The Scarcity Effect: Why We Want What We Can't Have

How can something happen right in front of our eyes — and yet we completely fail to notice it?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Invisible Gorilla Experiment, conducted by psychologists Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons. This famous study reveals the surprising limits of our attention and challenges the assumption that we notice everything happening around us. We look at how focusing on one thing can make us overlook something seemingly impossible to miss.But if we can fail to notice something so obvious, what else might be passing us by? Discover how selective attention shapes our perception, why our brains filter out more than we realise, and what this experiment reveals about the difference between seeing something and actually noticing it.Studies and links:Selective attention test https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2MvoInattentional blindness in psychology | Simply psychology https://www.simplypsychology.org/inattentional-blindness.html

Have you ever believed that choosing a particular number, following a certain ritual, or making a specific move could change the outcome of something completely random?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the illusion of control — a psychological bias that makes us overestimate our ability to influence events that are actually governed by chance. We examine why humans instinctively search for patterns and control, even in situations where neither exists.But why do we find it so difficult to accept that some things are simply out of our hands? Discover how the illusion of control shapes our decisions, influences our confidence and reveals our complicated relationship with uncertainty.Studies and links:The Illusion of Control | Ellen J. Langer | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1975, vol 32, no 2, 311-328 https://nuovoeutile.it/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Langer1975_IllusionofControl.pdfWhy do we think we have more control over the world than we do? | The Decision Lab https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/illusion-of-control

How reliable are your memories? And could you be remembering something that never actually happened?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Lost in the Mall Study — a fascinating experiment by psychologist Elizabeth Loftus investigating the malleability of human memory. The research raises some unsettling questions about how our recollections are formed, how easily they can be influenced, and whether we can always trust what we remember.But if our memories aren’t as reliable as we think, what does that mean for the way we understand our own past? Discover why confidence doesn’t necessarily mean accuracy, and how the mind’s ability to reconstruct memories can blur the line between what really happened and what we believe happened.Studies and links:The Formation of False Memories | Elizabeth F. Loftus and Jacqueline Pickrell https://img3.reoveme.com/m/21e4113311781789.pdfFalse Memory in Psychology | Simply Psychology https://www.simplypsychology.org/false-memory.html

Why do personality descriptions sometimes feel like they understand us better than we understand ourselves?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Barnum-Forer Effect — a psychological phenomenon that reveals just how easily we can be persuaded that general statements are uniquely tailored to us. From personality assessments to seemingly personal insights, we uncover why certain descriptions feel so accurate, even when they could apply to almost anyone.But what makes us so willing to believe something simply because it feels personal? Discover how our expectations, self-perception, and desire to understand ourselves can influence what we accept as true — and why something feeling accurate doesn't necessarily make it so.Studies and links:Former Effect aslysz-diagnoza.home.amu.edu.pl/diagnoza/wyklad/Barnum_ForerEffect.pdfWhy do we believe our horoscopes? | The Decision Lab https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/barnum-effect

Why do we recognise how much we've changed in the past, yet struggle to imagine how much we'll change in the future?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the End of History Illusion — the psychological phenomenon that makes us believe we've reached a point of personal development where our values, preferences, and personalities are unlikely to change much further. We uncover why our current sense of identity feels so permanent, even when our own experiences prove otherwise.But if we underestimate how much we'll change, how might that affect the decisions we make today? Discover how this illusion shapes our expectations, influences our future plans, and reveals why the person you are now might not be the person you become.Studies and links:The "end of history illusion" illusion | The British Psychological Society https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/end-history-illusion-illusionThe End of History Illusion | Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel T. Gilbert, Timothy D. Wilson https://dtg.sites.fas.harvard.edu/Quoidbach%20et%20al%202013.pdf

