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The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World
A journey through the cutting-edge science of how our mindset shapes every facet of our lives, revealing how your brain holds the keys to unlocking a better you
What you believe can make it so.
You’ve heard of the placebo effect and how sugar pills can accelerate healing. But did you know that sham heart surgeries often work just as well as placing real stents? Or that people who think they’re particularly prone to cardiovascular disease are four times as likely to die from cardiac arrest? Such is the power and deadly importance of the expectation effect—how what we think will happen changes what does happen.
Melding neuroscience with narrative, science journalist David Robson takes readers on a deep dive into the many life zones the expectation effect permeates. We see how people who believe stress is beneficial become more creative when placed under strain. We see how associating aging with wisdom can add seven plus years to your life. People say seeing is believing but, over and over, Robson proves that the converse is truer: believing is seeing.
The Expectation Effect is not woo-woo. You cannot think your way into a pile of money or out of a cancer diagnosis. But just because magical thinking is nonsense doesn’t mean rational magic doesn’t exist. Pointing to accepted psychology and objective physiology, Robson gives us the practical takeaways we need to improve our fitness, productivity, intelligence, and happiness.
What you believe can make it so.
You’ve heard of the placebo effect and how sugar pills can accelerate healing. But did you know that sham heart surgeries often work just as well as placing real stents? Or that people who think they’re particularly prone to cardiovascular disease are four times as likely to die from cardiac arrest? Such is the power and deadly importance of the expectation effect—how what we think will happen changes what does happen.
Melding neuroscience with narrative, science journalist David Robson takes readers on a deep dive into the many life zones the expectation effect permeates. We see how people who believe stress is beneficial become more creative when placed under strain. We see how associating aging with wisdom can add seven plus years to your life. People say seeing is believing but, over and over, Robson proves that the converse is truer: believing is seeing.
The Expectation Effect is not woo-woo. You cannot think your way into a pile of money or out of a cancer diagnosis. But just because magical thinking is nonsense doesn’t mean rational magic doesn’t exist. Pointing to accepted psychology and objective physiology, Robson gives us the practical takeaways we need to improve our fitness, productivity, intelligence, and happiness.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2022
1,023 people are currently reading
16.1k people want to read
About the author
David Robson
5 books219 followersI am an award-winning writer and editor, who specialises in writing in-depth articles probing the extremes of the human mind, body and behaviour.
My first book, The Intelligence Trap, examined the reasons that smart people make stupid decisions.
My second book is The Expectation Effect. It examines how our mindset can influence our health, fitness, happiness and longevity.
If you like what you see here, please visit my website www.davidrobson.me.
My first book, The Intelligence Trap, examined the reasons that smart people make stupid decisions.
My second book is The Expectation Effect. It examines how our mindset can influence our health, fitness, happiness and longevity.
If you like what you see here, please visit my website www.davidrobson.me.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
May 9, 2022
The basic thesis of this book is that your expectations can make a large difference to your life, health and wellbeing. If you expect bad things to happen, you're more likely to be unsuccessful and unhealthy, and you'll have a shorter life. Conversely, if you expect good things to happen, you're more likely to do well, enjoy good health, and live longer.
While I was reading it, I constantly felt two possible reactions fighting each other. One is that this is all nonsense: it's some more academic version of "The Secret", the crazy and dangerous New Age idea that just wishing for something hard enough will make the universe give it to you. The second reaction was that this actually makes a lot of sense. In particular, the placebo effect, and its converse, the nocebo effect, are well documented and certainly exist. The author himself tells you many times that you need to be careful how you read the book, and that it absolutely isn't some version of "The Secret". With that important caveat, my feeling on reaching the end is that the second reaction is much closer to the truth. Your expectations have a stronger effect on you than you probably believe, and being aware of this may help you.
One of the most striking examples came early on, and describes a syndrome that was observed in Hmong people who had emigrated to the US. Many of these people believed in evil night spirits that can kill you if not placated by a shaman who knows the proper rituals. I am doubtful about the existence of the evil night spirits. But whether they exist or not, substantial numbers of Hmong people were dying in a way consistent with this belief. American doctors thought that they usually had underlying heart conditions, and had terrified themselves to such a degree that they had fatal attacks. Whatever the reason, they were ending up dead. Importing shamans who knew the rituals had a good effect. The Hmong believed that the night spirits had been scared off, and the mysterious deaths became less common. Other cases are described where black magic at least has the apparent effect of being able to harm or kill.
The author is quick to answer critics who assume that this kind of case can only affect "primitive" people. Another striking example was a mysterious outbreak of a syndrome which struck down hundreds of Spanish teens and left adults unaffected. It turned out that the teens had been watching a TV soap which featured a deadly virus producing the relevant symptoms. The virus was fictitious: but once a few kids had displayed the symptoms, it spread like a real disease. There are many other documented cases of psychogenic illnesses.
You do not need to think that having positive beliefs will magically make you happy and successful. If false negative beliefs can be this dangerous, it is entirely credible that avoiding them might be very good for you. Of course, you can't just wish your negative beliefs away. If they are reality-based, that might anyway be a terrible idea. Also, the author also warns you multiple times not to fall into the trap of thinking that, when bad things happen, it's your fault for not being positive enough. That will just set up another negative spiral. But he says that responsible awareness of these mechanisms may be useful to you.
The book contains a great many more case studies, all carefully footnoted. I can't resist the temptation to add one more, from my personal experience. I like playing speed chess on lichess.com and chess.com, and these sites offer integrated chess engines which let you review your games afterwards to get advice from a player as strong as a top Grandmaster. As every serious chess player knows, doing this is a humbling experience. When I am in a bad mood and not thinking well, I may lose several games and feel I have been hopelessly crushed by my opponents. But the objective bot often shows me it's not true: in reality, I had some saving move I never saw, because I was thinking too negatively. On a good day, when I am in the zone, I may spot these chances and save apparently hopeless positions. But I shouldn't get too confident and think I'm playing brilliantly just because I'm winning. This time, the bot shows me that my opponents are often getting opportunities which they don't see. In actual fact, people can't play chess very well, it's too difficult; but if you're in a positive, focussed frame of mind, you'll play much better than when you're in a negative, distracted frame of mind. Well, if that's what's happening in the tiny world of the chess board, just imagine what you're missing in the infinitely more complicated game of real life.
This is an interesting book! It will make you realise, once again, that the notion of "reality" is not as straightforward as you thought it was, and it may conceivably even help you.
While I was reading it, I constantly felt two possible reactions fighting each other. One is that this is all nonsense: it's some more academic version of "The Secret", the crazy and dangerous New Age idea that just wishing for something hard enough will make the universe give it to you. The second reaction was that this actually makes a lot of sense. In particular, the placebo effect, and its converse, the nocebo effect, are well documented and certainly exist. The author himself tells you many times that you need to be careful how you read the book, and that it absolutely isn't some version of "The Secret". With that important caveat, my feeling on reaching the end is that the second reaction is much closer to the truth. Your expectations have a stronger effect on you than you probably believe, and being aware of this may help you.
One of the most striking examples came early on, and describes a syndrome that was observed in Hmong people who had emigrated to the US. Many of these people believed in evil night spirits that can kill you if not placated by a shaman who knows the proper rituals. I am doubtful about the existence of the evil night spirits. But whether they exist or not, substantial numbers of Hmong people were dying in a way consistent with this belief. American doctors thought that they usually had underlying heart conditions, and had terrified themselves to such a degree that they had fatal attacks. Whatever the reason, they were ending up dead. Importing shamans who knew the rituals had a good effect. The Hmong believed that the night spirits had been scared off, and the mysterious deaths became less common. Other cases are described where black magic at least has the apparent effect of being able to harm or kill.
