three brains and scarcity
MTM1532
Tiffany Tse
tset@algonquincollege.com
Think of something you bought recently
In a List
the item
your approach
how long it took for you to make your decision
why do you remember this purchase?
Psychology
The science that deals with mental processes and behavior
Our Brain
Three brains in one.
Old Brain
old brain
Survival
• surveys environment
• automatic functions
• chewing, breathing
• reproduction
Unconscious Thought
• little control
Mid Brain
Mid Brain
Emotion
• impulses
• memory
• sad, happy, mad
Unconscious Thought
• little control
New Brain
New Brain
Thought
• language
• music
• planning
Conscious Thought
• control
• aware
Our Brain
Governs our decisions and behaviours
All three parts of our brain work together
Behaviour and Decisions
Most behaviours and decisions originate in our
old and mid brains
We verbalize and make sense of these via our
new brain
Lewicki, 1988
Lewicki, 1988
The participants didn’t know it, but there was a complex
rule about where the X would appear. For example, the X
never appeared in the same square two times in a row; the
location of the third X was dependent upon the location
of the second. The location of the fourth X was dependent
upon the location of the set of Xs for the previous two
trials. Lastly, an X never appeared in a spot unless it had
appeared in at least two of the other squares.
Neuro Web Design, Weinschenk, 2009
key observations
No one was aware of the rules
Participants were not aware they were learning the rules
Their performance improved.
Key Observations
When participants improved
The rules changed
They started to make mistakes
Again, over time their performance improved.
Lewicki, 1988
The participants were learning, but on an unconscious level.
So why does this matter?
The best sites take advantage of our instincts.
Thats why we test.
Three brains
old brain
• survival, functions, reproduction
mid brain
• emotions, impulses, memory
new brain
• thought, language
Scarcity
January 9, 2007
iPhone revealed to the public
June 29, 2007
Actual sales date.
apple
2 weeks earlier
They said shipments would be short
and the orders soared.
Hybrid Car Sale
Limited numbers
when a new vehicle was released
Orders pour in.
Why?
Social Psychology
A mental state in which
the mind values something
based on how easily it may
lose it.
Scarcity
The more scarce something
is, the higher the value we
place on it, which increases
our need for it.
Title
Scarcity
Sales
Home Shopping Network
scarcity
Motivation
Scarcity
Time
Title
The three brains and scarcity
By tset
