Have you ever sworn that your situationship or boyfriend was somehow better than what your friends think? Maybe he is “just a bad texter.” Well, I hate to break it to you, but that is a prime example of confirmation bias. If you want to learn more about how you can apply the principles you probably forgot about from Introduction Psychology to your vibrant lives, tune in to “Psych 101 is Life 101”!Â
Let’s go back to the original example and kick this off with confirmation bias. You may have heard this phrase thrown around during thoughtful conversations by your friends and have wondered, what exactly does this mean? Confirmation bias refers to our tendency to see what we want to see in situations, to, essentially, confirm our bias. In terms of the situationship canon event, this explains why many people look up questions such as “does he still like me if he does not text me back for days” and “does he still like me even if he likes other girl’s posts on instagram” despite subconsciously knowing the answers (no!). Beyond love, it is also why people tend to believe in lucky and unlucky superstitions. It is why some people have a lucky perfume or pencil for exams, or why some people do not drive a specific route when they are headed somewhere important. Once we have created an assumption about a particular subject, we tend to observe it and anything related to it with a bias that causes us to have a skewed perception of reality.Â
Let’s switch gears and talk about the anchoring effect. This is something we have all encountered, living in New York and encountering the egregious prices of items. The anchoring effect explains how once we are exposed to a standard of information, we begin to think that it is the norm. It is the reason why we are so keen on spending over 12 dollars on a mid coffee and why I have become accustomed to spending 18 dollars on a matcha in Soho. It is also the reason why, when we leave New York and encounter lower prices, we think “wow this is cheap” when in reality, our daily NYC expenses are just ridiculous. Being originally from a high cost of living city in the Bay Area, New York prices are my normal and sometimes even cheaper when compared to what I would spend on the same products back home. The anchoring effect is also the reason why people fall for “discounts” and “sales” that feature 500 dollar Aritzia and Zara coats—after the sale is applied.Â
Now, here is a big one, something that everyone inevitably partakes in: cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort that comes with a person holding conflicting thoughts regarding a particular subject or when their actions contradict their beliefs. Now, it does not always have to be something serious, it is seen even in the little things, like our habits we say we want to quit. We all have that friend who says that they are going to stop sleeping late, who proceeds to call you at 4a.m. “to talk” because they “are bored”. Or, better yet, the friend who swears they will stop drinking caffeine and you catch them in Butler with a latte from Joe’s.Â
Finally, one of my favorites, classical conditioning, which refers to the ability to condition a reaction due to repeated stimulation and reinforcement of a particular stimulus. Have you ever felt like one of Pavlov’s dogs whenever you see a Canvas notification that makes you jump out of your seat? Or perhaps a specific study playlist or study spot on campus miraculously gets you in the lock-in mood for finals season? These are all examples of classical conditioning that we encounter in daily life, which can even have a positive effect on our lives!Â
It’s truly fascinating how life imitates psychology and how our everyday behaviors and quirks mimic the theories which we learn about in our classes. The next time you catch yourself going out, despite claiming to lock in at the library or flinch at the word “midterm,” remember these theories!