Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea of “magnifying psychology,” basically trying to see if I could take small, everyday psychological principles and blow them up to see what happens. It sounded cool in my head, I admit.
First, I picked a simple concept: positive reinforcement. You know, the whole “reward good behavior” thing. Usually, it’s like, give a dog a treat when it sits. I wanted to go bigger.
My Experiment
I started with my roommate, Mark. He’s a good guy, but leaves his dishes in the sink all the time. Normally, I just grumble. This time, I decided to try extreme positive reinforcement.
- Day 1: He washes one spoon. ONE. I go nuts. I’m talking cheering, clapping, the whole nine yards. He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.
- Day 2: Two forks. I bake him a small batch of his favorite cookies(ok, fine, it’s store-bought, cut me a break!).
He’s suspicious but eats cookies.
- Day 3: A plate and a bowl! I ordered a pizza. We watched his favorite sport match.
He’s starting to enjoy.
- Day 4: Nothing. Sink’s full. I do nothing, say nothing. He’s visibly confused. Ask me “Everything okay, pal?”.
- Day 5: He washes everything! The whole sink! I literally jump up and down, do a little victory dance, and take a photo of the shiny, empty sink. He laughs, but I think he gets it.
The next few days, the sink stayed mostly clean. It was like magic! But…it was also kind of exhausting. And expensive (pizza ain’t cheap!).
What I Learned
So, magnifying psychology? It works, sort of. It’s like using a loudspeaker to whisper. You definitely get noticed, but it’s not always practical. Here’s the breakdown:
- It’s powerful: The extreme positive reinforcement definitely had an impact. Way more than my usual passive-aggressive sighs.
- It’s unsustainable: I can’t keep up that level of enthusiasm (or afford it!). Real life isn’t a psychology experiment.
- It’s about balance: Maybe the key isn’t magnifying, but amplifying in a smart way. A little extra praise here and there, consistently, might be more effective (and less crazy-making) than going full-blown cheerleader.
I’m going to keep experimenting, but I’m thinking smaller scale next time. Maybe I’ll try “magnifying” procrastination…by doing absolutely nothing for a week. Just kidding (mostly)! I’ll find something else to focus on the subject and record it.
