HOW DO WORDS MANIPULATE THE BRAIN?

We can test the power of words on ourselves. Think of something that would promptly elicit a positive response from you. For example: “Would you help your best friend?” In making your response (“Of course I would”), try shaking your head in a negative gesture at the same time. How long does it take you to do that successfully? On average, it takes a few seconds to get it right no matter how hard you may be concentrating. If it was easy for you, perhaps you have a talent for lying or particularly good control of your body. Words can steer the body in a certain direction very fast, often overriding rational contradictory thoughts.

GIVE QUICK RESPONSES TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

WHAT FALLS FROM THE SKY IN WINTER?
WHAT COLOR IS A WEDDING DRESS?
WHAT DO COWS DRINK?

“Snow,” “white,” “milk” — that’s how about 90% of people answer these questions, although the correct answer to the third question is “water.” The reason: The first two questions lead us to an association with the color white. When the brain catches the signal word “cow” in the third question, it immediately thinks of “milk,” which is white. Advertisingmakesverygooduseofthesesubconscious mechanisms, which can even trick our taste buds. Which of these teas would you rather drink: “TropicalSensation” or “Fireside Warmth”? Researchers at the University of Applied Studies and Research in Germany devised a test to as sess people’s preference. Result: “Tropical Sensation” tasted more exotic, fruity, and refreshing than “Fireside Warmth” — even though both of the teas were identical. ManfredGotta, also known as “the king of names,” makes a living by thinking up the perfect monikers for products: Thecombinationofletters does not have to make sense, it just has to sound good and be patentable and easy to pronounce anywhere in the world. Product descriptions have rules of their own that are equally arbitrary. Various studies have shown that consumers think baked goods taste better if the package claims they are “made from grandma’s recipe” or that they are simply “traditional” in manufacture. But all the cookies in the studies were the exact same goods with two different kinds of packaging.