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VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Klaudia Kierzkowska, graduate of chemistry at the University of Warsaw
Everyone wants to be liked, appreciated and respected. Being accepted by the group is a natural human need. And while most people think that to be liked you should do your best and present yourself at your best, the reality is a bit different. What to do to be liked and what is the Pratfall effect?
It is human to make mistakes and be wrong. It turns out that people who make mistakes are more liked. This phenomenon is calledtrip effect , i.e.Pratfall effect .
What is the Pratfall Effect?
The stumbling effect(pratfall effect), often called the blunder effect, was described in the 1960s by the American psychologist Elliot Aronson. The research aimed to find out how mistakes and lapses affect the perception of other people.
Elliot Aronson, to a group of students from the University of Minnesota, presented videos of substitute actors auditioning for the popular Collega Bowl student show.
Answering difficult questions, they played the role of a very intelligent person (92% of correct answers) who could boast of successes in private and professional life, or an average person who knew the correct answer only in 30%. questions.
The factor differentiating the experimental group from the control group was a minor mistake - at the end of the interview, the participant poured coffee on his suit.
Don't be perfect
The conducted experiment proves that perfection does not always pay off. The students rated the best actor with a lot of knowledge, but not perfect - the one who spilled his coffee at the end of the recording.
Interestingly, however, the spill of coffee in the case of a less intelligent person led to a decrease in her attractiveness.
The Pratfall Effect shows that being imperfect affects our advantage. If we want to be liked and arouse sympathy, we should be intelligent, competent, but at the same time we have to make small mistakes.
Make minor mistakes
We don't like walking ideals. Intelligent and perfect people are not as popular as those who make minor mistakes. However, for mishaps and shortcomingsonly those who are perceived by the environment as competent people can afford.
Only in this case, mistakes make it attractive. Otherwise, "clumsiness" will negatively affect your image.
The conducted experiment proves that sharing failures and mistakes is not a reason to be ashamed, on the contrary - it often makes us more liked.