Nudge

#55: Why Our Brains Crave Negativity

4 snips
May 10, 2021
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Innate Negativity Bias in Humans

  • Humans naturally pay more attention to negative events than positive ones due to an evolved brain bias.
  • Infants as young as three months old already show a preference for negativity, indicating it's innate.
INSIGHT

People Prefer Negative News

  • Although people claim to prefer positive news, they consistently engage more with negative news articles.
  • Negative headlines have significantly higher click-through rates, reflecting greater engagement driven by negativity bias.
ANECDOTE

Imperfections Increase Product Appeal

  • Baba Shiv's study showed that products with minor imperfections, like blemished packaging, could become more preferred.
  • Negativity made people pay more attention and rationalize their positive feelings toward the brand.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app