Exploiting Automatic Responses

Just as some animals (mimics) have evolved to exploit the Fixed-Action Patterns Trigger Automatic Responses of other animals, some people (profiteers) have learned to exploit the Judgmental Heuristics of humans.

These profiteers understand the triggers that activate our automatic responses and use them to their advantage. They can do this by structuring their requests in a way that engages a strong psychological principle, often with just a single word or phrase.

For example, a store owner might intentionally mark up a piece of jewelry to make it seem more valuable, exploiting the "expensive = good" stereotype.

This highlights the vulnerability that comes with our reliance on mental shortcuts.

Related Concepts

• Fixed-Action Patterns Trigger Automatic Responses
• Judgmental Heuristics