101 Psychology Facts That Will Change the Way You See Yourself, and Everyone Else
Psychology isn’t a pile of party tricks; it’s a science of patterns. Each fact below is backed by peer‑reviewed research that has replicated across cultures or been refined for decades. Some will make you nod (“So that’s why!”), others might sting (“Oops—that’s me”). Use them as mirrors, not verdicts.
Perception & Attention
Your eyes send raw data; your brain paints the picture. Up to 90 % of visual “reality” is reconstructed from memory and expectation.
We’re blind to what we don’t expect. In the classic “gorilla experiment,” half of viewers missed a person in a full ape suit because they were counting passes.
Peripheral vision spots threats faster. Evolution wired side‑glances to flag predators long before the forebrain says “look!”
Loud colors really are loud. Bright reds and yellows trigger a mild fight‑or‑flight spike, raising heart rate within 100 milliseconds.
Phone pings hijack focus even when ignored. Merely hearing a notification tone drops working‑memory scores by up to 10 %.