent discoveries

Science, which studies the patterns of emergence, development and functioning of the psyche, cannot stand still. Research conducted over the past few years has revealed new interesting facts about human psychology.

1. Happiness is still in money. A study conducted by scientists Michael Norton and Elizabeth Dunn helped refute the famous proverb. These people were able to prove that money plays a big role in building a happy life. However, scientists insist that they need to be spent correctly. The results of the study helped to come to the conclusion that what you should buy is not things, but experiences. The former quickly become boring, while the latter allow you to indulge in pleasant memories. For example, going to the theater or concert is preferable to purchasing another pair of shoes.
2. The working day cannot begin before 10 am. Researcher Paul Kelly has been observing people's biorhythms for a long time. He proved that before 10 o'clock in the morning an individual does not work as efficiently.
3. Communication with satisfied people is a direct path to happiness. Researchers have proven that being around unhappy people for a long time causes a person to become stressed. If he communicates with those who are satisfied with their lives, he is charged with positive emotions.
4. The impressions of what is happening depend on the music. Scientists have found that the perception of a particular event is directly related to the musical background. Sound creates an emotional response. This allows music to be used to treat psychological disorders.
5. It is better to think in a foreign language. This makes the thought process less automatic. The areas of the brain that are responsible for logic are included in the work. It is easier for a person to make the right decisions.

These are new interesting facts about human psychology. In addition, research has helped establish that telling others about your goals is dangerous. At this moment, a person experiences satisfaction from the impression he makes on others. As a result, his motivation decreases.

Interesting psychological facts (part 2)

1. Those who sleep 6-7 hours are less at risk of premature death than those who sleep 8 hours. But those who sleep less than 5 hours at night are three times more likely to have mental health problems than those who sleep 8-9 hours.

2. There is no better sound for a person than his pronounced name. The first thing you need to remember when meeting someone is their name. Not a position, not a profession, but a name. This is the basic rule for establishing good relationships.

3. To fall asleep quickly, you need to lie on your back, stretch out, and relax your whole body. Close your eyes and roll your pupils upward under closed eyelids. This is a normal condition of the eyes during sleep. Having accepted this position, a person falls asleep quickly, easily and deeply. According to Viktor Suvorov, this technique has been taught to GRU officers for decades.

4. Psychologists have determined that a woman only needs 45 seconds to evaluate an unfamiliar man. Of these, she spends 10 seconds building a general impression of the figure, 8 seconds assessing the eyes, 7 seconds looking at the hair, 10 seconds at the lips and chin, 5 seconds at the shoulders. And the last 5 look at the wedding ring - if there is one.

5. Knowledge of psychology makes life more difficult, but application makes life easier.

6. Scientists from Oxford University recognized reading as the best remedy for worries, anxiety and stress, arguing that this activity has a faster effect on the body. Surprisingly, this method is much better than drinking alcohol, much more effective than walking, drinking tea or listening to music.

7. Sometimes unrequited love develops into real obsession and is even fraught with mental disorders. Such, for example, as Adele syndrome. Adele syndrome is a long-term, painful love obsession with another person that remains unanswered.

8. Having analyzed more than a billion tweets published during major sporting competitions, scientists have found that the “louder” and more confident the statements of the debater, the more likely he is to win the discussion. In other words, speak confidently even if you know you are wrong.

9. If a person is trying to remember something, but continues to look into your eyes, rest assured that you are being deceived.

10. Women feel loved when interacting face-to-face with their partner; men, on the other hand, experience emotional closeness when they work, play, or talk while sitting next to their partner.

Attention

It plays an important role in everyday life and at work. It will be useful for everyone to learn interesting facts about human attention. Psychology is a science that studies this issue.

1. A person is able to focus on only one object at a time. Doing several things at once negatively affects the result. You shouldn’t communicate with colleagues, answer emails, and talk on the phone at the same time.
2. The maximum concentration time does not exceed 10 minutes. After this, it inevitably dissipates, and the level of perception deteriorates. You need to be distracted for a while in order to then concentrate on the object again.
3. Everyone has their own “internal clock”. Some people find it easier to concentrate in the first half of the day, while others find it easier in the second. This must be taken into account when planning your affairs.

