Getting stuck in the negatives (and how to get unstuck) | Alison Ledgerwood | TEDxUCDavis
TEDx Talks・2 minutes read
Individuals tend to dwell on failures longer than successes, as shown in experiments on negative thinking patterns by the speaker and colleague Amber Boydstun. People struggle to shift from negative to positive perspectives, highlighting the importance of actively seeking out positive viewpoints to counteract the brain's natural bias towards negativity.
Insights
- Individuals tend to dwell on failures longer than successes, as shown in experiments where negative framing made it challenging for participants to shift to a positive perspective.
- The speaker stresses the significance of actively seeking out positive viewpoints to counteract the brain's natural inclination towards negativity, suggesting practices like gratitude journaling, sharing good news, and consciously focusing on the positive.
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Recent questions
How do people tend to view failures and successes differently?
People tend to dwell on failures longer than successes, as observed by the social psychologist in the Summary.
What did the experiments conducted by the speaker and her colleague aim to explore?
The experiments aimed to explore if people get stuck in negative thinking patterns.
How did participants' opinions on a surgical procedure change based on framing?
Participants' opinions on a surgical procedure changed based on whether it was framed as a success or failure, impacting their perspective.
What did the experiment involving a governor's track record reveal about negative framing?
The experiment revealed that once a negative frame was established, it was challenging for participants to switch to a positive view.
Why does the speaker emphasize actively seeking out positive perspectives?
The speaker emphasizes actively seeking out positive perspectives because our minds naturally lean towards negativity, as highlighted in the experiments conducted.
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Summary
00:00
"Overcoming Negative Thinking Patterns: The Power of Positivity"
- The speaker, a social psychologist, discusses her fascination with how people think and her observations on how individuals tend to dwell on failures longer than successes.
- She conducted experiments with colleague Amber Boydstun to explore if people get stuck in negative thinking patterns.
- In one experiment, participants' opinions on a surgical procedure changed based on whether it was framed as a success or failure, with those initially viewing it negatively finding it hard to shift to a positive perspective.
- Another experiment involving a governor's track record showed that once a negative frame was established, it was challenging for participants to switch to a positive view.
- A third study revealed that people took longer to convert from thinking about losses to gains than the other way around, indicating a tendency for negative thoughts to persist.
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of actively seeking out positive perspectives, as our minds naturally lean towards negativity.
- Practical tips include writing about things one is grateful for daily, sharing good news, and consciously focusing on the positive to counteract the brain's inclination towards negativity.
