Looking for someone trustworthy and reliable to date? It may help to sit in a wobbly chair.
New research shows that our wants and needs are influenced by our immediate surroundings. People, who were seated in a wobbly, unstable chair, were more likely to value trust and reliability in a potential date, compared to people who had their feet more firmly planted on the ground (so to speak – they were actually just seated in a sturdy chair).
Feeling physically unsteady makes people seek out others who can provide stability. Individuals seated in a wobbly chair were also more likely to think that other people’s relationships were unstable.
Research is consistently showing how bodily sensations can unconsciously influence our thoughts, wants and desires (embodied cognition). Take a close look at your surroundings. The environment you are in has a subtle influence on how you see the world and the goals you decide to pursue.
Of course, grocery stores, shopping malls, casinos, and amusement parks (think of Disney) have been using environmental tricks to unconsciously influence our behavior for decades. Scholars are just now beginning to reveal some of the tricks of the trade.
