And the savings aren’t only on items at tag sales. A national study by Consumer Reports finds that more than 90% of folks who asked for a better price got it on brand-new [more…]
From the category archives:
persuasion
Sure, Oscar night is famous for its glitz and glam as our favorite actresses get dressed to the nines and stroll the red carpet. But, special occasions are not the only time actors—or you—should dress up. A study in the Home Economics Journal reveals that wearing your dressier outfits for everyday activities makes people see you as friendlier and [more…]
Tired of begging your kids to do things that are good for them—such as brushing their teeth, taking their vitamins, buckling up in the car or drinking their milk? Tel Aviv University have found the problem—and the solution! In their recent study, they found that kids [more…]
Burning a scented candle or spraying a room with your favorite air freshener doesn’t only make your home smell wonderful, it stimulates areas of the brain that change your mood. “Scents can generate reactions in the frontal lobe and the hypothalamus that influence behaviors and personalities,” says Alan Hirsch, M.D., Founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. According to his research, if you want to be more… [more…]
Dream of starring on America’s Got Talent, Top Chef, The Bachelor or The Amazing Race? Getting on these and other reality TV shows is easier than you think, says television producer and reality TV expert Donna Michelle Anderson (aka DMA), author of The Show Starter™ Reality TV Made Simple System. Here are her 5 tips to snagging a spot on your favorite reality program: [more…]
We’re more likely to believe gossip—even when it contradicts what we’ve witnessed with our own eyes! To prove it, researchers from Germany and Austria recruited 126 college students to participate in a revealing [more…]
Contrary to the old belief that kidding around isn’t appropriate at the office, researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia found that just the opposite is true: an occasional joke among colleagues improves creativity, the ability to work as a team and overall performance.
[photo: D. Sharon Pruitt]
Your routine. A Duke University study recently found this works faster and more effectively at breaking bad habits—like cigarette smoking and eating junk food—than relying on willpower alone. So, if you always light up with co-workers on your coffee break, take a walk around the block by yourself instead. And, if you can’t resist the lure of fattening French fries, change your driving route so you don’t pass fast food restaurants.
[photo: meddygarnet]
It’s the one you drool over. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that not only are shoppers more likely to purchase more products when we’re attracted to the salesperson, we’re also willing to pay more for the items! The reason? We subconsciously rate products as being higher in quality when the person selling them to us is good-looking.
[photo: atp_tyreseus]
If you’re hunting for a job, chances are you’re going to be asked to do a preliminary phone interview at some point. “More employers are using this method to help them whittle down their choice of candidates to invite to an in-person interview,” says Marci Alboher, career expert for the Yahoo.com blog Working the New Economy. But it’s not just your job skills they’re interested in learning about. “They also want to get a sense of your personality, communication skills and ability to focus on a task.” Luckily, showing them over the phone is easy, says Alboher. Start by… [more…]
Want your hubby to do the laundry? Your teen to do an after-school chore? Or your coworker to pitch in with a project? They’ll be more likely to agree—without grumbling!—if you give them easy to read written instructions, for instance, provide a bulleted, printed-out list instead of one big handwritten paragraph. In a recent University of Michigan study, volunteers who found instructions hard to read were much less willing to do tasks asked of them than folks given the same exact instructions in a simple step-by-step style!
[photo: Bryce Edwards]
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