All thinkers

Elliot Aronson: 2 ideas worth knowing

2 ideas from Elliot Aronson, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

• A minor blunder can make a competent person more likeable

  Elliot Aronson had people listen to recordings of a quiz contestant — highly capable or merely average, and either flawless or fumbling a cup of coffee at the end. Listeners rated …

  — Elliot Aronson, Ben Willerman & Joanne Floyd, The Effect of a Pratfall on Increased Interpersonal Attractiveness

• Suffering to join a group makes people value that group more, not less

  Elliot Aronson and Judson Mills had college women undergo either an embarrassing, severe 'initiation' or a mild one before joining a discussion group, then had everyone listen to t…

  — Elliot Aronson, Judson Mills, The effect of severity of initiation on liking for a group

Five ideas worth knowing, every week

The week's best cards and a puzzle, credited as always. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Subscribe