The author is quick to answer critics who assume that this kind of case can only affect "primitive" people. Another striking example was a mysterious outbreak of a syndrome which struck down hundreds of Spanish teens and left adults unaffected. It turned out that the teens had been watching a TV soap which featured a deadly virus producing the relevant symptoms. The virus was fictitious: but once a few kids had displayed the symptoms, it spread like a real disease. There are many other documented cases of psychogenic illnesses.
You do not need to think that having positive beliefs will magically make you happy and successful. If false negative beliefs can be this dangerous, it is entirely credible that avoiding them might be very good for you. Of course, you can't just wish your negative beliefs away. If they are reality-based, that might anyway be a terrible idea. Also, the author also warns you multiple times not to fall into the trap of thinking that, when bad things happen, it's your fault for not being positive enough. That will just set up another negative spiral. But he says that responsible awareness of these mechanisms may be useful to you.
The book contains a great many more case studies, all carefully footnoted. I can't resist the temptation to add one more, from my personal experience. I like playing speed chess on lichess.com and chess.com, and these sites offer integrated chess engines which let you review your games afterwards to get advice from a player as strong as a top Grandmaster. As every serious chess player knows, doing this is a humbling experience. When I am in a bad mood and not thinking well, I may lose several games and feel I have been hopelessly crushed by my opponents. But the objective bot often shows me it's not true: in reality, I had some saving move I never saw, because I was thinking too negatively. On a good day, when I am in the zone, I may spot these chances and save apparently hopeless positions. But I shouldn't get too confident and think I'm playing brilliantly just because I'm winning. This time, the bot shows me that my opponents are often getting opportunities which they don't see. In actual fact, people can't play chess very well, it's too difficult; but if you're in a positive, focussed frame of mind, you'll play much better than when you're in a negative, distracted frame of mind. Well, if that's what's happening in the tiny world of the chess board, just imagine what you're missing in the infinitely more complicated game of real life.
This is an interesting book! It will make you realise, once again, that the notion of "reality" is not as straightforward as you thought it was, and it may conceivably even help you.
December 13, 2021
David’s previous book The Intelligence Trap was one of my favorites, so I was absolutely ecstatic when I heard he was writing a new book. He was also kind enough to send me an early copy to check out. Once I saw what the book was about, I was worried it was going to have a lot of repeat research from other books I’ve read like Suggestible You, but David surprised the hell out of me. This book is completely unique and such an interesting book about how our mind can have changes in our body. He covers everything from intelligence, to weight loss, to reframing stress and anxiety, to aging, and soo much more. There were a bunch of studies in this book that David draws from that I had never heard about before, and even with the studies I was familiar with, he was able to explain them in a much better way than other books I’ve read. David is one of the best science writers out there, and I really hope this book gets the attention it deserves once it releases.
December 16, 2022
update: I don't think this example from Japan is in the book https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-ra...
Some years ago, my Swiss doctor suggested that the first step to dealing with really bad adjustments to jetlag - it would take me weeks to recover - was to take melatonin. When I went to the pharmacy and asked for it, the girl serving said 'we only have homeopathic'. 'Oh, that's okay,' I said, thinking that it was a brand. I'd never heard of homeopathy before, and only when I got home did I discover that this meant there was nothing in it. Actually, it said in very big font on the label 2X, and apparently that meant I'd just bought two times nothing. That night come bedtime, I was really cross, drafting the letter of complaint to the pharmacy governance board. I should have been warned! But at the same time I thought well, I've paid for the darn bottle of these 'pills', I might as well take one. And I did. Then I laid in bed, irate, starting to imagine how I was going to lie there all night stark wide awake... when I fell asleep. Just like that.
Yes, I know, it's only an anecdote. But when I started reading about the astonishingly scary way that the brain gets on with the body, not only inadvertently passing on false information, but even deliberately, I could see how this might have worked even if I didn't believe in it. Maybe at some level my brain was able to ignore my conscious reasoning and said to my body, sleep treatment taken, let's go. Holy Toledo if stuff like that happens....
And indeed, according to this book, such stuff happens all the time.
I'm in at least two minds about this book. It's an enormous literature review done in an accessible way, though Robson is no great prose stylist. Every time he points out another way in which the expectation effect seems to come into play, we are bombarded with examples from scientific and medical trials/experiments. The reader really is overwhelmed by the evidence, so that although he occasionally points out that an experiment did not have a meaningful number of subjects, and even though we might have at the back of our minds some suspicion about the methodology and motives of such research in general, nonetheless it's hard not to say, okay, you win, it is a real phenomena. Indeed, I happened to talk to a doctor about some of this recently and she said the results are amazing in reference to knee 'operations' being performed instead of knee operations. Ie that pretending an operation has been done, even if the patient is informed, has an impressive success rate.
The rest is here: https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpre...
Some years ago, my Swiss doctor suggested that the first step to dealing with really bad adjustments to jetlag - it would take me weeks to recover - was to take melatonin. When I went to the pharmacy and asked for it, the girl serving said 'we only have homeopathic'. 'Oh, that's okay,' I said, thinking that it was a brand. I'd never heard of homeopathy before, and only when I got home did I discover that this meant there was nothing in it. Actually, it said in very big font on the label 2X, and apparently that meant I'd just bought two times nothing. That night come bedtime, I was really cross, drafting the letter of complaint to the pharmacy governance board. I should have been warned! But at the same time I thought well, I've paid for the darn bottle of these 'pills', I might as well take one. And I did. Then I laid in bed, irate, starting to imagine how I was going to lie there all night stark wide awake... when I fell asleep. Just like that.
Yes, I know, it's only an anecdote. But when I started reading about the astonishingly scary way that the brain gets on with the body, not only inadvertently passing on false information, but even deliberately, I could see how this might have worked even if I didn't believe in it. Maybe at some level my brain was able to ignore my conscious reasoning and said to my body, sleep treatment taken, let's go. Holy Toledo if stuff like that happens....
And indeed, according to this book, such stuff happens all the time.
I'm in at least two minds about this book. It's an enormous literature review done in an accessible way, though Robson is no great prose stylist. Every time he points out another way in which the expectation effect seems to come into play, we are bombarded with examples from scientific and medical trials/experiments. The reader really is overwhelmed by the evidence, so that although he occasionally points out that an experiment did not have a meaningful number of subjects, and even though we might have at the back of our minds some suspicion about the methodology and motives of such research in general, nonetheless it's hard not to say, okay, you win, it is a real phenomena. Indeed, I happened to talk to a doctor about some of this recently and she said the results are amazing in reference to knee 'operations' being performed instead of knee operations. Ie that pretending an operation has been done, even if the patient is informed, has an impressive success rate.
The rest is here: https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpre...
February 11, 2022
The Expectation Effect was a super-interesting look into the topic. Mindset is an incredibly under-researched subject, IMHO. The right mindset can often predict the outcome of any endeavour, as well as chart the trajectory of your entire life. It can often be the sole deciding factor between life and death...
Author David Robson is an award-winning science writer specialising in the extremes of the human brain, body and behaviour.
David Robson:
Robson opens the book with an engaging and well-written intro. He writes with a decent style, and this one shouldn't struggle to hold the reader's attention.
The book is a largely science-driven look into the topics covered, which is a welcome change from other books along these lines, that can border on (or even dive head-first into) the realm of magical thinking and woo-peddling.