Development of attention in children and preschoolers

Recommendations for developing attention in children suggest weekly training. After all, their mental functions are at the stage of formation. Corrective exercise or training is applied to a variety of properties and types of attention. The following techniques will help you learn to focus and switch.

It is better to present information in a playful way, trying to interest the child. Techniques for developing attention aim to bring things to the end, for which it is necessary to motivate children to complete the work in this way.

Logical thinking is trained through interesting tasks and questions. Actions aimed at developing attention should be accompanied by an explanation of the importance of the process. It should be explained that with concentration, writing (letters and numbers) becomes accurate

Any action is better if you don’t get distracted. You need to ask the child to listen to stories, after which he will tell what he remembers.

Such recommendations for developing attention teach accuracy and develop the ability to concentrate correctly. Various tables and tasks have been created for children under 6 years of age. For example, you need to complete what is missing in the picture or connect objects. Techniques for developing attention are reflected in books for children by Elena Bortnikova. Tasks are given to complete a number of geometric shapes, understanding the patterns. Or reproduce the whole from half - complete the missing part of the picture, find differences in two images.

Some methods of developing attention do not require preliminary preparation. You can exercise while walking. When throwing a ball to the child, we pronounce edible and inedible objects. In the first case, the baby catches it, in the second, he throws it away. The development of visual attention occurs if you ask to tell what you saw on an unfamiliar walking route. By practicing every day, you can achieve significant success.

Memory

The ability to absorb information is important to success. Many studies in psychology are devoted to it. Interesting facts about human memory are listed below.

1. Smell can be an effective trigger. Research has shown that a particular scent can evoke many memories in a person. For example, the smell of candy may remind you of time spent in your grandmother's house as a child.
2. There is a direct connection between memory and sleep. People who are deprived of the opportunity to get enough sleep remember information worse.
3. A newborn has a memory. Research has helped establish that already at 20 weeks of pregnancy, the embryo begins to record certain events.
4. Memory depends on the profession. For example, scientists, teachers, actors, and announcers have problems with it less often. This is due to the fact that these people get used to memorizing a large amount of text.
5. Memory develops up to 25 years of age. The peak occurs at 19-20 years of age, and the decline begins at 50 years of age.

Stories from the past are also of interest. Some famous people have had extraordinary memories. Archaeologist G. Schliemann could learn a new language in 6-8 weeks. Themistocles knew by name all the inhabitants of Athens - about 20 thousand people. Cardinal Mezzofanti spoke 100 languages. Alexander the Great knew by name all the soldiers in his army - about 30 thousand people.

Capabilities

All people are different. However, everyone will find interesting facts about human abilities useful. In psychology, many studies are also devoted to this topic.

1. If an individual fears that others will not recognize his abilities and talents, he will deliberately belittle them. Sometimes this is done contrary to common sense. This allows a person to put himself in a position where he will not easily be underestimated.
2. Talented people tend to constantly doubt themselves. Individuals who do not have outstanding abilities often overestimate them. The more knowledgeable a person is, the more likely he is to admit that he may be wrong.
3. Every person is able to convince his brain that he got a good night's sleep. Studies have shown that it is enough to believe in this - and people feel a surge of strength. This phenomenon is called "placebo sleep." However, taking a full night's rest does not replace it.
4. The ability for social connections is limited. Psychologists have established the maximum possible number of close people – 150.
5. The human brain is capable of producing from 12 to 50 thousand thoughts per day.

Stronger sex

Modern research has shown that representatives of different sexes do not differ from each other as much as previously thought. However, a certain difference still exists. Below are some interesting facts about male psychology.

1. Men tell lies more often than women do. On average, they lie about six times a day. Representatives of the fair sex cheat only three times during the day.
2. Men who are satisfied with their family life often gain extra pounds.
3. Representatives of the stronger sex are more likely to decide to start life from scratch. For example, one 99-year-old man left his 96-year-old wife, with whom he had lived for about 77 years. The man was prompted to this act by the news that his wife cheated on him in 1940.
4. Guys are more likely to take revenge on their offenders than girls. One American bought a house opposite the house of his ex-passion for one single purpose. He decided to install in the courtyard, which overlooked her windows, a huge statue depicting the middle finger.

