Author Richard Wiseman's top 5 self-help myths:
- Cleansing the mind of negative thoughts is good for you.
Research shows that attempting to stop yourself thinking certain thoughts makes you more likely to obsess on the very topic that you are trying to avoid.
In a study conducted by Jennifer Borton of Hamilton College in New York, one group of people spent eleven days trying to push negative thoughts out of their mind while another group of participants carried on life as normal.
Those attempting to suppress their negative thoughts ended up significantly more anxious, more depressed, and with lower self-esteem.
- Visualizing your perfect future helps you achieve your goals.
A large body of research suggests that when it comes to achieving your dreams, fantasy-based visualization exercises can hinder more than they help.
In a study conducted by Shelley Taylor at the University of California, one group of students spent a few moments each day visualizing themselves doing well in an important exam while another group simply noted down how much they were revising.
The visualizers ended up studying less and eventually obtained lower marks in the exam. Similar work has revealed that such exercises are equally ineffective in several other domains, including weight loss, career development, and dating.
- Group brainstorming is an especially effective way of generating new ideas.
Advertising executive and inventor of brainstorming Alex Osborn once claimed that "the average person thinks up twice as many ideas when working with a group than when working alone." He was wrong.
Brian Mullen from the University of Kent at Canterbury collated 20 studies that tested the efficacy of group brainstorming versus people using the same instructions to generate ideas on their own.
In the vast majority of the experiments, the participants working alone produced a higher quantity, and quality, of ideas than those in groups.
- Punching a pillow helps you alleviate anger and frustration.
Research shows that the venting of anger does not extinguish the flame and, if anything, may pour petrol onto the fire.
In one study, Brad Bushman of Iowa State University annoyed hundreds of students by giving them negative feedback on an important essay, and then offered half of them the opportunity to get any aggressive feelings out of their system by hitting a 70-pound punch bag.
Those who lashed out at the bag ended up feeling far angrier, annoyed, and frustrated than students who had also relieved bad feedback but had been asked to simply sit quietly in another room.
- Praising a child's ability is good for their self-esteem and future success.
Telling a child that they are especially bright or talented is a terrible thing to do. In a series of studies conducted by Carol Dweck from Columbia University, children first completed an IQ test, and then half were praised for being really bright.
The results revealed that such praise induced a fear of failure, making these children especially likely to avoid more difficult tests in the future, less motivated to make the required effort when they do take such tests, and thus more likely to fail.
