optimism bias

While working on her Ph.D. on traumatic memory in New York, Dr. Tali Sharot witnessed the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. She set out to investigate people's memories of the terrorist attacks and discovered that although people felt their memories were as accurate as a videotape, they were often filled with errors. She decided then to focus her research on how emotion affects people’s memories and decisions. In today’s episode, Tali tells us about the ways we are hardwired to be optimists and what determines how, and if, we are able to influence others.   Dr. Tali Sharot is the director of the Affective Brain Lab. She is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Experimental Psychology and The Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry at University College London and on the faculty of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. Sharot’s research integrates neuroscience, behavioral economics, and psychology to study how emotion and motivation influence people’s beliefs, decisions, and social interactions.   In this episode, Hala and Tali will discuss:  - Why memories are not as accurate as we think they are - Why most of us have an optimism bias - How optimism bias helps us to survive - Why we’re optimistic about our own lives but not the world around us - Ways to bolster optimism and better performance - Ways to deter negative actions in others - How hope and fear influence people’s beliefs - Why emotions influence our decisions more than facts - Why fake news goes viral - And other topics… Dr. Tali Sharot is the director of the Affective Brain Lab. She is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Experimental Psychology and The Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry at University College London and on the faculty of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. Sharot holds a BA in Economics and Psychology from Tel Aviv University and a Ph.D. from New York University. Sharot’s research integrates neuroscience, behavioral economics, and psychology to study how emotion and motivation influence people’s beliefs, decisions, and social interactions.    Resources Mentioned: Tali’s Website: https://affectivebrain.com/ Tali’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/affectivebrain  Tali’s Book The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others: https://www.amazon.com/Influential-Mind-Reveals-Change-Others-ebook/dp/B06XC621TK  Tali’s Book Optimism Bias: Why We're Wired to Look on the Bright Side: https://www.amazon.com/Optimism-Bias-Were-Wired-Bright/dp/1780332637   LinkedIn Secrets Masterclass, Have Job Security For Life: Use code ‘podcast’ for 30% off at yapmedia.io/course.    Sponsored By:  Shopify - Go to youngandprofiting.co/shopify to take your business to the next level The Kelly Roach Show - Listen to The Kelly Roach show on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Green Chef - Go to GreenChef.com/yap50 and use code yap50 to get 50% off plus free shipping. Millionaire University - Find The Millionaire University on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts Pipedrive - Go to youngandprofiting.co/pipedrive and get 20% off Pipedrive for 1 year! More About Young and Profiting Download Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com  Get Sponsorship Deals - youngandprofiting.com/sponsorships Leave a Review -  ratethispodcast.com/yap Watch Videos - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting   Follow Hala Taha LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ TikTok - tiktok.com/@yapwithhala Twitter - twitter.com/yapwithhala   Learn more about YAP Media Agency Services - yapmedia.io/

What allows people to push on even during the darkest times?  And how can we use that answer to influence our behavior, or the behavior of other people? Today Rick and Forrest are joined by Dr. Tali Sharot to explore the optimism bias, how optimism can exist alongside negativity, and how we can influence others more effectively.  About our Guest: Dr. Sharot is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, and the director of the Affective Brain Lab. She’s also the author of a number of wonderful books, including The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain, and The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others.  Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Ideas: 1:30: What is the optimism bias, and how does it appear in people’s lives? 3:30: Where does the optimism bias come from? Did we evolve it? 8:45: How can someone cultivate an attitude of optimism?  13:00: Bringing good things into our awareness. 16:30: The negativity bias vs. the optimism bias.  19:30: Negativity, positivity, and memory. 23:00: The impact of surprise on our memory. 27:30: What helps us change our behavior and form new habits? 30:00: Changing behavior and beliefs on a national scale. 34:30: What really influences people's behavior? 40:00: Is human nature more positive or more negative? 44:00: Recap From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Sponsors: Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/BEINGWELL and get a free trial of their Premium Membership. Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription. Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!  Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Subscribe on iTunes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are some people more susceptible to conspiracy theories than others? Do people actually panic during disasters, like the pandemic? And are the brains of liberals and conservatives physiologically different? Dr. Jay Van Bavel, who directs NYU’s Social Perception and Evaluation Lab, answers these and other questions.

Episode Links

• Jay Van Bavel, PhD
• APA COVID-19 Resources
• Speaking of Psychology

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