How tractable are we?
Subtle hints can change actions - this was shown by numerous studies in the field of "social priming". However, their results are increasingly in doubt.
In 2016, researchers led by Doug Rohrer from the University of South Florida invited 180 students to take a test: The test subjects were given twelve discs of the same size, which they were asked to arrange in a square - with five discs on each side. If they got stuck, they could always ask for a hint. What mattered was what had happened before. Even before they were allowed to try the task, the test subjects had to solve a few word puzzles. The scientists subtly pointed out money to some of the test subjects in order to test whether this would influence their later behavior.
The experimenters initially divided the volunteers into three groups. Everyone had to form sentences or phrases from given words. Groups one and two received "neutral" words from different subject areas. In group three, the researchers mixed in terms related to money. Subjects in group two also sat next to a pile of play money when solving the puzzles.
The experiment is one of the many studies on "social priming"…
