The Power of Positivity | Brain Games

National Geographic

22 Jun 201503:11

Summary

TLDRIn this intriguing experiment, a volunteer's basketball performance was tested under the influence of positive reinforcement and self-belief. Initially blindfolded, she missed 10 consecutive shots but was led to believe she had made them, boosting her confidence. The second attempt without the blindfold resulted in her making four out of 10 shots. Conversely, a skilled volunteer, who initially made nine shots, was subjected to negative reinforcement and ended up missing shots when blindfolded and even with it removed. The video demonstrates the powerful impact of psychological factors on athletic performance.

Takeaways

🎯 The experiment involves a volunteer attempting free throws with and without a blindfold, and the impact of self-confidence on performance.
👁️‍🗨️ Initially, the volunteer was told she made successful blindfolded shots, which boosted her confidence for the second attempt.
🤩 The volunteer's performance improved significantly after positive reinforcement, making four out of ten shots in her second attempt.
🏀 The script introduces another volunteer who is already skilled at basketball, making nine out of ten shots from the line initially.
😶‍🌫️ The skilled volunteer is then asked to shoot with a blindfold, but the attempt is not successful, suggesting a possible negative impact on performance.
😅 The crowd's reaction to the skilled volunteer's miss with the blindfold seems to affect his performance in subsequent attempts.
👀 The experiment explores the psychological aspect of sports performance, particularly how perception and external feedback can influence outcomes.
🚀 The concept of 'hacking' self-confidence is introduced, implying that belief in one's abilities can be manipulated to enhance performance.
🤔 The script raises questions about the role of self-perception and the power of positive and negative reinforcement in achieving success.
📉 The experiment shows that even skilled individuals can be affected by external factors, such as crowd reactions or altered conditions.
💪 The importance of maintaining a positive mindset and self-belief is highlighted, as it can lead to improved performance.

Q & A

What was the initial condition of the first volunteer's performance before being blindfolded?
-The first volunteer missed 10 shots in a row before being blindfolded.
How did the volunteer's performance change after being blindfolded and believing she made the shots?
-After being blindfolded and believing she made the shots, the volunteer made 4 out of 10 shots, showing an improvement.
What psychological effect was observed in the first volunteer's performance?
-The psychological effect observed was an increase in self-confidence and belief in her natural abilities, which improved her performance.
How many shots did the second volunteer make from the line before any intervention?
-The second volunteer made nine shots from the line before any intervention.
What was the experiment conducted with the second volunteer to test the impact of negative reinforcement?
-The experiment involved having the second volunteer take a shot with a blindfold and then removing it, expecting him to perform well again.
What was the outcome of the second volunteer's performance after the crowd's negative reinforcement?
-After the crowd's negative reinforcement, the second volunteer's performance was affected, and he only made two shots out of 10.
What does the script suggest about the power of positive reinforcement on performance?
-The script suggests that positive reinforcement, such as cheering and believing in someone's abilities, can significantly improve performance.
How did the crowd's reaction affect the second volunteer's confidence?
-The crowd's negative reinforcement seemed to throw the second volunteer off his game, affecting his confidence and performance.
What was the purpose of the experiment with the volunteers in the script?
-The purpose of the experiment was to explore how psychological factors, such as self-belief and external reinforcement, can influence performance in basketball shooting.
What does the script imply about the role of self-perception in achieving success?
-The script implies that self-perception plays a crucial role in achieving success, as the volunteers' beliefs about their abilities affected their actual performance.
What lesson can be learned from the volunteers' experiences in the script?
-The lesson learned is that both positive and negative reinforcement can have a significant impact on an individual's performance and self-confidence.

Outlines

00:00

🎯 Self-Confidence Hacking Through Positive Reinforcement

The video script describes an experiment where a volunteer, initially unsuccessful at making free throws, is led to believe she successfully made blindfolded shots. This positive reinforcement seems to boost her self-confidence, leading to an improvement in her performance. Out of 10 shots, she made four, a significant increase from her initial failure. The script explores the psychological impact of believing in one's abilities and the power of encouragement.