Some of what Robson covers here will no doubt be met with much skepticism, as much of it goes against decades of established scientific orthodoxy. I am not personally qualified to pick apart the data he covers here, so I decided to take it all with a grain of salt. There are many interesting studies presented here by Robson, that are sure to leave the reader questioning many of their ingrained assumptions.
Robsons begins by telling the reader about extremely bizarre occurrences of sudden death among the Hmong people:
What exactly was going on here?? Robson unfolds the thesis of the book. Incredibly, due largely to people's inborn pro-social neural "mirroring," coupled with the brain's predictor effects, these otherwise healthy people suddenly died.
Robson writes that the brain is a prediction machine, and our subjective experience of reality is deeply influenced by what those expectations are. To illuminate this point, he includes a few optical illusions, including this ambiguous photo; which can be seen as a right-facing rabbit or a left-facing bird, depending on many contextual factors.
He also takes a deep dive into the incredibly interesting medical phenomenon of both the placebo and the nocebo effects. The placebo effect is extremely well-evidenced and robust, across a wide variety of therapeutical interventions. Just as perplexing, the nocebo effect (basically the placebo's inverse) is also very well-evidenced. There have been many cases of people reporting sicknesses and other pathological symptoms, despite having no underlying conditions...
People's inherent pro-social wiring is a central theme of the writing here, as Robson continues on, talking about social contagions; including EMF "sensitivities," and a possible psychosomatic case for the recent cases of Havana syndrome seen in American diplomats stationed in both Cuba and China.
I had a small point of contention here about the Havana symptoms being psychosomatic. Many of the victims of these unknown attacks have actually shown traumatic brain injuries in brain scans. I'm not sure if a nocebo effect can cause a TBI...
The book also includes talk about sports performance. Robson says that most athletes' absolute limits are actually set by the brain, and not by physical constraints of the body.
In another bit of incredibly-interesting writing, Robson talks about mindset, expectations, and health. He writes:
The book also includes a summary at the end of every chapter, titled "How to think about ____." Here's one:
From there, Robson takes a natural segue into aging and longevity; mentioning, incredibly, that your mindset and expectations can influence both of those:
What is going on there? Robson unravels the "stereotype embodiment theory," which is basically what you might think it is. Often, people become aligned with the expectations they have of themselves, their health, and their lives - be it for good, or for bad.
************************
As mentioned at the start of this review, I enjoyed The Expectation Effect.
I am very interested in the topic of mindset, and so this one caught my attention right from the title.
It was an eye-opening look into the topics presented. If I had to find fault with the book, I would opine that the writing here tended to be a bit dry and flat at times.
It was still a great book. 5 stars.
Author David Robson is an award-winning science writer specialising in the extremes of the human brain, body and behaviour.
David Robson:
Robson opens the book with an engaging and well-written intro. He writes with a decent style, and this one shouldn't struggle to hold the reader's attention.
The book is a largely science-driven look into the topics covered, which is a welcome change from other books along these lines, that can border on (or even dive head-first into) the realm of magical thinking and woo-peddling.
Some of what Robson covers here will no doubt be met with much skepticism, as much of it goes against decades of established scientific orthodoxy. I am not personally qualified to pick apart the data he covers here, so I decided to take it all with a grain of salt. There are many interesting studies presented here by Robson, that are sure to leave the reader questioning many of their ingrained assumptions.
Robsons begins by telling the reader about extremely bizarre occurrences of sudden death among the Hmong people:
"Beginning in the late 1970s, the US Centers for Disease Control began to receive reports that a worrying number of recent Laotian immigrants were dying in their sleep. They were almost all male, aged between their mid-20s and mid-40s, and most were from the persecuted Hmong ethnic group, who had fled Laos after the rise to power of the communist political movement Pathet Lao. For their loved ones, the only warning was the sound of them struggling for breath and, occasionally, a gasp, a moan, or a cry. By the time help arrived, however, they were already dead..."
What exactly was going on here?? Robson unfolds the thesis of the book. Incredibly, due largely to people's inborn pro-social neural "mirroring," coupled with the brain's predictor effects, these otherwise healthy people suddenly died.
Robson writes that the brain is a prediction machine, and our subjective experience of reality is deeply influenced by what those expectations are. To illuminate this point, he includes a few optical illusions, including this ambiguous photo; which can be seen as a right-facing rabbit or a left-facing bird, depending on many contextual factors.
He also takes a deep dive into the incredibly interesting medical phenomenon of both the placebo and the nocebo effects. The placebo effect is extremely well-evidenced and robust, across a wide variety of therapeutical interventions. Just as perplexing, the nocebo effect (basically the placebo's inverse) is also very well-evidenced. There have been many cases of people reporting sicknesses and other pathological symptoms, despite having no underlying conditions...
People's inherent pro-social wiring is a central theme of the writing here, as Robson continues on, talking about social contagions; including EMF "sensitivities," and a possible psychosomatic case for the recent cases of Havana syndrome seen in American diplomats stationed in both Cuba and China.
I had a small point of contention here about the Havana symptoms being psychosomatic. Many of the victims of these unknown attacks have actually shown traumatic brain injuries in brain scans. I'm not sure if a nocebo effect can cause a TBI...
The book also includes talk about sports performance. Robson says that most athletes' absolute limits are actually set by the brain, and not by physical constraints of the body.
In another bit of incredibly-interesting writing, Robson talks about mindset, expectations, and health. He writes:
"Our expectations may even override the apparent link between stress and heart disease – one of the most persistent and alarming messages about anxiety. An eight-year longitudinal study of more than 28,000 people, for example, found that high levels of anxiety and mental tension did indeed lead to a 43 per cent increase in mortality – but only if the participants believed that it was doing them harm. People who were under high pressure, but who believed it to have little effect on their health, were actually less likely to die than those who experienced very little stress at all. That was true even when the scientists controlled for a host of other lifestyle factors, such as income, education, physical activity and smoking.
Overall, the authors calculate that the belief that stress is harmful leads to the equivalent of around 20,000 preventable deaths a year in the US – an astonishing number of people who, like the Hmong immigrants that we met in the introduction, are essentially dying from noxious expectations."
The book also includes a summary at the end of every chapter, titled "How to think about ____." Here's one:
How to think about . . . intelligence, learning and creativity:
• Try to honestly assess your own abilities, and question whether you have internalised negative expectations. Is there really good reason to think you are inherently bad at maths or art, for instance? Or might you have the capacity to improve?
• Once you have identified potential areas of growth, try to test whether those negative assumptions are true by looking for new challenges that push you out of your intellectual or creative comfort zone.
• Throughout this process, recognise that any moments of frustration are themselves a sign of effective learning and reflect the importance of the task at hand. This simple reframing will, by itself, increase your performance.
• If you feel especially anxious or believe you may be suffering from stereotype threat, try to practise self-affirmation (pages 198–201). This involves noting the many other personal characteristics or values that matter to your identity and the reasons that they are important to you, as a way of neutralising your fears and negative expectations.
• If you are a teacher or manager, try to think about the ways your own behaviours may be transmitting your expectations to others, both verbally and non-verbally. You may not be conscious of your body language or tone of voice, so it could be helpful either to ask an outside observer to watch your interactions or to film yourself interacting with your students or colleagues.
From there, Robson takes a natural segue into aging and longevity; mentioning, incredibly, that your mindset and expectations can influence both of those:
"Indeed, many scientists are coming to the conclusion that your beliefs about the ageing process may be as important for your long-term well-being as your actual age..."
What is going on there? Robson unravels the "stereotype embodiment theory," which is basically what you might think it is. Often, people become aligned with the expectations they have of themselves, their health, and their lives - be it for good, or for bad.
************************
As mentioned at the start of this review, I enjoyed The Expectation Effect.
