From the daily archives:

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Is this sales strategy making you pay more?

by Gabrielle on March 11, 2010

Next time you need to make a purchase (such as a car, appliance or new home), watch out if the salesperson does this: He begins by flooding you with facts, technical jargon and even nonsense words. Then [more…]

What your cell phone habits reveal…

by Gabrielle on March 11, 2010

A recent study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience that compared the personality traits and brain function of 300 people reveals distinct differences among cell phone users.  [more…]

Babies need to hear 30,000 words a day

by Gabrielle on March 11, 2010

To develop the best language skills, children need to hear at least 30,000 words a day from birth to age three from their parents and caregivers—not TV or videos, reveals a recent Power of Talk study. Think you’ll have trouble fitting all that in? Believe it or not, it’s really just the equivalent of 18 and a half readings of Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat. But, don’t stop there! Parents of children who scored between the 90th to 99th percentile on language assessment tests spoke substantially more to their kids than did parents of children who were not as advanced.

[photo: Anissa Thompson]

Sale prices can be sneaky

by Gabrielle on March 11, 2010

Think you know a bargain when you see one? Maybe not! A study in the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that by simply making the right-hand digit of a sale price smaller, your brain perceives the discount as larger than it really is. For instance, an item on sale for $211 from the original price of $222 is perceived to be a better deal than an item on sale for $188 from an original price of $199—even though both discounts are $11. So keep a calculator handy the next time you go bargain hunting!

[photo: Cosmic Kitty]