Uploaded February 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The misconception that the conscious / rational part of our brain is in control of our decisions is so firmly entrenched that it is hard to get people to abandon appeals to reason. Here are some of the results:
i) Groups of children were instructed on the principles of healthy eating; then they were given the option of choosing between cookies and fruit. They went for the cookies (Gneezy & List 2013 – p. 161).
ii) In the US they launched a huge campaign trying to persuade people of the evils of marijuana. The cost was $ 1 bn. The results: ‘some evidence that the campaign had pro-marijuana effects…’ (Levitt & Dubner 2014 – p. 173)
iii) As part of a major anti-smoking campaign more than 4,000 children from 20 different schools attended special lessons and were given advice on how to resist peer pressure. Results: two years later, 29% of them smoked – as opposed to 28% of a control group.
iv) A meta-analysis of studies on all programmes trying to educate people on financial matters found a maximum of 6% improvement, deteriorating over time and were least effective for those who needed them most (Ariely 2013 – YouTube [1:30 – 2:00]). I rest my case.
Why does this happen? Well, clearly the original assumption is wrong. We think that the conscious part of the brain is all there is, but in fact there are lots and lots of other modules vying for control of that ‘driver’s seat’ (Kurzban 2012). What is more, these tend to take over just at the critical moment. Just watch this clip [1:04 – 2:45].
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
The misconception that the conscious / rational part of our brain is in control of our decisions is so firmly entrenched that it is hard to get people to abandon appeals to reason. Here are some of the results:
i) Groups of children were instructed on the principles of healthy eating; then they were given the option of choosing between cookies and fruit. They went for the cookies (Gneezy & List 2013 – p. 161).
ii) In the US they launched a huge campaign trying to persuade people of the evils of marijuana. The cost was $ 1 bn. The results: ‘some evidence that the campaign had pro-marijuana effects…’ (Levitt & Dubner 2014 – p. 173)
iii) As part of a major anti-smoking campaign more than 4,000 children from 20 different schools attended special lessons and were given advice on how to resist peer pressure. Results: two years later, 29% of them smoked – as opposed to 28% of a control group.
iv) A meta-analysis of studies on all programmes trying to educate people on financial matters found a maximum of 6% improvement, deteriorating over time and were least effective for those who needed them most (Ariely 2013 – YouTube [1:30 – 2:00]). I rest my case.
Why does this happen? Well, clearly the original assumption is wrong. We think that the conscious part of the brain is all there is, but in fact there are lots and lots of other modules vying for control of that ‘driver’s seat’ (Kurzban 2012). What is more, these tend to take over just at the critical moment. Just watch this clip [1:04 – 2:45].
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