I am very interested in the topic of mindset, and so this one caught my attention right from the title.
It was an eye-opening look into the topics presented. If I had to find fault with the book, I would opine that the writing here tended to be a bit dry and flat at times.
It was still a great book. 5 stars.
February 9, 2022
I heard David Robson on a couple of podcasts and was intrigued enough by this book to get hold of a copy.
As the subtitle suggests, The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World explores how our expectations and beliefs, however irrational, might influence our health, wellbeing and longevity.
David Robson opens by exploring the well established placebo effect and also introduces an associated concept I'd never heard of - the "nocebo effect" (actually experiencing drug side-effects like nausea, headaches etc. even though the person is aware they are only taking sugar pills). What's more the placebo effect even works when the patient knows they're taking a placebo.
Turns out our brains constantly anticipate what will happen next and this script is incredibly powerful. This does not mean, as some self help exponents suggest, anything bad is the fault of the individual, or that we can just ask the universe for whatever outcome we want, however there appears to be some benefit in reframing experiences when our beliefs may not be helping us.
I came away from this book convinced that our expectations do correlate to some extent with our lived reality and therefore can boost or harm our health. We can improve our fitness, reduce anxiety, even extend our lives by changing the way we think.
4/5
As the subtitle suggests, The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World explores how our expectations and beliefs, however irrational, might influence our health, wellbeing and longevity.
David Robson opens by exploring the well established placebo effect and also introduces an associated concept I'd never heard of - the "nocebo effect" (actually experiencing drug side-effects like nausea, headaches etc. even though the person is aware they are only taking sugar pills). What's more the placebo effect even works when the patient knows they're taking a placebo.
Turns out our brains constantly anticipate what will happen next and this script is incredibly powerful. This does not mean, as some self help exponents suggest, anything bad is the fault of the individual, or that we can just ask the universe for whatever outcome we want, however there appears to be some benefit in reframing experiences when our beliefs may not be helping us.
I came away from this book convinced that our expectations do correlate to some extent with our lived reality and therefore can boost or harm our health. We can improve our fitness, reduce anxiety, even extend our lives by changing the way we think.
4/5
July 9, 2024
This book is just amazing! I believe the most successful parts of my life were thanks to the mindset I had that aligns with those in this book, and a lot of my failures were because I deviated from the correct “expectation path” that this book explains. It's one of those pieces of knowledge in your life that can flip the switch and make it much more gratifying in multiple areas.
October 10, 2022
How do our expectations and beliefs influence our lives? Does the picture we hold in our mind's eye influence our reality? David Robson suggests it does.
Using data from various studies in different areas of science, like medicine, chemistry, behavioral science, psychology, and athletics. Bridging the counterintuitive results that lack subject-specific explanations. Like how placebos have cured sick patients. How eating less but being told it's more has reduced hunger in study subjects. How elite athletes performed higher than their previous peak performance when their performance output data was manipulated. How an individual's views on old age and biological ability reflect their body. Importantly, people with a negative attitude towards old age demonstrate more characteristical age-related changes.
All the studies are used to underline the importance of the state of mind. The evidence shows that our mind's deterministic emotional inclination affects and molds the outcome of our reality. Adopting this lens to view the world is what David Robson recommends, and I can't help but agree.
Using data from various studies in different areas of science, like medicine, chemistry, behavioral science, psychology, and athletics. Bridging the counterintuitive results that lack subject-specific explanations. Like how placebos have cured sick patients. How eating less but being told it's more has reduced hunger in study subjects. How elite athletes performed higher than their previous peak performance when their performance output data was manipulated. How an individual's views on old age and biological ability reflect their body. Importantly, people with a negative attitude towards old age demonstrate more characteristical age-related changes.
All the studies are used to underline the importance of the state of mind. The evidence shows that our mind's deterministic emotional inclination affects and molds the outcome of our reality. Adopting this lens to view the world is what David Robson recommends, and I can't help but agree.
January 3, 2023
من الجيد أن يتذكر الرياضيون والحكام - أثناء الخلافات الرياضية - أن الدماغ البشري هو عبارة عن آلة تنبؤ . عندما يتشاجر لاعب تنس وحكم على نقطة ما ، فإن ذلك يعكس اختلافًا خطيرًا في التجربة الإدراكية: أحدهما "رأى" الكرة داخل الملعب والآخر "رآها" في الخارج. لم يكن أي من الطرفين غبيًا أو مخادعًا - لقد قامت عقولهم ببساطة ببناء محاكاة مختلفة للعالم من حولهم ، مما جعلهم يتمتعون بتجارب مختلفة جذريًا للحدث. بالنسبة لكل شخص ، كان من الممكن أن يبدو التصور "حقيقيًا" مثل خضرة العشب أو زرقة السماء. اللاعب الواثق ، على وجه الخصوص ، قد يكون مهيأ لرؤية الكرة تهبط لصالحه ، وبدون أي نية واعية للخداع ، يمكن أن يؤثر ذلك على تصوره - وهذه الظاهرة يسميها علماء النفس "الرؤية المرغوبة".
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David Robson
The Expectation Effect
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
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David Robson
The Expectation Effect
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
June 1, 2023
A solid 3.5 stars.
Minus 1.5 stars because it was very boring initially (the first 4 chapters and the last one) and hard to read through at first.
In a nutshell, David Robson talks about how our expectations, experiences and inputs from our environment shape the world we see and how we have the power to change our lives if we learn how to manage our expectations. There are 10 chapters in the book and each talk about different aspects of one's life that may be influenced by expectations. The book essentially gives the same message throughout but offers a lot of research and studies, which is why this may be the only self-help book that I actually read through and enjoyed. The message is not based on unfounded optimism but backed up by science and research. Moreover, it actually brought forth new ideas that are not found in every "How to Be Productive" article, one of the most important ones being, reframing your thoughts. For example, the author mentions when one gets fatigued during a workout, one tends to think they have poor fitness. However, getting fatigued actually means that the workout is "working", and your muscles are engaged. This was a new idea for me entirely, maybe not so for others but something that I will definitely be applying during my next exercise session.
Moreover, the book builds up a good idea of placebo and nocebo effects before explaining how we can use them to our advantage. While the world of placebos is vast and unchartered, this book offered a very comprehensive explanation highlighting things that are little known, such as our brains responding to placebos even when we are well aware of them.
Amongst the 10 chapters, my favorite one has to be chapter 9 which talks about the Pygmalion effect; how our expectations of others essentially determine their performance. It was perhaps the most impactful chapter for me, as growing up I actually saw it around me and picked up on it whence I was very young.
"As children, we were thrilled by fairy tales in which a random child was blessed by a fairy godmother or a witch - but the alarming reality is that many people are subject to others' prophecies based on nothing more than their race, gender or the appearance of their face, and even the subtlest biases have the power to change the trajectory of our whole life."
Minus 1.5 stars because it was very boring initially (the first 4 chapters and the last one) and hard to read through at first.
In a nutshell, David Robson talks about how our expectations, experiences and inputs from our environment shape the world we see and how we have the power to change our lives if we learn how to manage our expectations. There are 10 chapters in the book and each talk about different aspects of one's life that may be influenced by expectations. The book essentially gives the same message throughout but offers a lot of research and studies, which is why this may be the only self-help book that I actually read through and enjoyed. The message is not based on unfounded optimism but backed up by science and research. Moreover, it actually brought forth new ideas that are not found in every "How to Be Productive" article, one of the most important ones being, reframing your thoughts. For example, the author mentions when one gets fatigued during a workout, one tends to think they have poor fitness. However, getting fatigued actually means that the workout is "working", and your muscles are engaged. This was a new idea for me entirely, maybe not so for others but something that I will definitely be applying during my next exercise session.
