Who Else Studies Psychology?

I LOVE psychology.

I think it's a fact that some of the worlds greatest copywriters and marketers are actually some of the most knowledgeable when it comes psychology, whether they realize they are doing it or not.

One of my favorite things to read about is the subconscious mind. You should definitely go to amazon and pick up some books on good old sub when you get the chance.

I have a degree in psychology,neuroscience and behaviour. It took me several weeks of job hunting before I combined my love of psychology and my passion for writing and found copywriting to be my calling. There are too many books I have read on psychology to mention.

My specialty (in general) was cognitive neuroscience. It's a mix between basic mental processes and behaviours, and the neural networks that govern them. During this time I got to use interesting equipment such as transcranial magnetic stimulation that I used to temporarily shut off portions of the brain. Ethically, of course.

Come to think of it, if I ever decide to do graduate studies, I'd probably make people read sales letters in an MRI and see what parts make their reward and pleasure networks light up. . .

Talk about testing! (maybe I could find the internal buy button)

You'll find that while the books you mentioned deal with some aspects of psychology, they aren't very scientific. They are used and repeated because they work, but there is no data to explain the full extent of the behaviour and how it works.

Of course all that really matters is that it does indeed work.

For a great consumer psychology read, pick up Dan Areily's (sp?) Predictably Irrational. Great read with many references.

Transactional Analysis! Now there's a blast from the past that should be more widely read today.

You can’t be an effective copywriter without understanding psychology.
I have read 5 books on this subject this year.
Here is the list:
1. Investment Madness- John Nosfinger
2. Investment Psychology- Martin Pring
3. Psycho –cybernetics- Maxwell Maltz
4. Influence –Robert Cialdini
5. Influencing Human Behavior-Kevin Hogan
The book by Nosfinger really opened my mind. I learnt that people treat money differently. There is the ‘house money’ and the other kitty. That means if you pick up $1,000 on the sidewalk, you will treat it differently from the money earned from your online activities. Isn’t that funny?
Perhaps the best thing to do is decide on the branch of copywriting you need to specialize in and zero in on the books in that area.

Wow, it turns out there are certainly a lot of people in the copywriting field that clamber over psychology. That just makes me more certain of my venture into the copywriting arena.

Transactional Analysis is a really good study that reveals much about conversational positioning! I know the gist of the theory behind it, but in copywriting, what would you say is the best model to take after?

The Parent-Child, Parent-Parent model?

I've so far found certain "games" great in copywriting... like the Black-White-Black (for tackling objections and resistance) or Look How Hard I've Tried To Do This...


What about controlling the hypothalamus! Imagine the scary potential of controlling your prospects by emotions...


I've read New Psycho-Cybernetics (The tampered version by Dan Kennedy), but it was a pretty painful read compared to the original edition.

I'm thinking of getting Cialdini's Influence, since there're so many recommendations on it.

Carl Jung and Freud have pretty great theories, haha.

I'm trying to move towards copywriting by approaching it as an art, but it seems like something is missing in between me and being a good copywriter. Probably experience.

I worked as a volunteer for many years helping people to exit mind control cults - cult mind deprogramming in a nutshell. Very, very intensive work. Had to get out of it eventually, it was just too painful emotionally.

While I yield no real academic credit to attribute to the power of psychology, it has been a passion of mine since I was able to think for myself. Human behavioral patterns, addiction, compulsive obsessive disorders, mindset, meditation, fear, internalizing, externalizing, metaphysics, spirituality, and simply too many 'real life' experiences to go too deep into detail.

However, I clearly remember applying a certain balance of awareness while shooting pool (billiards) as a kid, and especially into my teen years, where I used to mentally dominate the minds of adults, and earned a few honest dollars for my skills.

I actually tapped into this mindset prior to that, at an earlier age drawing and sketching images for hours, only to awaken to the reality what seemed like minutes was really hours. This was not dreaming, it was like communion!

The ability to balance the mathematics and physics of shooting pool, while maintaining the right mental posture was a lethal combination, and one that I truly believe; involves a heightened awareness "of" and "in" our surroundings.

Having long since given up the game of pool for a dislike to alcohol, the same principles apply in the recipe for success online and off, and somehow, I know; I am holding myself back. I don't believe it's a fear of failure, so much as a fear of achieving success, and in doing so "utilizing a gift" for profit so to speak.

