Power of Suggestion

2 min read Original article ↗

The Chronicle Review

The amazing influence of unconscious cues is among the most fascinating discoveries of our time­—that is, if it’s true

John Bargh rocked the world of social psychology with experiments that showed the power of unconscious cues over our behavior.

John Bargh rocked the world of social psychology with experiments that showed the power of unconscious cues over our behavior.Mark Abramson for The Chronicle Review

New Haven, Conn.

Power of Suggestion

Mark Abramson for The Chronicle Review

John Bargh rocked the world of social psychology with experiments that showed the power of unconscious cues over our behavior.

A framed print of “The Garden of Earthly Delights” hangs above the moss-green, L-shaped sectional in John Bargh’s office on the third floor of Yale University’s Kirtland Hall. Hieronymus Bosch’s famous triptych imagines a natural environment that is like ours (water, flowers) yet not (enormous spiked and translucent orbs). What precisely the 15th-century Dutch master had in mind is still a mystery, though theories abound. On the left is presumably paradise, in the middle is the world, and on the right is hell, complete with knife-faced monster and human-devouring bird devil.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.

About the Author

Tom Bartlett is a senior writer who covers science and ideas. Follow him on Twitter @tebartl.