Moreover, the book builds up a good idea of placebo and nocebo effects before explaining how we can use them to our advantage. While the world of placebos is vast and unchartered, this book offered a very comprehensive explanation highlighting things that are little known, such as our brains responding to placebos even when we are well aware of them.
Amongst the 10 chapters, my favorite one has to be chapter 9 which talks about the Pygmalion effect; how our expectations of others essentially determine their performance. It was perhaps the most impactful chapter for me, as growing up I actually saw it around me and picked up on it whence I was very young.
"As children, we were thrilled by fairy tales in which a random child was blessed by a fairy godmother or a witch - but the alarming reality is that many people are subject to others' prophecies based on nothing more than their race, gender or the appearance of their face, and even the subtlest biases have the power to change the trajectory of our whole life."
April 8, 2022
Very interesting information regarding how our beliefs can physically change outcomes.
April 1, 2022
4.5 stars
March 7, 2022
A powerful understanding of expectations and predictions of events having alterations in attitude can have a positive change in overall experiences.#TheExpectationEffect
November 17, 2022
Summary: you get what you expect but you sometimes fail to realize what you’re expecting.
Positives: helps you think through the power of your expectations and recalibrate your interiorice
Negatives: some of the evidence is quite weak, based on personal experience, inconclusive studies and studies that have failed because of the replication problem plaguing the social science. Rather then dealing with these problems, the author paints the confident veneer of science disguising the problems it faces.
Positives: helps you think through the power of your expectations and recalibrate your interiorice
Negatives: some of the evidence is quite weak, based on personal experience, inconclusive studies and studies that have failed because of the replication problem plaguing the social science. Rather then dealing with these problems, the author paints the confident veneer of science disguising the problems it faces.
April 19, 2023
Should be a required read
This book provides information that I belive should be a common knowledge. It should be read by people of all ages and walks of life. Simple powerful ideas backed by science that can gradually change the course of your life professonaly, your healf and even life expectancy. As I was reading I was discussing the concepts with my daughter and my husband and it initiated very interesting and productive discussions.
I found topics on willpower and anxiety especially benefitial for me.
This book provides information that I belive should be a common knowledge. It should be read by people of all ages and walks of life. Simple powerful ideas backed by science that can gradually change the course of your life professonaly, your healf and even life expectancy. As I was reading I was discussing the concepts with my daughter and my husband and it initiated very interesting and productive discussions.
I found topics on willpower and anxiety especially benefitial for me.
January 19, 2022
Food for thought, lots of projects to try
Having seen a review for this book, I knew it was a must read for me, and was delighted to find the book very readable and down to earth.
The title is enticing and the book gives a good overview of the concept as a starting point, before going through its application to several different areas of life, looking at perceived wisdom and why these ideas might need updating.
The profound impact of the expectation effect has both surprised me and urged me on to revisit my views and biases in many areas. Would recommend to anyone who considers themself a critical thinker and, for the greater good, anyone in a role of responsibility - whether parent, teacher, manager or leader.
Having seen a review for this book, I knew it was a must read for me, and was delighted to find the book very readable and down to earth.
The title is enticing and the book gives a good overview of the concept as a starting point, before going through its application to several different areas of life, looking at perceived wisdom and why these ideas might need updating.
The profound impact of the expectation effect has both surprised me and urged me on to revisit my views and biases in many areas. Would recommend to anyone who considers themself a critical thinker and, for the greater good, anyone in a role of responsibility - whether parent, teacher, manager or leader.
April 18, 2022
I chanced upon this book as it was reviewed by Oliver Burkeman for the Guardian.
Overall it does a great job of explaining the influence of 'the Expectation Effect' in various areas of our life. it is lucidly written and accessible and while at the outset it might appear like it advises one to take on an optimistic or positive view of life contrary to what the stoic practice of premeditating evils might suggest. On a closer reading of the book one will find that it is possible to accommodate both perspectives and life will be richer if we can do so.
Overall it does a great job of explaining the influence of 'the Expectation Effect' in various areas of our life. it is lucidly written and accessible and while at the outset it might appear like it advises one to take on an optimistic or positive view of life contrary to what the stoic practice of premeditating evils might suggest. On a closer reading of the book one will find that it is possible to accommodate both perspectives and life will be richer if we can do so.
February 9, 2023
This book delves deep into the idea of expectation effect aka, how our expectations affect our reality in other words how expectation shapes reality, I was aware of similar concepts from 'Mindset' by Carol Dweck, Psycho cybernetics, and if you are aware of affirmative mediations things will be well known to you, however, this book brings tons of supporting research unlike previously mentioned to the point to boredom and dryness, was thinking to give 3 stars then last 3 chaps were really good focusing on cognition and aging which resonated with my personal experiences on how our Teachers and parents implant sometimes false idea in our minds -> which turn into belief ->which in turn snowballs and affects our character and mindset as we age!
July 28, 2024
I loved this book!! I'm going to go back & give it another read before I give it back to the library because I want to copy over so many of the takeaways onto meditation/journal/mindset check prompts.
Why does modern society seem to overlook the power of the mind so much? The placebo (& nocebo) effects alone show the power of expectation. How many times has the power of comparison influenced our well-being on a cellular level?
Honestly, so many takeaways! I may update this review after I do so because right now, no specific thing stands out. I'm still soaking it all in, it feels
Why does modern society seem to overlook the power of the mind so much? The placebo (& nocebo) effects alone show the power of expectation. How many times has the power of comparison influenced our well-being on a cellular level?
Honestly, so many takeaways! I may update this review after I do so because right now, no specific thing stands out. I'm still soaking it all in, it feels
May 31, 2023
Unexpected
October 4, 2024
Ekspektācijas izmaina un izmainīs tavu dzīvi. Varētu teikt, ka šī ir "the Secret" dižpārdokļa zinātniskā versija.
"Let me be absolutely clear. Your mind alone cannot perform miracles—you cannot simply imagine piles of money and think yourself rich, or cure yourself of a terminal illness through positive visualizations. But your expectations and beliefs can influence—indeed are already influencing—your life"
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … HEALING:
*If you hear that a treatment’s effects can be partially explained by the placebo effect, don’t panic! Remember that the biological effects are still meaningful, even if they arise from expectation.
*All other things being equal, bigger tablets are more effective than smaller tablets—but capsules are better still.
*if you have a choice over your health-care provider, try to choose someone you find to be empathetic and caring. Their attitude could change the way you respond to the treatment they offer.
*try to visualize your recovery and, if relevant, make a plan for your journey to better health. Doing so should maximize your chances of improvement.
*Above all, be realistic but optimistic about what the mind-body connection can achieve.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … HEALTH SCARES
• Be aware of the people around you and the ways that your body might start to mimic their mental and physical state through the brain’s mirror neuron system.
• Bear in mind the particular situations that are likely to give rise to a mass psychogenic illness—such as times of high political anxiety, the introduction of new technologies
• Apply critical thinking to the health news you read.
• If you feel sick with a potential psychogenic illness, seek medical advice, but be open-minded about the possibility that your symptoms could be the result of an expectation effect.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … FITNESS
• Before you exercise, think carefully about your aims for the session. How do you hope to feel at the end? And what are your performance goals? You might hope to set a new personal best, or you might be looking for a quick mood boost—either way, you’ll increase your motivation and help to calibrate the prediction machine for the oncoming activity if you define what you want from the activity before you start.
• Embrace any of the mental crutches that help you to feel good about exercise. Certain foods, drinks, clothes, or songs will lead you to feel energized.
