Without a goal performance drops | Nudge Newsletter 🧠


All of us need a goal.

Feeling lethargic?

Maybe you need a goal.

In one study, cyclists who completed two 30km time trials finished an average of almost two minutes, or 4%, slower when they weren't given an explicit endpoint.

Without a clear goal, the cyclists performed worse.

In a separate study, individuals completed mental tasks at a slower pace when they were unaware that the task would last 90 minutes.

More importantly, they became stuck more frequently, taking more breaks from the task to replenish their mental resources.

Feeling stuck? Give yourself a goal.

Cheers,

Phill

Nudge Newsletter

I spend 18 hours each week turning marketing psychology into readable newsletters.

Read more from Nudge Newsletter

The ritual effect. To many, this Stella Artiois ad might seem ridiculous. β€œTHE PURIFICATION: A cold-water bath to chill the chalice and sustain the head of the pour. THE SACRIFICE: The first drops are sacrificed, a small price to ensure the freshest taste. THE LIQUID ALCHEMY: The chalice is held at forty-five degrees for the perfect combination of foam and liquid. THE CROWN: The chalice is gracefully straightened, forming a perfect head and sealing in the freshness. THE REMOVAL: A smooth and...

It's rhyme time. Rhymes are strangely powerful. Researchers McGlone and Tofighbakhsh found that rhymes boost believability by 17% Filkukova and Klempe found that rhyming slogans are rated at 22% more accurate. Shotton and Thompson found that rhymes boost recall by 29%. So it's no surprise that Tesco now use rhymes to reassure customers that its reduced produce is still "just as nice". There's not a single reduced item remaining. Clearly, the rhymes are working. But Tesco is hardly alone....

Flawless is worthless. Adam Grant shared a study of world-class sculptors in his book Hidden Potential. It turns out that world-class sculptors were average students. 66% graduated high school with Bs and Cs. A similar pattern emerged when comparing America's most influential architects. The great architects had rarely been great students: they typically finished college with a B or C average. Adam Grant writes how, in their quest for flawless results, research suggests that perfectionists...