I find being able to go into a similar "zone" I find while writing, was nearly [exact] as that of shooting pool, and involves a deeper focus.

I often call it the "Art of Persuasion", and though the interpretation may suggest manipulation, it is a delicate and powerful tool indeed. One which nearly every great leader seemingly possessed. Call it NLP, or whatever you prefer.

To keep this short, as it's nearly 3:30 in the morning here, the only books I have read, and the few I have attempted to read... somehow 'haunt' me while reading them. For example, Napoleon Hill's "The Laws of Success in 16 Lessons" - by which, the writings I had nested away and had written in my personal journals ...long before picking up his book, seemed to share the same, if not a similar message. *Almost like a reversed plagiarism. Also, I never finished reading the book, as I already knew much of what is detailed therein, and feared someone might accuse me of copying someone else's thoughts or writings in my own.

I actually feared sharing my writing for years, in fear they might be misinterpreted and used for evil, as opposed to the greater good in which I intend(ed) them. Writing has a massive power, and an ample amount of psychology, all of which I truly love. Yet, I skirt around writing the stuff I prefer to write, thinking; it's not well received, ...as most do not see outside the bars they create within themselves.

I find freedom in writing, and often question from where that knowledge truly comes?

Somehow this journey has led me from simple journal entries, filling innumerable notebooks -many lost in a storage unit some 4 years prior, to seeking ways to utilize writing as a main component in my online business efforts.

Already, I feel to have gone too far here, and I didn't even begin to scratch the surface of what I believe; which is, writing yields a power we can "tap into".

I need some practice on the grammar and punctuality perhaps, yet there's somethings telling me with a strong conviction, if I let go, and explore this passion for psychology and writing... the skies the limit.

Meanwhile, I am hanging on by a thread, as everything in my immediate surroundings is 'attacking" full strength... loss of employment with little notice, increasing deadlines and commitments, housing issues, you name it, it's the "one constant" I've come to rely on. The closer I get to achieving success, the stronger the force increases against it, never fails.

It's like the "writing on the wall" -the threat is eminent. There too, as science suggests; "Too apply force to one object, is to gain equal resistance from the other."

And all I aim to do is produce, encourage, equip, edify, and educate those creating unnecessary measures of ignorance at the root of(?)... fear!

From greed can be no solution gained, and yet at times I contemplate picking up the sword as opposed to my pen...knowing all the while; true power resides in words, not war!

So, if I had to access those words, I would say from this vantage point; "empathy is to understand, as seeking sympathy or pity is to ignorance."

Hence, what a story I'll have to tell, once I escape this hell!

Psychology the gift that keeps on giving and keeps us guessing all-in-one. Too bad WP doesn't have a plugin for that!

Goodnight!

-Art

I've got NLP an practitioner and Master Practitioner. Studied with Richard Bandler, Paul Mckenna, Jonathan Altfeld, John LaValle, Eric Robbie and Gabe Gaurerro. It's an intriguing job.

I also did quite a bit of Hypnosis too.

I love anything to do with Psychology really.

Read the writings of psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz, perhaps.

Learned alot from Igor and also Kenrick Cleveland.

Some of my favorites for how to actually apply hypnosis in the real world of sales.

That being said - I love reading about neuromarketing. Any recommendations highly appreciated.

Here are too good ones I've read:

Amazon.com: The Buying Brain: Secrets for Selling...
Amazon.com: Neuromarketing: Understanding the Buy...

Oh yeah, definitely. Knowing a few basic "principles" of psychology will help you a lot.

If you understand the inner workings of dopamine- you can pretty much bypass theoretical psychology and look directly at remarkably predictable human behavior. Neuromarketing does not yet codify dopamine in the way we are hoping too. The way language (specifically words) triggers dopamine is the key to almost all wealth. Semantic stretching and social media integration, however, is rendering old school sales copywriting partially obsolete. Dopamine codifies NLP more accurately.

I won an award at college for one of the highest grades in psychology and went on to average 84% during my first year at Uni...and then I dropped out and did computing instead.

Why? Something the lecturer said to me...

'If you've come here looking for answers, you're not going to find any, since every psychological principle out there has counter arguments and there is no definitive proof, only an extremely educated and researched opinion.'

That made me feel incredibly uneasy. I totally understand and respect many psychological triggers, reasons and pivot points and yes, I agree with much of the theory underpinning buying behaviour....

but here's the thing...

