Can 'surprise' work for social change?
Surprising someone -- whether it's by a joke or via a gasp-inducing plot twist of a book or movie -- can not only create a memorable experience, but also become a powerful tool for social influence, according to a study.
Surprises are memorable, able to garner attention and arouse emotion, but a less heralded effect is that they can serve to shift attitudes and provide an avenue to influence people, said Jeffrey Loewenstein, Professor at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois.
While many people think of surprise as an emotional expression, the study, published in the journal Topics in Cognitive Science, showed that surprise not only generates an emotional reaction, but is also "a push to learn, and an experience that people get excited to share with others".
"Put those things together and surprise becomes a powerful tool for social influence," Loewenstein said.
Moreover, surprise not only has individual effects on beliefs and attitudes, but also "collective effects on the content of culture", the researchers said.
"We're in an information-rich environment where our primary challenge is how to identify what to pay attention to. And surprise, which shatters expectations, is a signal that says 'Hey! Pay attention!'," the researchers added.
That surprise can lead to changing attitude and shifting preconceptions.
"Critically, there is a second effect because you are not only making one person more open, you are also making them your ambassador. You are likely to generate word of mouth as they share the surprising experience with others. Surprise is a force multiplier for communication," Loewenstein said.
What generates surprise need not be accidental or random. According to Loewenstein, there are predictable methods or patterns, such as the repetition-break structure, for generating surprise.
"Crafting surprises is something everyone can learn to do, and they will be more influential if they do," he noted.
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MBA student dies after falling from sixth floor of college building in Amethi
Amethi (PTI): A 22-year-old MBA student at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology in Jais area of the district died after falling from the sixth floor of the college building early Friday, police said.
According to officials, the deceased, Abhinav Anand, a final-year MBA student and resident of Patna, Bihar, was living in the institute's hostel.
Around 4:30 am, he allegedly fell from the sixth floor of the college building under circumstances yet to be ascertained.
"He was critically injured in the fall and rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Jais, where doctors declared him dead on arrival," Additional Superintendent of Police Harendra Kumar said.
The body has been sent for postmortem and legal proceedings have been initiated. "An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause and circumstances of the fall," Kumar said.
