Safety in numbers: argumentum ad populum, social proof, or our belief that what the masses are doing must be correct and what we should be doing, too.

This is true especially when uncertainty is at play. We are more inclined to follow the l...

Accessories that suggest authority (i.e. ‘Dr.’ titles, business suits) exploit our tendency to believe those in the know, even when such titles hold little to no real value.

“Experts say” is a phrase we’ve heard way too often in advertising campaig...

As much as we may deny it, physical attractiveness plays a huge role in people liking us. Flattery works to get compliance, and we are biased to accept requests from those we fancy. We think favorably of those who dress like us, or who share our passions. This wo...

People want to appear consistent in their actions, but “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

The “low-ball” and “foot-in-the-door” techniques are used to get us to spend more by making us agree to an initially reasonable deal, f...