The Powerful Influence of Context on People’s Choices

When male CEOs in Denmark have daughters, the wages of their female employees rise (relative to male employees’ wages). If the child is the first daughter, the effect is stronger, and if the first daughter is also the firstborn, the effect is stronger still.

Seeing someone yawn, hearing someone yawn, even reading about yawning can lead you—you guessed it—to yawn.

Customers primed with images of money before they shop tend to go with lower-priced options, while those primed on comfort images pick the more luxurious options.

Sensing a theme yet? Our environment and particular circumstances—the context of a situation—can have tremendous impact on our thinking, behavior, choices, and decisions.