8 Popular Psychological Myths That Already Have A Scientific Explanation
Every discipline of knowledge encompasses data that is curious in the eyes of the general public. The Psychology It is, perhaps, one of those disciplines where curiosities abound, since there are countless legends regarding our behavior.
Psychological myths: putting black on white based on scientific data
Today we will review eight of them, eight psychological myths.
1. Detect lies
There is a popular belief according to which there are a series of people with a superior ability to notice when they are in front of someone who is lying to them. Although the myth is not such, it should be said that research carried out in the United States in 1999 discovered that those people who were better able to detect others’ lies had severe brain damage in the frontal lobe, in the left hemisphere.
These lesions cause a decrease in their linguistic abilities, a handicap that they compensate with a superior ability in scrutinizing the non-verbal language of others, and thanks to this compensation they are able to better detect lies.
2. Subliminal messages: do they work?
It is popularly believed that subliminal messages (that we perceive unconsciously) they can actually generate changes in our behavior, without even being aware that such changes have occurred; without control over them.
In 1957, publicist James Vicary claimed to have demonstrated that if certain subliminal messages such as “Eat candy” or “Drink Coca-Cola” were projected on a screen, a greater demand for said products was generated, and therefore a increased sales. However, No one was subsequently able to corroborate these results and the truth is that in 1962 James Vicary admitted having manipulated the investigation.
The recommendation to count sheep as a remedy for insomnia was discredited in 2002 research that took place at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. It was concluded that That technique was in no way effective To reach that conclusion, he compared the time needed to fall asleep of two groups of subjects who suffered from insomnia. One group had to count sheep, and the other did not.
No differences were reported between groups. The members of the counting sheep group did complain about being bored more, but that didn’t make them sleepy sooner. Something that does help you sleep, according to this study, is thinking about a scene that generates tranquility.
4. Cancer caused by bad mood
Certain diseases, such as cancer, have been linked to certain negative personal attitudes Without going any further, it has been said on numerous occasions that those who tend to repress their emotions more may be more vulnerable to falling ill.
However, although it is true that showing a positive attitude towards an illness can help get rid of it, it has not been proven that maintaining a negative attitude can cause the illness. In fact, what has been widely studied is that there is a certain relationship in the opposite direction: some research reveals that among working women, who report a level of light or moderate stress, the probability of getting breast cancer is lower. than among women who do not present stress.
5. Classical music and intelligence
Have you ever heard that listening to classical music can increase intelligence? Or that making unborn babies listen to classical music helps them develop their intelligence.
This popular idea was born from an American study in 1993, and seemed to be confirmed in another study from the University of California ten years later. Despite these investigations, the University of Vienna recently carried out a more detailed and systematic study of the phenomenon, without having reported any increase in intelligence of those who listen to classical music
Perhaps one of the most recurring myths is the one that says that We only use 10% of our brain How the myth was born is not easily explained, but it is possible that it occurred in the 19th century, when a well-known American psychologist expressed certain doubts about people reaching more than 10% of their intellectual potential. It is likely that it arose as a misinterpretation of the knowledge of neurology at the beginning of the 20th century, when science still believed that only 10% of neurons can be activated simultaneously.
Another possible explanation for the genesis of the myth is the idea that neurons only constitute 10% of the total number of brain cells, given that the rest are glial cells, which although necessary, their basic function is to offer energy support to the neurons. In any case, the myth is totally false. The idea that large brain regions remain inactive is not based on any scientific premise logical or evolutionary.
Brain tissue has a high cost in terms of energy consumption, as it consumes more than 20% of the oxygen we breathe, despite representing no more than 3% of body weight, and it is crazy to think that the energy system and evolution They maintain a body whose efficiency is 10%. If the myth were true, a brain injury in depending on which area would not have an impact on the operation of the person’s mental processes, which is totally uncertain.
If you want to delve deeper into this myth, we recommend the article: “We only use 10% of the brain”: myth or reality?”
7. Infallible memory?
Regarding memory, it is popularly believed that Memories are a faithful reflection of what we experienced in our day We are not very capable of taking into account that our memory can distort facts, nor that it is unconsciously.
But the reality is that memory does not work like an audiovisual recording machine (player mode), but rather operates in a reconstructive way: that is, the final product (the memory) is a mixture of some specific details and others that in reality we have rebuilt based on our expectations, needs, beliefs and emotions.
To delve deeper into this question, we recommend the article: “Gordon H. Bower: memories are mediated by emotions”
8. Women talk more than men
Finally, it is necessary to clarify another widespread myth that refers to a difference between men and women. Specifically, the myth is about which of the two sexes speaks more If we ask a man the question, he is likely to respond that they talk much more than they do. But the truth is that several studies have revealed that, on average, both sexes use a similar number of words per day: about 16,000.
It is true, however, that they tend to express their emotions and thoughts in a more open way, apart from the fact that they are capable of perceiving non-verbal communication in a more precise way. It seems that there is also an explanation for the fact that men consider that women talk more: apparently, the female voice has a longer intonation, a higher pitch and more complex inflections, factors that can cause irritation to the male sex. man if he is exposed to female speech for a long time.
