What are the most important psychological facts that everyone should know?
Understanding basic psychological principles can enhance self-awareness and improve interactions with others. Here are some important psychological facts that many find valuable: 1. **Confirmation Bias:** People tend to seek, interpret, and remember information that confirms their preexisting beliefs. Being aware of this bias can help foster open-mindedness. 2. **Cognitive Dissonance:** When individuals hold conflicting beliefs or attitudes, they experience discomfort. To reduce this discomfort, they may adjust their beliefs or attitudes to align with their actions. 3. **The Halo Effect:** This cognitive bias involves our tendency to assume that if someone is good at one thing, they must be good at other unrelated things. It influences our perceptions and judgments of people. 4. **Fundamental Attribution Error:** This bias leads people to attribute the behavior of others to their internal characteristics (personality, disposition) rather than considering external factors. 5. **Plastic