• Remember that your expectations can be more important than known genetic factors in determining your physiological response to a workout.
• Reframe feelings of exertion and effort. Moderate aches and pains and sensations of fatigue are proof that you are strengthening your body.
• Recognize the physical activity you perform outside your regular workouts—during housework, commuting, or working on your hobbies.
• Avoid “upward comparisons”—judging yourself harshly against other people—since this will lead you to form more negative impressions of your level of fitness.
• During rest periods, spend a few minutes visualizing yourself performing the exercises of your next workout. This will increase your muscle strength and prime your brain for better performance.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … EATING
• Avoid distractions during meals and pay attention to the food you are consuming. Try to cultivate strong memories of the experience, which will help you to feel and stay sated.
• If you are trying to cut down on snacks, remind yourself what you ate for your last meal. You may find that recollection helps to curb hunger pangs.
• Be aware of food descriptions that create a sense of deprivation. Even if you are looking for low-calorie meals, try to find products that evoke a feeling of indulgence.
• When dieting, pay particular attention to flavor, texture, and presentation—anything that will heighten your enjoyment of the food and leave you feeling more satisfied afterward.
• Avoid sweetened drinks—it is hard for the body to adapt its energy regulation to their high calorie content.
• Enjoy the anticipation of food—this will prime your digestive response and help you to feel more satisfied afterward.
• Don’t feel guilty about the occasional treat, but instead relish the moment of pleasure.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … STRESS, HAPPINESS, AND SLEEP
• Try to adopt an accepting attitude to unpleasant feelings, rather than actively suppressing them.
• When dealing with anxiety, consider the potential benefits of physical feelings. Fast breathing and a racing heart, for instance, help to transmit oxygen and glucose to your body and brain, providing you with the energy you need to cope with the challenge, while sweating helps cool the body as it works hard to meet its goals.
• Can you relabel your feelings? Anxiety can feel much like excitement, for example, and reminding yourself of these similarities can help you to feel more energized.
• If you have an imaginative mind, visualizing the ways that anxiety could boost your performance in specific situations can cement the message, leading to longer-term effects.
• If you struggle to fall asleep, try to accept the feeling of restlessness without judging it, and remind yourself that you will still be able to function the next day, even if your sleep has been less than optimal.
•
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … WILLPOWER
• A sense of autonomy—the feeling that you have control over your activities—can reduce the sense of ego depletion, even if you have the limited mindset. Where possible, make an effort to establish your own routines rather than following others’ orders, and regularly remind yourself of their purpose and meaning to you personally.
• Try to recognize the instances when you personally find mental effort to be invigorating. What difficult tasks do you enjoy because of their difficulty? Reminding yourself of these activities will help you to build up your beliefs in your potential.
• When you find an activity to be draining, consider whether it is objectively more difficult than the things you find energizing, or whether it is just a preconception. Do other people find it energizing, for instance, and is it objectively more difficult than the other activities that do not feel so depleting? By questioning these assumptions, you may begin to see that you are capable of much more than you thought.
• Establish your own rituals and secular superstitions that will help you to establish a feeling of control in times of high pressure. It could be a “lucky” charm that has positive associations or a set of reassuring gestures—anything that feels personally significant and brings the promise of success.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … INTELLIGENCE, LEARNING, AND CREATIVITY
• Try to honestly assess your abilities and question whether you have internalized negative expectations. Is there really good reason to think you are inherently bad at math or art, for instance? Or might you have the capacity to improve?
• Once you have identified potential areas of growth, try to test whether those negative assumptions are true by looking for new challenges that push you out of your intellectual or creative comfort zone.
• Throughout this process, recognize that any moments of frustration are themselves a sign of effective learning and reflect the importance of the task at hand.
• If you feel especially anxious or believe you may be suffering from stereotype threat, try to practice self-affirmation (here). As a way of neutralizing your fears and negative expectations, note the many other personal characteristics or values that matter to your identity, and the reasons that they are important to you.
• If you are a teacher or manager, try to think about the ways your behaviors may be transmitting your expectations to others, both verbally and nonverbally.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … AGING
• Rather than idealizing youthfulness, focus on all the things that you can gain from living a longer life—including experience, knowledge, and improved emotional regulation and decision-making.
• Remember that many of the things that we typically associate with aging—such as physical weakness—are within your control and can be improved with a healthier lifestyle.
• Avoid attributing sickness to your age, since this will reinforce the idea of an inevitable decline. People with a positive view of aging tend to recover from illness more quickly than those with negative expectations.
• Look out for good role model
• Be aware of your media diet—many films and TV series will reinforce offensive stereotypes about older people.
• If you are young or middle-aged, befriend people outside of your own age group—the research shows that doing so, on its own, can improve expectations of aging.
"Let me be absolutely clear. Your mind alone cannot perform miracles—you cannot simply imagine piles of money and think yourself rich, or cure yourself of a terminal illness through positive visualizations. But your expectations and beliefs can influence—indeed are already influencing—your life"
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … HEALING:
*If you hear that a treatment’s effects can be partially explained by the placebo effect, don’t panic! Remember that the biological effects are still meaningful, even if they arise from expectation.
*All other things being equal, bigger tablets are more effective than smaller tablets—but capsules are better still.
*if you have a choice over your health-care provider, try to choose someone you find to be empathetic and caring. Their attitude could change the way you respond to the treatment they offer.
*try to visualize your recovery and, if relevant, make a plan for your journey to better health. Doing so should maximize your chances of improvement.
*Above all, be realistic but optimistic about what the mind-body connection can achieve.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … HEALTH SCARES
• Be aware of the people around you and the ways that your body might start to mimic their mental and physical state through the brain’s mirror neuron system.
• Bear in mind the particular situations that are likely to give rise to a mass psychogenic illness—such as times of high political anxiety, the introduction of new technologies
• Apply critical thinking to the health news you read.
• If you feel sick with a potential psychogenic illness, seek medical advice, but be open-minded about the possibility that your symptoms could be the result of an expectation effect.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … FITNESS
• Before you exercise, think carefully about your aims for the session. How do you hope to feel at the end? And what are your performance goals? You might hope to set a new personal best, or you might be looking for a quick mood boost—either way, you’ll increase your motivation and help to calibrate the prediction machine for the oncoming activity if you define what you want from the activity before you start.
• Embrace any of the mental crutches that help you to feel good about exercise. Certain foods, drinks, clothes, or songs will lead you to feel energized.
• Remember that your expectations can be more important than known genetic factors in determining your physiological response to a workout.
• Reframe feelings of exertion and effort. Moderate aches and pains and sensations of fatigue are proof that you are strengthening your body.
• Recognize the physical activity you perform outside your regular workouts—during housework, commuting, or working on your hobbies.
• Avoid “upward comparisons”—judging yourself harshly against other people—since this will lead you to form more negative impressions of your level of fitness.
• During rest periods, spend a few minutes visualizing yourself performing the exercises of your next workout. This will increase your muscle strength and prime your brain for better performance.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … EATING
• Avoid distractions during meals and pay attention to the food you are consuming. Try to cultivate strong memories of the experience, which will help you to feel and stay sated.
• If you are trying to cut down on snacks, remind yourself what you ate for your last meal. You may find that recollection helps to curb hunger pangs.
• Be aware of food descriptions that create a sense of deprivation. Even if you are looking for low-calorie meals, try to find products that evoke a feeling of indulgence.
• When dieting, pay particular attention to flavor, texture, and presentation—anything that will heighten your enjoyment of the food and leave you feeling more satisfied afterward.
