1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
The book’s main point is that there are two systems functioning inside our brains. System one is impulsive and is based on intuition. System two is analytical and rational.
2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
I do not relate with many of the ideas and concepts presented in this book because my mind is more rational and analytical than the “typical person” portrayed in the book’s various examples and explanations. The way this book was relevant, is that it provoked self-reflection, which is something we are asked to do often in this class. The concepts in this book also made me think about marketing strategies. The author talked about that repetition of a message promotes trust, based on nothing but the fact that the message was received repeatedly and without a negative experience.
3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
I would design an exercise to illustrate the power of priming. Priming is explained as the process in which exposure to words, concepts or events subconsciously influences our perceptions, and not always correctly.
I would poll the class asking everyone to estimate percentages of certain commonly over or underestimated occurrences in our society, and later on illustrate how our culture influences our perceptions to be incorrect. For example, Americans estimate that about a quarter of the population is gay. That number is in reality under 4%. Americans likewise overestimate the percentage of gun-owners in the US to be 43%, whereas that number falls somewhere between 10% and 20%. We underestimate income in equality in this country.
I think this would be an eye-opening exercise and though-provoking how marketing companies use priming to influence our buying behaviors.
4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?
A big “aha” moment for me was realizing how my children are influenced by their environment and our culture. Thoughts, ideas and concerns that they bring home frequently vary vastly from thoughts, ideas and concerns I had as a child. This provoked thought in me to try to better understand the changes that have occurred in our society since I was a young child and the way they influence and shape who my children are as people.
Hey Mario,
ReplyDeleteThis was a very cool post to read, especially since the book you chose had already piqued my interest. Also, your proposed activity would be an awesome thing to see happen within this class. Showing how cultural influences change our perceptions of reality would help new entrepreneurs to not under or over estimate their potential markets because they "seem" large or small.
Hello Mario,
ReplyDeleteYour report on the book was extremely thorough. I found your exercise to be extremely interesting as it not only demonstrate the concept of priming, but it only shows how a simple phrasing or word can influence how our brains perceive things in the world. I agree with you that how people are brought up has a lot to do with the surrounding environment and culture. I was raised in a totally different culture as most of my peers and the differences are sometimes very clear.