500+ Psychology Facts | ✍

691-695

691. When one rule seems too strict, we want to break more.
Psychologists have studied a phenomenon called reactance: When people perceive certain freedoms being taken away, they not only break that rule, but they break even more than they otherwise would have in an effort to regain their freedom. This could be one of the best psychology facts to explain why a teenager who can't use his phone in class will chew gum while stealthily sending a text.

692. There's a reason we want to squeeze cute things.
"It's so cute, I just was to smoosh it until it pops!" That's called cuteness aggression, and people who feel it don't really want to crush that adorable puppy. Research published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience found that when we're feeling overwhelmed by positive emotions—like we do when looking at an impossibly cute baby animal—a little bit of aggression helps us balance out that high.

693. We're convinced that the future is bright.
Doesn't matter if you like where you're at right now or not—most of us have an "optimism bias" that convinces us the future will be better than the present, according to research in Current Biology. We assume we'll rise up in our careers, never get divorced, raise little angels of children, and live to a ripe old age. Those might not all be realistic for everyone, but there's no harm in dreaming.

694. To get a girlfriend or boyfriend, have a girlfriend or boyfriend.
People like what other people like, and we have a tendency to judge the value of something by how in demandit is. One of the best ways to convince someone to like you, especially romantically, is by demonstrating to them that there areother people who like you as well. In order to get a girlfriend or boyfriend, paradoxically, it helps if you already have one. This shows that you are sought after—by at least one person. Having a partner is like being implicitly endorsed. People will reason that there must be something good about you if you have managed to attract a romantic partner.

695. Studies note that sometimes those who have a high level of physical attractiveness seek less attractive mates in order to wield more power over them. In other words, less attractive people may attract more attractive mates because they are more likely to yield to their whims.