• Avoid sweetened drinks—it is hard for the body to adapt its energy regulation to their high calorie content.
• Enjoy the anticipation of food—this will prime your digestive response and help you to feel more satisfied afterward.
• Don’t feel guilty about the occasional treat, but instead relish the moment of pleasure.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … STRESS, HAPPINESS, AND SLEEP
• Try to adopt an accepting attitude to unpleasant feelings, rather than actively suppressing them.
• When dealing with anxiety, consider the potential benefits of physical feelings. Fast breathing and a racing heart, for instance, help to transmit oxygen and glucose to your body and brain, providing you with the energy you need to cope with the challenge, while sweating helps cool the body as it works hard to meet its goals.
• Can you relabel your feelings? Anxiety can feel much like excitement, for example, and reminding yourself of these similarities can help you to feel more energized.
• If you have an imaginative mind, visualizing the ways that anxiety could boost your performance in specific situations can cement the message, leading to longer-term effects.
• If you struggle to fall asleep, try to accept the feeling of restlessness without judging it, and remind yourself that you will still be able to function the next day, even if your sleep has been less than optimal.
•
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … WILLPOWER
• A sense of autonomy—the feeling that you have control over your activities—can reduce the sense of ego depletion, even if you have the limited mindset. Where possible, make an effort to establish your own routines rather than following others’ orders, and regularly remind yourself of their purpose and meaning to you personally.
• Try to recognize the instances when you personally find mental effort to be invigorating. What difficult tasks do you enjoy because of their difficulty? Reminding yourself of these activities will help you to build up your beliefs in your potential.
• When you find an activity to be draining, consider whether it is objectively more difficult than the things you find energizing, or whether it is just a preconception. Do other people find it energizing, for instance, and is it objectively more difficult than the other activities that do not feel so depleting? By questioning these assumptions, you may begin to see that you are capable of much more than you thought.
• Establish your own rituals and secular superstitions that will help you to establish a feeling of control in times of high pressure. It could be a “lucky” charm that has positive associations or a set of reassuring gestures—anything that feels personally significant and brings the promise of success.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … INTELLIGENCE, LEARNING, AND CREATIVITY
• Try to honestly assess your abilities and question whether you have internalized negative expectations. Is there really good reason to think you are inherently bad at math or art, for instance? Or might you have the capacity to improve?
• Once you have identified potential areas of growth, try to test whether those negative assumptions are true by looking for new challenges that push you out of your intellectual or creative comfort zone.
• Throughout this process, recognize that any moments of frustration are themselves a sign of effective learning and reflect the importance of the task at hand.
• If you feel especially anxious or believe you may be suffering from stereotype threat, try to practice self-affirmation (here). As a way of neutralizing your fears and negative expectations, note the many other personal characteristics or values that matter to your identity, and the reasons that they are important to you.
• If you are a teacher or manager, try to think about the ways your behaviors may be transmitting your expectations to others, both verbally and nonverbally.
HOW TO THINK ABOUT … AGING
• Rather than idealizing youthfulness, focus on all the things that you can gain from living a longer life—including experience, knowledge, and improved emotional regulation and decision-making.
• Remember that many of the things that we typically associate with aging—such as physical weakness—are within your control and can be improved with a healthier lifestyle.
• Avoid attributing sickness to your age, since this will reinforce the idea of an inevitable decline. People with a positive view of aging tend to recover from illness more quickly than those with negative expectations.
• Look out for good role model
• Be aware of your media diet—many films and TV series will reinforce offensive stereotypes about older people.
• If you are young or middle-aged, befriend people outside of your own age group—the research shows that doing so, on its own, can improve expectations of aging.
March 7, 2022
I love how wisdom comes back to you in many forms.
When I was younger, like many of us, our youthful minds were full of the possibility and expectations of creating these visions into reality.
This book re-invigorates the art of creating the possible. It fires up a dimension of our thinking available to all of us. The art and power of expectations.
I am so glad that this book came to my attention. It found its way to me through a friend who was reading it and the couple that bought it for him as a gift. We are now open to deepening the learning from the book through enlightened discussions around the topic and what we can do through our own commitments. Especially as he, I, and the gifters are in the early evenings of our lives, the book beautifully addresses our expectations of old age. Most importantly, how we can redefine them to be life-affirming.
“The Expectation Effect” is a wonderful book filled with much wisdom, backed by real studies and observations. I highly recommend this book. Thank you, David Robson, for spreading the understanding of a mindset available to all of us. I am sure the inked wisdom in your book will be impactful and life-changing for many. I know it is for me.
When I was younger, like many of us, our youthful minds were full of the possibility and expectations of creating these visions into reality.
This book re-invigorates the art of creating the possible. It fires up a dimension of our thinking available to all of us. The art and power of expectations.
I am so glad that this book came to my attention. It found its way to me through a friend who was reading it and the couple that bought it for him as a gift. We are now open to deepening the learning from the book through enlightened discussions around the topic and what we can do through our own commitments. Especially as he, I, and the gifters are in the early evenings of our lives, the book beautifully addresses our expectations of old age. Most importantly, how we can redefine them to be life-affirming.
“The Expectation Effect” is a wonderful book filled with much wisdom, backed by real studies and observations. I highly recommend this book. Thank you, David Robson, for spreading the understanding of a mindset available to all of us. I am sure the inked wisdom in your book will be impactful and life-changing for many. I know it is for me.
September 2, 2023
I got everything I wound up getting out of this book from the description on Goodreads. Didn’t even need to read this.
I haven’t read a bad book in a while and while it feels mean to rate something one star, this feels appropriate. I got pissed off from the beginning when he mentioned how his side effects from antidepressants were just all placebo - or nocebo as he called it - and that once he realized it, they went away. It very much squanders the idea that people do get real side effects from medication and they can be serious. If I went to a doctor complaining about a side effect and they told me it was all in my head, I’d be pissed - and this is basically what he’s suggesting.
There was a whole chapter on how some people took placebo pills for their illnesses and they were either cured or their condition improved. Sure, while that’s all well and good, there’s a TON of illnesses out there that actually need real medication to keep them at bay and he never acknowledges that his way is not the only way.
The rest of the book was similar garbage on different topics. It was all either nonsense or obvious tips on how to keep a mindful perspective in life.
I haven’t read a bad book in a while and while it feels mean to rate something one star, this feels appropriate. I got pissed off from the beginning when he mentioned how his side effects from antidepressants were just all placebo - or nocebo as he called it - and that once he realized it, they went away. It very much squanders the idea that people do get real side effects from medication and they can be serious. If I went to a doctor complaining about a side effect and they told me it was all in my head, I’d be pissed - and this is basically what he’s suggesting.
There was a whole chapter on how some people took placebo pills for their illnesses and they were either cured or their condition improved. Sure, while that’s all well and good, there’s a TON of illnesses out there that actually need real medication to keep them at bay and he never acknowledges that his way is not the only way.
The rest of the book was similar garbage on different topics. It was all either nonsense or obvious tips on how to keep a mindful perspective in life.
January 23, 2022
The Expectation Effect had the unexpected effect of making me feel uplifted after reading it. Although belief in yourself can't cure everything, positive thoughts from yourself and those around you go a long way into making us feel healthier, younger, smarter. If a teacher believes a kid can't learn, he becomes a kid who can't learn. If girls keep getting clues that they can't do math, they become girls who can't do math.
Our beliefs lop over into every aspect of our lives, from how full a meal makes us feel to whether we can participate in Ironman competitions in our eighties. The Expectation Effect isn't a positive affirmation book but shows readers the science behind our expectations. It comes with plenty of references if you want to know more.
