21 psychology stats that make no sense (until they do)

Hey – Rob here.

One of the great lessons I (re)learned this year comes from a CSO with whom I did some positioning and campaign work: start with the data.

This doesn't mean only use the data, but start there as it gives you a sense of scale, momentum, probability, before you then try to unpack the 'why'.

So, in prep for our ​free panel on behaviour change​ (👈 join us!), I went hunting for all the cool stats I had saved about this topic over the years.

The below is based on my notes from four quite good marketing books: Decoded, Alchemy, The Choice Factory, and The Illusion of Choice.

(Also, I'm very conscious of the lack of gender and ethnic diversity in my reference points for this, so any other book references are most welcome!)

So, here are 21 stats that don't quite make sense, until they maybe do:

1. 48% whose age ends in nine are more likely to run a marathon

2. People recall 6.7% of specific phrases vs 0.7% of abstract ones

3. Removing the $ sign from restaurant menus grows sales by 8%

4. Adding 'limit 12 per person' grows soup sales by 112%

5. 88% of drivers say they are safer than the average

6. 90% of academics say they are better teachers than the average

7. Including fruit in lunch prices reduces cookie eating by 55%

8. The order of a menu can increase the average price paid by 4%

9. Placing a salad bar near a checkout grows salad sales by 3x

10. Localised ads lift value perceptions by 150% vs national ones

11. Saying "was 44% higher" delivers 2x sales vs "now 31% lower"

12. People are 5x more likely to agree with a policy if it comes from their political party, vs the same policy coming from a rival party

13. People donate 142% more when exposed to a story vs a statistic

14. Students primed for fear respond 31% more to social proof

15. Students primed for romance respond 30% more to scarcity

16. People see precise claims as 10% more accurate than round ones

17. People remember concrete words 857% more than abstract ones

18. Deals framed as a daily price are 4x more valued than annual price

19. Descriptive names make food 7% tastier and 13% more appealing

20. Expensive placebos are 39% more effective than cheap ones

21. People in a good mood are 49% more likely to notice ads

Bit weird, right?

But also, hopefully enough of an enticement to get you to ​join our free panel on November 28​, where we'll try to unpack some of this stuff.

Here's the CTA one last time, because rules of three:

​Join our free behaviour change panel​.

Keep swimming,

Rob

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