Humans are amazing creatures. Every action has a meaning behind it. And every day, human behavior continues to amaze us. And even the most famous psychologists. You might think you know everything about human personality and behavior. But the reality is that we are a mystery. What are some of the psychological facts about human behavior?
How much do you know about your personality? What influences your behavior? The human brain is the most amazing and surprising human organ. You know the saying, we use only 10% of our brain. So, that makes our subconscious mind and brain even more amazing.
Every little thing we do is a combination of actions, senses, ideas, and everything in between. We have a lot of wants, needs, fears, and phobias. Combine them all, and you get human behavior.
Nowadays, psychology is more popular than ever. The National Science Foundation says that social psychology is more popular than other biological science like physics, mathematics, computer science, and social sciences.
And that is because more people seek help for a mental health problems. According to some estimates, around 42% of American adults have seen a counselor at some point. And additionally, 36% are open to the idea.
That is just one fun psychology fact for you. Let’s take a look at other psychological facts about human nature.
Insanity Is A Legal Term
We often look at insanity as a psychological term. But it is not. In fact, it is a legal term. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association does not list insanity as a diagnosis.
It is actually a legal concept utilized to distinguish guilt from innocence. People took notice of the term for the first time after the 1843 murder trial of Daniel M’Naghten. The trial was stopped on the grounds of insanity, and people took notice.
At the time, the British public became concerned that insane people could kill without fear of punishment. So, the House of Lords created new guidelines to clarify the legal basis for criminal insanity.
Hysteria Was Women-only For Quite Some Time
Ancient Egyptians first described hysteria in the second millennium BC. Then, Hippocrates coined the term from the Greek adjective “hysterikos”. It means “from the womb”. According to Hippocrates, hysteria was wandering of the womb within the female body causing disorders like anxiety, tremor, paralysis, and a sense of suffocation.
For many years, hysteria was attributed to only women. But then in the 18th century, scientists associated hysteria with the human brain, not the uterus.
Sigmund Freud was among the first modern psychologists to talk about it. He said it originates from trauma and it can affect both sexes.
Walking Dead People Do Exist
Yes, there are real walking dead people. It is actually a common way to explain Cotard’s syndrome. It is a condition first described as negation delirium by Dr. Jules Cotard in 1882.
He explained it as “walking corpse syndrome”, which sensationalized the term. This syndrome involves any one of a series of delusional beliefs that the individual is dead or lost his/her soul.
Some believers note that they feel rotting on the inside, losing organs, blood, and even body parts.
Speaking neurologically, Cotard’s syndrome is related to the Capgras syndrome. Both are related to brain damage leading to a feeling of derealization.
Yawning To Someone Else’s Yawn
We all do this. When someone yawns, we get an urge to yawn as well. But there is a psychological term and explanation for it.
It is a normal phenomenon. Even though you do not feel exhausted or asleep. The common myth about this phenomenon is that people catch it and it is infectious. But the explanation is that we use it to express empathy.
Forging Daily Habits
Do you have a daily habit? Do you do something every day? Well, we often talk about habits, but it is not easy to forge on.
According to social psychology, it takes up to 66 days for an individual to make something a daily habit. So, if you do something for a few days in a row, do not call it a habit.
And we have no idea how long does it take to stop a habit.
Sarcasm = Healthy mind
Do you like to use sarcasm in your communication? Some people do, others do not. And there is a good reason to use sarcasm. According to human psychology, people who use it instinctively have a healthy mind.
Where Do Sorrows Come From?
We all cry from time to time. Sometimes we cry out of happiness, and sometimes out of sorrow. And you can easily tell it.
When you cry because of happiness, the first tear will come from the right eye. On the other hand, when you cry out of sorrow, your first tear will come from the left eye.
Men Are Not More Entertaining Than Women
Some people say they prefer a male company to a female one. And it is perhaps because men look and feel more entertaining than women.
The reality, according to psychological science, is that men are not more entertaining. They just make more jokes and do not care whether people like their humor or not.
The Magic Numbers 3 And 4
This has to be among the more interesting psychological facts about people’s behavior. If you have worked in the field of usability and user experience, you probably know this.
Some guy by the name of Baddeley questioned urban legends about magic numbers and usability. He conducted a long series of studies on human memory and information processing.
And he concluded that the magic number is 3 to 4. What does that mean? Well, it means the human mind can remember between 3 and 4 things. But they will disappear from memory unless you repeat them.
This is one of the reasons why phone numbers come in three fields. We also chunk information into groups that have 3 or 4 items in them.
It is one of the reasons why you see three to four bars on websites. Or 4 items on a product detail page.
Brains = Fewer Friends
We just love psychology’s amazing facts. This one has to be among the best. It says smart people tend to have fewer friends than the average person.
Why is that? Because the smarter the individual, the more selective he is. So, he doesn’t want to be friends with anyone just for the fun of it.
Repetition Is The Mother Of Learning
It is an old Latin phrase and proverb, reading Repetitio est mater studiorum. And there is some science behind it. Psychology says that physically, repetition affects the brain as new associations are made between brain cells.
Hug Your Friends And Loved Ones
Let’s finish off the list of psychological facts about personality with something positive. When you hug someone for more than 20 seconds, it will produce hormones in your body. These hormones make you trust the individual hugging you.