How to become more attentive?

Unfortunately, like all skills in our lives, attention requires an integrated approach and it’s worth starting with the most important tips that help not only attention work well, but also all cognitive processes

The first piece of advice is simple and straightforward: a varied diet rich in microelements and adequate healthy sleep. It is impossible to expect attentiveness from a tired person suffering from a lack of vitamins or hunger. Lack of sleep affects alertness - this is a well-known fact.

Haste and haste are the enemies of mindfulness. If you want to develop attention, especially to internal processes, then the first thing you have to part with is haste. It is not necessary to meticulously and meticulously plan all tasks. But sketching out a short plan in your head is a simple but effective option. Everyone knows that absent-mindedness and inattention are most pronounced when a person acts in haste.

What is also important here is that if we take our time, we will have time to dwell on all the little things and analyze them. After all, as a rule, inattention manifests itself precisely in them - we miss some important details.

Motivation is very important for training attention

Sustainability of attention also depends on motivation. Understanding your motivation for performing a particular task offers a chance to improve your mindfulness.

You should not do several things at the same time. Some people think that doing everything at once makes them more productive. Multitasking is a myth, there is only good switching of attention, so, as a rule, the average person is better off doing things one at a time.

Memory training is another important point. You can notice something and forget it in a second. To train your memory, you can resort to various exercises, from playing Memo to observing passersby.

Fair sex

Interesting facts about the psychology of women can also surprise.

1. It is important for women to hold something in their hands while walking, otherwise they feel discomfort. This encourages them to carry their handbags with them everywhere.
2. Representatives of the fair sex cry on average 30-60 times a year. Tears for them are an easy way to get rid of tension. For comparison, men do this 6-17 times a year.
3. It is difficult for women to admit their guilt. They apologize less often than the stronger sex does.
4. Ladies love to ask questions to which there is no clear answer. Sometimes they do this to make men feel guilty.
5. Women are more curious. They find it difficult not to answer when the phone rings.

Love

What other interesting facts about psychology are known? This science pays great attention to love.

• Scientists compare this feeling to drug addiction. Therefore, the treatment of unhappy love is carried out in a similar way. First of all, a person needs to remove all reminders (joint photos, gifts, etc.) and do something completely new.
• Love lasts on average 1.5-3 years. If there are various obstacles (separation, lack of reciprocity), this period may increase.
• Novelty saves love. Many couples regain the ability to do crazy things when they come to a foreign country, stay in an unfamiliar hotel, and so on.

Development methods

Development and recovery methods:

1. Imitation. The technique is suitable for teaching children. The child must exactly repeat the movements or words of the adult. It is better to combine actions with the game to make it interesting.
2. Monitoring intentional changes. For example, a teacher explains a topic and at the same time makes small mistakes. If you listen carefully to his speech, the individual can identify false facts.
3. Corrective tests. The patient is offered badges, from which he must select several in a short period of time and throw them aside.
4. Close reading technique. The patient needs to read the book fluently for some time, memorize the headings and selected passages. After stopping the timer, you need to talk about the work and list the remembered facts.

Advice from psychologists:

Even in noisy companies where there are a lot of people, you need to try to be attentive. It is important to regularly practice distraction. Try to observe several objects at the same time. In parallel with attention, you need to develop volitional qualities. It is necessary to practice switching attention from object to object

This way, it will be possible to perform different types of activities without interruption in the future. It is important to alternate tasks. Mix difficult tasks with easy ones, uninteresting ones with interesting ones. It is necessary to treat others kindly. Watch your words and actions.

To develop attention, you need to play intellectual games more often - puzzles, checkers, chess.

Attention is a mental function, without which a person would not be able to do one thing without stopping. It is influenced by various factors, each of which can distract at the wrong moment.

If a person knows how to control attention, it is easier for him to achieve the necessary heights in his career and establish connections with other people.

