#96: Type A? Read this. Plus, hive mind + propaganda, banner blindness, and a better new years resolution.
Happy New Year!
In this edition of The World's Best Newsletter:
1. We were 9X more likely to fall for Russian propaganda. Why?
2. The history of "Type A" personalities -- and cigarettes
3. (More) proof that advertising is an uphill battle for attention
4. Proof that taking a stand is good business
5. Reflecting on the past, adapting for the future
6. Quote of the week
1. We were 9X more likely to fall for Russian propaganda. Why?
If you haven't seen it yet, learn about the long history of Russian disinformation targeting the US.
Examples of this propaganda are fascinating, see this collection from the NYT. Or, consider fake accounts like this "train enthusiast" from Wichita...
Source
But why was it so effective with Americans as compared to Europeans?
Some of the drivers behind why this worked in the US are cultural (former Soviets are partly immunized against this, being so used to misinformation as a Russian tactic.)
Part of it is simply that social has been adopted here more: 71% of American internet users use social media vs 58% in France/Italy/Spain, 46% Germany/Poland.
But, what this propaganda was meant to tap into is directly related to our hive minds...
We have a kind of hive switch built-in, [social psychologist Jon] Haidt suggests, that can be flipped, turning us from rational individualists into selfless group players.
Our hive minds are exacerbated here in the US due to geography (less dense populations in much of the US, 92 residents / sq mile vs 143 in Europe) and our work habits (we work more hours / take fewer vacations). All of this contributes to the stark difference in loneliness (Americans 46% vs Europeans 6%) as we experience fewer social interactions / fewer friends.
Social isolation made Americans vulnerable to social media manipulation.
I don't agree with all of the author's solutions ("we should all get out more" is a bit simplistic) but I do agree that an increase in empathy can help to overcome our hive mind tendencies, as well as better public awareness about this shady tactic leveraged by a foreign adversary.
This is a fascinating take on the culture in America and the role of misinformation.
2. The history of "Type A" personalities -- and cigarettes
DID YOU KNOW... Type A personality is to a large extent a construct of the tobacco industry.
In the mid-1950s, two American cardiologists — Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman — created the idea of the Type A personality.
They argued that a class of Americans, with Type A personalities, were so stressed out that their bodies were prone to a heart attack. But the funding only recently became clear due to legal settlements w/ tobacco companies in the late 90's:
... much of the work around Type A personality were profoundly influenced by cigarette manufacturers. They were interested in promoting the concept of stress because it allowed them to argue that it was stress — not cigarettes — that was to blame for heart disease and cancer.
3. (More) proof that advertising is an uphill battle for attention
We've heard the stats and anecdotes about ads being ignored, but until recently I didn't know there was a name for it. "Banner blindness" is a real thing -- our web behavior has evolved to the point that we simply ignore anything that remotely resembles an ad, even legitimate content.
Here are the traits that signal an ad:
Ad-specific placement, like the top of page or the right rail
Ad-like visual treatment, such as animation
Proximity to actual ads or promotions
The psychology / UX at work here is selective attention:
Banner blindness is an instance of selective attention: people direct their attention only to a subset of the stimuli in the environment — usually those related to their goals. This behavior is a consequence of our limited attention capacities. If we were to attend to the enormous inflow of sounds and patterns that surround us, we would be overwhelmed and behave inefficiently.
The article contains a number of great eye-tracking examples as well, like this one showing the one-time look at the right rail (don't hide your best content there.)
4. Proof that taking a stand is good business
And more proof to nibble on this Sunday morning - Nike reports stellar earnings on the heels of its Colin Kaepernick campaign. A 10% rise in revenue for the second quarter was noted in its first earnings report reflecting business conditions since the campaign launched.
Despite the "burn your shoes" backlash from some, the positive buzz outweighed the negative.
"The campaign, which was announced with a simple tweet by Mr. Kaepernick, has also generated at least $43 million in free advertising for Nike, according to one estimate."
This was all intentional. Nike had targeted this campaign to the 2/3 of individuals in the US who wear Nike who are under 35 years old, and far more racially diverse than the baby boomer population (NPD Group.)
As Ron Tite noted on LinkedIn yesterday, "Aligning actions with beliefs is great for business."
5. Reflecting on the past, adapting for the future
Did you know 80% of us give up on our New Year's resolutions by February?
My friend Mollie Lombardi presents a simple - but not easy - way to think about new year's resolutions. I mean, time is a construct anyway so really we're just waking up to another day, but it can be helpful to take the excuse and pause.
Reflecting on the Past
What did I do best in the past 12 months at work? At home?
When did I totally blow it at work? At home?
What have I been doing that I should let go of, because it’s no longer useful or relevant?
Adapting for the Future
How can I create more of the conditions when I was at my best?
How can I avoid the conditions when I failed?
What specific habit or behavior can I begin doing (or do more of) to support being my best?
Read her full post here, "Resolved: No More New Year's Resolutions"
6. Quote of the week
"It's good to be mindful of how others see you, but keep in mind that it's information, not definition."
- Morgan Jerkins on Twitter
Have a great week ahead - and thanks as always for reading.
Best,
Katie
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