What do we really need to thrive — and is having our basic needs met enough?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore Harry Harlow's controversial monkey experiments, which challenged conventional ideas about attachment, emotional comfort, and the role of physical needs in development. We examine what his research revealed about the importance of connection, while also confronting the ethical questions surrounding the treatment of the animals involved.But if comfort and security are so fundamental to us, what else do we need to develop into healthy, well-adjusted individuals? Discover how attachment, social interaction, and learning shape our development — and why understanding human needs requires looking beyond survival alone.Studies and links:Revisiting Harry Harlow's Legacy: Cruelty Towards Monkeys | Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-first-impression/201607/revisiting-harry-harlow-s-legacy-cruelty-towards-monkeysHarry Harlow Monkey Experiments in Psychology | Simply Psychology https://www.simplypsychology.org/harlow-monkey.htmlThe Nature of Love | Harry Harlow https://users.sussex.ac.uk/~grahamh/RM1web/Classic%20papers/Harlow1958.pdf

Why do we remember some experiences as wonderful — or terrible — even when most of the time in between tells a different story?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Peak-End Rule — a psychological principle that suggests we often judge an experience by its most intense moment and how it ends, rather than by everything that happened. We look at how this pattern shapes the way we remember events and evaluate our experiences.But if our memories give extra weight to just a few moments, how might that influence the choices we make in the future? Discover how the peak and ending of an experience can shape our overall impression — and why the way something finishes may matter more than we realise.Studies and links:When More Pain Is Preferred to Less: Adding a Better End | Daniel Kahneman and Barbara Fredrickson https://ibio-v2.s3.amazonaws.com/media/course/SYR/2020/when-more-pain-is-preferred-to-less--adding-a-better-end.pdfHow do our memories differ from our experiences? | The Decision Lab https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/peak-end-rule

Can something as simple as holding a warm cup of coffee change how we feel about another person?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Hot Coffee Experiment — research investigating the surprising connection between physical warmth and our social judgments. We look at how subtle sensations in our environment may influence the way we perceive others, often without us noticing.But how much of what we feel about someone comes from the person themselves — and how much might be shaped by something as small as a temperature? Discover how physical sensations can influence our impressions, and what this reveals about the hidden factors behind our everyday judgments.Studies and links:Does Physical Warmth Prime Social Warmth? | John A. Bargh and David Melnikoff https://acmelab.yale.edu/sites/default/files/bargh_melnikoff_reply_to_chabris_et_al_2019.pdfHot Drinks Equal Warm Feelings, as Scientists Link Physical and Emotional Warmth | pbs.orghttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/science-july-dec08-warmth_10-24

Why do we suddenly want something more when we’re told we might not be able to have it?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Scarcity Effect — the psychological tendency to place greater value on things that seem limited or difficult to obtain. From exclusive opportunities to products in short supply, we uncover how perceived scarcity can influence our desires and shape the decisions we make.But does something become more valuable simply because it’s harder to get? Discover how scarcity can intensify our motivation, influence our judgments, and make us question whether we truly want something — or simply want what feels out of reach.Studies and links:How to Boost Desire Using the Psychology of Scarcity | Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/automatic-you/201307/how-boost-desire-using-the-psychology-scarcityScarcity | The Decision Lab https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/anthropology/scarcity

Have you ever noticed yourself picking up the habits, expressions, or attitudes of the people around you?In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Chameleon Effect — the tendency to unconsciously mirror the behaviour of others. We look at how the people we spend time with can influence the way we speak, act, and see the world, often without us even realising it.But if we naturally become more like the people around us, how much does our environment shape who we become? Discover how social influence can quietly affect our behaviour — and why choosing the people we surround ourselves with may matter more than we think.Studies and links:The Chameleon Effect: The Perception-Behavior Link and Social Interaction | Tanya L. Chartrand and John A. Bargh | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1999, Vol 76, No.6, 893-910 https://acmelab.yale.edu/sites/default/files/1999_the_chameleon_effect.pdfChameleon Effect | The Decision Lab https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/chameleon-effect