Hatred

In psychology, attention is also paid to hatred.

1. A study was once conducted to determine whether all people experience this feeling. It turned out that over half of the respondents had never encountered it.
2. It's hard to hate without personal contact. Typically, people experience this feeling towards those they encounter regularly.
3. Love can truly turn into hate. Often the targets are close relatives (mother, father, sisters, brothers), ex-husbands and wives.
4. Many people hate the other halves of their friends.

Stories, research

What else can you learn from research-based facts and interesting articles about psychology?

A person is able to pay attention to danger, sex and food. This is due to the struggle for survival that people have been waging for many centuries. Food is necessary for humanity to exist. Sex is the realization of the instinct of procreation. Attention to dangers is associated with a subconscious fear of death. A person will always stop to look at scenes of disasters and accidents.

The stories of different people who have achieved success often have one common detail. Even as children, they learned to give up what they really wanted in order to later get more.

Nightmares may have a very simple explanation that is not directly related to psychology. They can bother people who feel cold in their sleep.

Researchers compared the love stories of people with different eye colors. This made it possible to identify interesting patterns. Blue-eyed people only need a few minutes to fall in love. Green-eyed people need much more time, this can take years. Individuals with brown eyes are capable of loving two people at the same time.

Factors influencing human behavior in an organization

To explain human behavior in an organization, it is important to identify the premises on the basis of which employees behave in a certain way. The prerequisites for human behavior in an organization can be both rational and irrational, associated with the individual psychological properties of the individual. Rational human behavior in an organization is more predictable and therefore more amenable to influence to achieve specific organizational goals.

Let's consider some of the factors that have the strongest influence on human behavior in an organization.

• 1. Goals of the organization. Since a person is part of an organization and has a certain position, he acts in accordance with his duties, job descriptions, that is, in accordance with the goals of the organization.
• 2. Characteristics. Character traits define behavioral attitudes that persist over time and in different situations.
• 3. Individual values ​​are acquired through learning and correspond to the values ​​existing in the culture of a given society. The organization must use individual values ​​as incentives to encourage employees to behave in accordance with the organization's goals. Each organization, consciously or unconsciously, establishes its own value system.
• 4. Social norms are established stereotypes of behavior. They are instilled in all members of society through the approval or disapproval of other people. For example, certain types of clothing are considered appropriate for certain professions. It is customary to talk to your boss in one manner, and to colleagues in another.
• 5. Personal needs. From the point of view of organizational behavior, the organization strives to create situations in which the satisfaction of the employee's needs would lead to the realization of the organization's goals, in other words, to motivate employees.
• 6. Expectations. Based on past experiences and assessments of the current situation, people form expectations about the results of their behavior. If an employee does not expect that his behavior will lead to the achievement of desired goals or the satisfaction of personal needs, he will lose interest in his activities.
• 7. Perception. People usually react not to facts, but to what they perceive as actually happening. What actually happens affects a person's behavior only to the extent that it is perceived by the person himself. If a manager wants employees to strive to achieve the organization's goals, it is not enough to create conditions that encourage employees to do so. Management must also show employees a clear relationship between the organization's desired employee behavior and the satisfaction of their individual needs. Until employees perceive this, they will not behave accordingly.
• 8. Attitude, point of view forms a biased perception of the environment and thereby influences human behavior in the organization (for example, racial or other prejudices). Attitudes toward work are an important factor in determining how people will respond to changes in work conditions and duration.
• 9. Personal positions. A person makes efforts to achieve a certain position or balance. That is, a person tries to take positions that do not contradict each other. As a result of this, a very complex interconnected structure of beliefs and attitudes towards something is built, on the basis of which our behavior is based. This structure is difficult to change because a person would rather discard one new idea than change his entire worldview.
• 10. Selectivity of information. A person selectively listens only to that information or those people whose opinions obviously coincide with his own. A person discards and rejects information that contradicts his position. This process reduces the opportunities for change.
• 11. Age. People's ability to change diminishes with age. This occurs under the influence of both the internal properties of a person and the influence of the environment.