It is ONLY theory. The human brain is far more complex than being boxed into categories, and there are always exceptions to the rule.

When I write copy, I write with the emotions usually associated with that particular product...but there will always be exceptions.

Psychology is a social science and not an exact science, so while reading about the subject matter will certainly help you gain a better insight into the reasoning behind something, a better way is to talk to your target prospects and ask them exactly what pains them, frustrates them, what their hope and aspirations are.

I hope that helps!

Studying academic psychology is overkill if you want to be
a good copywriter. If that was what it took then more
psychology majors would be making a killing as copywriters.

You need to study persuasion rather than psychology. But
if you did study psychology you can use it as a selling point
for your copywriting service. People who don't know what
it takes to be a copywriter will be impressed that you are
so "smart".

I read a sales letter just yesterday about this expert who
understands how to sell to the 'subconscious mind' because
that's where all decisions are made. The letter was a powerful
one but I wouldn't accept it as credible.

If there were "deep science" involved in selling then all the
big businesses would have scientist on their marketing
staff. You don't need to go beyond Cialdini's Influence
as far as I'm concerned.

But that's just my humble opinion.

-Ray Edwards

I find Psychology fascinating. Ever since I took a class in college it's been interesting to me. It's interesting to see what makes people do things. Since then I've found psychological threads in almost everything of life.

I like learning things, but people baffled me for a long time. It wasn't until a few years ago when I began studying persuasion that they started to make any sense to me. It's been a fantastic journey of ups and downs that has led me to who i am and what I do today, and all of that ends up in my copywriting when I do it right.

Online Psychology is much, much different than personal "real" interaction. That being said, its interesting how online interaction effects how we interact with people.

I have training in Psychology, with a focus on criminal psychology plus done a lot of courses on interview and interrogation. I found a lot of that translated strangely enough to persuasion and direct response.

I'm working on my Masters in Psychology right now and my undergrad is in Business Management and Marketing. People act as if I'm crazy for going for my MA and ultimately my Ph.D in Psychology but I totally think they are misguided. Marketing IS Psychology. No one everyone questioned my Marketing degree. I'm not a copywriter, nor do I ever plan to be, but I think Psychology is fascinating from a business perspective and I'm actually pretty good at it along with Economics. Working in Internet Marketing seems like the perfect combination of everything. To me, to suggest otherwise is crazy (as a psychology student can I say that? haha).

I read everything I come across as far as psychological persuasion and influence. Every now and then, I'll find a gem, but for the most part, there's lots of re-hashed stuff out there.

That would be true in popular copywriting. It's not true at the corporate level and at some very high levels. On the high end (in web design and so forth), there's a lot of studies on color choices, nationality, gender, age, appropriate wording, trigger words, and so forth.

Hit Google Scholar and start browsing.

Wikipedia has lots of interesting things: Internet marketing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The art of selling, which is the no. 1 goal of anyone in business, has a lot to do with psychology. One of my favorite books is: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Check that one out and it will help a lot.

Also,

Here are a few tested things that have played on the psychology of others to increase sales on your website:

1. Backgrounds
Changing your background color to blue will trigger trust and increase conversion by 31%. Police sirens are blue, the president wears a blue suit. Any news program has a navy blue theme - they need credibility more than anything else to stay in business. Light greys are good as well. Definitely use blue as much as you can when you are stating facts.

2. Background Color
Changing white backgrounds to light grey will increase conversion by 7%.

3. Body Text
Changing all body text to Arial 12pt font will show a 31% - 36% increase in readability. 12pt Arial outpulls 10pt by 17% in terms of readability. Readability is not conversion. Both arial sizes outpull a serif font like Times New Roman.

4. Buy Area 1
Placing seals in your buy areas will increase conversions 13%. Seals like better business bureau, online business bureau, etc help. If you sign up with BBB and use their sales, if you are doing more than a few hundred dollars a day, it's likely to boost your sales by 10% so that is thousands over a year.

5. Buy Area 2
Placing the credit card emblems in your buy area increase your conversion rate by 3%.

6. Buy Button
Adding an Amazon style, orange with blue letters, buy button to your site will increase conversions by 14%.

7. Buy Options
Offering customers the option to buy using a payment plan will increase conversions by 32% - for higher ticket items say 300 dollars. Only about 17% of the total sales shows the payment plan being used. Just the fact that it is offered increases conversions.

I do agree with you regarding the color themes, and blue is the most liked and comfortable for the people.