What are some of the most awesome psychological facts? The mere presence of other people can enhance performance on simple or well-rehearsed tasks, but can impair performance on complex or difficult tasks, a phenomenon known as social facilitation and social inhibition, respectively.

People are more likely to remember information that is consistent with their pre-existing beliefs, a phenomenon known as confirmation bias.

The placebo effect is a real phenomenon in which people experience a positive effect from a treatment or intervention even though it has no active ingredients or real therapeutic value.

People tend to underestimate the influence of situational factors and overestimate the influence of personal traits when explaining other people’s behavior, a phenomenon known as the fundamental attribution error.

People are more likely to comply with a request if it is made by someone who they perceive as an authority figure, a phenomenon known as the Milgram obedience experiment.

The brain’s reward center is activated by novel stimuli, which can lead to the experience of pleasure and a desire for more novel experiences.

The brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making and impulse control, is not fully developed until a person’s mid-20s, which may explain why young adults are more prone to taking risks and engaging in impulsive behavior.

People are more likely to remember negative experiences than positive ones, a phenomenon known as the negativity bias.

The human brain has a limited capacity for attention and can only process a limited amount of information at any given time, which can lead to selective attention and the tendency to miss important details.

People tend to overestimate their own abilities and underestimate the abilities of others, a phenomenon known as the Dunning-Kruger effect.