I'll go now because I need to write a novel, learn to tango, and train for an Ironman. The Expectation Effect makes me feel invigorated. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this eARC.
Our beliefs lop over into every aspect of our lives, from how full a meal makes us feel to whether we can participate in Ironman competitions in our eighties. The Expectation Effect isn't a positive affirmation book but shows readers the science behind our expectations. It comes with plenty of references if you want to know more.
I'll go now because I need to write a novel, learn to tango, and train for an Ironman. The Expectation Effect makes me feel invigorated. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this eARC.
May 8, 2023
I could have given this book 1 stars or 5 star but not anything in between.
On one side the book can be summarized as "your expectations determine a great deal of your experience" and therefore there's no need for a full book giving examples and stories for hours that just reiterate that message.
But on the other side, I think the implications of really understanding that message are so profound that I needed time to actually process it. Therefore, every story and example in the book became fascinating proof that helped my brain understand the extent of my expectation's influence over my experience.
I sometimes had to take a break and read other stuff, but I liked coming back, reading a few chapters and feeling that message getting deeper in my system. Because in the end, if our expectations have that much influence (and you weren't aware of it), this could easily be one of the most life-changing books you can read.
On one side the book can be summarized as "your expectations determine a great deal of your experience" and therefore there's no need for a full book giving examples and stories for hours that just reiterate that message.
But on the other side, I think the implications of really understanding that message are so profound that I needed time to actually process it. Therefore, every story and example in the book became fascinating proof that helped my brain understand the extent of my expectation's influence over my experience.
I sometimes had to take a break and read other stuff, but I liked coming back, reading a few chapters and feeling that message getting deeper in my system. Because in the end, if our expectations have that much influence (and you weren't aware of it), this could easily be one of the most life-changing books you can read.
January 24, 2022
Never underestimate the power of your own mind. Wow this is an incredible book which had me returning to my childhood and analysing my relationship with my educators and through into my workplace. Be aware of the people you surround yourself with, go with an open and positive mindset. Believe in your ability not what you have been told you can't do.
Everyone will take something from this book. I haven't stopped talking about it to everyone I see!!
Everyone will take something from this book. I haven't stopped talking about it to everyone I see!!
July 16, 2024
I almost want to tag this book as 'super powers' and 'mystery', such are the phenomenal and downright weird results that your expectations - both positive and negative- can have on your life. Whilst the overall message of the book is brief and simple, the author delves into various specific areas to discuss the effects in detail, providing some positive ways to alter your outlook. Nearly every page has something to read out to any one who will listen.
May 25, 2022
I expected this book to be bad, and it turned out to be bad
Unsure if this is a confirmation or an indictment of the book 🤔
Also, I couldn't shake the question of how many of the ideas and experiments described in the book will stand up to the test of time, what with the replication crisis in psychology
Unsure if this is a confirmation or an indictment of the book 🤔
Also, I couldn't shake the question of how many of the ideas and experiments described in the book will stand up to the test of time, what with the replication crisis in psychology
December 10, 2022
3.75 Stars!
“Worst-case thinking doesn’t prepare you-it promotes the worst case.”
Some of the most interesting cases in here relate to the likes of the Hmong people transplanted to America who died of SUNDS (Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome), Aboriginals and their bone pointing syndrome, which relate to the nocebo (I shall harm) effect, a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. Then there are the cases of Mass psychogenic illness, like one in May 2006 in Portugal where a mysterious illness broke out, afflicting teenagers with dizzinesss, breathing difficulties and skin rashes. The culprit was a popular teen soap “Morangos com Acucar” (Strawberries with Sugar) where the main character was suffering from an illness with similar symptoms.
We learn of the enduring power of the expectation effect, the known and unknown powers of the placebo effect, and even the incredible cases of hysterical strength, which has resulted in a 22 year old lifting up part of a BMW to release her dad as well as many other reported cases around the world.
Other fascinating areas and ideas like the Pygmalion effect, and another study, which show the vast difference in benefit depending on how food is presented to us, one Thai study proved that when eating a traditional version of a curry people were absorbing 70% more iron than they were when the exact same ingredients were taken in a blended form.
I thought this started a little slow and in the early stages I found very little in terms of new revelations, the vast majority of ideas and subjects have been covered elsewhere by many others, but this seemed to improve and grow stronger as it went on. Ultimately this is a book filled with many encouraging studies and examples, its written in an accessible and clear way. I was a little alarmed that a scientist would still refer to a study about BMI, considering how fundamentally flawed it is, and although there are certain times when this comes close to generalising or oversimplifying certain ideas, this remains an upbeat and inspiring book which is definitely worth the read.
August 14, 2022
Precisei de alguns dias para escrever a minha opinião sobre este livro. Foram várias as fases por que passei enquanto o li. Não é um livro fácil de ler, na medida em que, para o ler, aprender e repensar a minha abordagem, questionando sempre o que me está a ser apresentado (não aceito tudo só porque foram feitos estudos, é preciso ter presente que estes podem sempre ser enviesados) é preciso estruturar a nova informação e compreender em que medida se pode aplicar a mim.
Houve capítulos em que me revi mais, outros em que considerei que porventura a abordagem pode ser um pouco inocente, na medida em que, por mais estudos que se façam, é impossível replicar a realidade e todas as variáveis, tão distintas, que afetam a vida de cada pessoa.
Não obstante, o conceito - referido inúmeras vezes pelo autor como não sendo uma panaceia - faz sentido. Se olhar para a minha vida e para momentos da vida de pessoas que me são próximas, consigo compreender que a forma como encaramos e nos preparamos para a vida (mesmo que costumeira) e para os desafios, tem, efetivamente impacto no seu desfecho, na minha perceção quanto às minhas capacidades.
É um livro interessante, com uma abordagem que procura ser honesta, que desafia o leitor a pensar sobre si, sobre a sua realidade, sobre a sua forma de avaliar as suas capacidades, sobre aquilo que pode investir e melhorar para chegar - gradualmente, com disciplina e paciência - a ser aquilo que, acredito, todos procuramos: ser uma melhor versão de nós próprios.
Houve capítulos em que me revi mais, outros em que considerei que porventura a abordagem pode ser um pouco inocente, na medida em que, por mais estudos que se façam, é impossível replicar a realidade e todas as variáveis, tão distintas, que afetam a vida de cada pessoa.
Não obstante, o conceito - referido inúmeras vezes pelo autor como não sendo uma panaceia - faz sentido. Se olhar para a minha vida e para momentos da vida de pessoas que me são próximas, consigo compreender que a forma como encaramos e nos preparamos para a vida (mesmo que costumeira) e para os desafios, tem, efetivamente impacto no seu desfecho, na minha perceção quanto às minhas capacidades.
É um livro interessante, com uma abordagem que procura ser honesta, que desafia o leitor a pensar sobre si, sobre a sua realidade, sobre a sua forma de avaliar as suas capacidades, sobre aquilo que pode investir e melhorar para chegar - gradualmente, com disciplina e paciência - a ser aquilo que, acredito, todos procuramos: ser uma melhor versão de nós próprios.
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September 17, 2024How to gaslight yourself into better health and well-being! No but I did have to stop reading this book while I was dealing with medical issues that didn’t have clear answers because it was rather upsetting to consume information about how your mindset has a strong impact on your health. It felt like being told I was supposed to just think positively and my pain would go away. That was NOT the author’s message, but I do worry how this information could be used. Once I returned to this book, I enjoyed it. I especially liked the chapter on stress and anxiety, because I personally have experienced improvement by changing my mindset around psychological and emotional discomfort. I guess I’m a leery believer in this author’s message.
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