🏀 The Impact of Negative Reinforcement on Skilled Performance

Contrasting the first scenario, the script then introduces a skilled basketball player who initially makes nine out of ten free throws. However, when subjected to negative reinforcement from the crowd, his performance deteriorates. Even after the blindfold is removed, he only makes two out of ten shots, indicating that external influences can significantly affect even skilled individuals' performance. This part of the script examines how crowd reactions and negative feedback can undermine self-assurance and hinder performance.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Volunteer

A volunteer is someone who offers their time and effort to participate in an activity without expecting payment or reward. In the context of the video, the volunteer is a participant in an experiment that explores the impact of self-confidence on performance. The volunteer's initial performance is compared to her subsequent performance after being led to believe she successfully made blindfolded free throws.

💡Blindfolded

To be blindfolded means to have one's eyes covered, typically to prevent seeing. In the video, the concept of being blindfolded is used in an experiment where the volunteer attempts to make free throws without being able to see, which is meant to test the influence of belief and self-confidence on physical performance.

💡Free Throws

Free throws are unopposed shots taken from behind the free-throw line in basketball, awarded to a player after a foul has been committed by the opposing team. The video uses free throws as a measure of the volunteer's basketball shooting ability and as a way to demonstrate the psychological effects on performance.

💡Self-Confidence

Self-confidence refers to a person's belief in their own abilities and worth. The video's theme revolves around the idea that enhancing self-confidence through positive reinforcement can improve performance, as seen when the volunteer believes she made successful blindfolded shots and subsequently performs better.

💡Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a psychological concept where a behavior is encouraged by providing a reward or something positive following the behavior. In the script, positive reinforcement is used to boost the volunteer's self-confidence by cheering and falsely telling her she made the blindfolded shots.

💡Natural Abilities

Natural abilities refer to skills or talents that a person possesses without necessarily having learned or developed them through training. The video suggests that by boosting self-confidence, one can tap into and perform better with their natural abilities, as illustrated by the volunteer's improved performance after believing she made the blindfolded shots.

💡Improvement

Improvement means to become better or to make something better. In the context of the video, improvement is a key outcome; the volunteer improves her free throw performance from making none to making four out of ten after her self-confidence is boosted.

💡Basketball

Basketball is a sport that involves two teams trying to score points by shooting a ball through a hoop. The video uses basketball as a backdrop to explore psychological factors affecting performance, specifically focusing on the skill of making free throws.

💡Negative Reinforcement

Negative reinforcement is the process of increasing the likelihood of a behavior by removing or avoiding a negative stimulus. In the video, the crowd's negative reinforcement seems to have a detrimental effect on the performance of a skilled basketball player, causing him to miss shots he previously made easily.

💡Crowd

A crowd refers to a large number of people gathered together. In the video, the crowd's reaction and negative reinforcement play a role in influencing the basketball player's performance, demonstrating the impact of external factors on an individual's abilities.

💡Experiment

An experiment is a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact. The video script describes an experiment designed to test the impact of self-confidence and psychological factors on the performance of basketball free throws.

Highlights

A volunteer was initially blindfolded and made free throws despite missing 10 in a row without a blindfold.

The volunteer believed she made the blindfolded shots, which was a false belief.

Positive reinforcement and cheering were used to boost the volunteer's self-confidence.

The volunteer improved significantly, making four out of 10 shots in her second attempt.

A second volunteer was already proficient in basketball, making nine shots from the line.

An attempt was made to negatively influence the skilled volunteer's performance.

The skilled volunteer missed his first shot after being blindfolded.

The blindfold was removed for the skilled volunteer to try again.

The crowd's negative reinforcement seemed to affect the skilled volunteer's performance.

The skilled volunteer only made two out of 10 shots after the crowd's influence.

The experiment demonstrated the power of self-belief and external influence on performance.

The volunteer's initial failure without a blindfold contrasted with her later improvement.

The experiment showed that belief in one's abilities can enhance performance.

The skilled volunteer's confidence was tested by the crowd's reaction.

The experiment involved manipulating the volunteers' perceptions and emotions.

The outcome highlighted the psychological aspect of sports performance.