🧠 Psychology & Behaviour
67 entries on file
Stepping on a Crack Will Break Your Mother's Back
A superstition with no magical consequences whatsoever
The MMR Vaccine Causes Autism
Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent 1998 Lancet paper was retracted after fabrication was exposed
Darth Vader Says 'Luke, I Am Your Father'
The actual line is 'No, I am your father' without using Luke's name
The Berenstein Bears Are Spelled 'Berenstein'
The author always spelled it 'Berenstain' (rhyming with 'stain,' not 'steen')
Left-Brained People Are Logical, Right-Brained Are Creative
Brain lateralization is much more nuanced and overlapping
Sugar Makes Children Hyperactive
Scientific studies show no causal link between sugar and hyperactivity
Bloody Mary Appears When You Chant in the Mirror
A playground trick relying on psychological effects
We only use 10% of our brains
We use nearly 100% of our brains; all regions serve functions
If You Pee in the Pool the Water Turns Blue or Purple
There's no dye that changes colour when urine is detected
Masturbation Causes Insanity, Blindness, and Physical Degeneration
No causal link exists; the 'masturbatory insanity' diagnosis reflected moral panic rather than medicine
Sinbad Starred in a Movie Called 'Shazaam' About a Genie
No such film exists; 'Kazaam' (1996) featured Shaquille O'Neal, not Sinbad
Bogart Says 'Play It Again, Sam' in Casablanca
Bogart never says this exact phrase in the 1942 film
Looney Tunes Is Spelled 'Looney Toons'
The official branding has always been 'Looney Tunes,' a pun on 'Disney Tunes'
Kirk Says 'Beam Me Up, Scotty' in Star Trek
This exact phrase never appears in the original Star Trek series
Sherlock Holmes Says 'Elementary, My Dear Watson'
This exact phrase never appears in the original Conan Doyle stories
Modern Attention Spans Are Shorter Than a Goldfish's
The number is fake; the goldfish is fake; the source is a Microsoft slide deck citing a citation that cites itself
Humans Have Only Five Senses
Humans have at least nine distinct sensory systems
Elephants Have Perfect Memory
Elephants have good memory but not perfect; they forget like all animals
Humans Only Use 10% of Their Brain
We use virtually all of our brain throughout the day
Lobotomy is an effective cure for mental illness
Lobotomies caused severe permanent brain damage and were abandoned
Going Outside with Wet Hair Makes You Sick or Catch a Cold
Colds are caused by viruses, not by temperature or wet hair
Personality and Abilities Are Revealed by Skull Bumps
Phrenology was rejected by neuroscience
The Mind Starts as a Completely Blank Slate
Neuroscience revealed innate cognitive structures
Phrenology: Skull Bumps Reveal Character and Intelligence
Brain localization theories were wrong; personality isn't mapped on cranial topography
Mental Illness Results from Demonic Possession or Moral Failing
Psychiatric medicine recognises mental illness as neurological and psychological in origin
The Stanford Prison Experiment Had Seriously Flawed Methodology
Participants were coached and coerced; the results don't demonstrate human nature, but rather experimenter demand
The Mozart Effect: Listening to Mozart Makes You Smarter
Original study involved brief spatial reasoning improvement; broader 'smarter' claims were misinterpretations
Blood Type Determines Personality (Japan)
Blood type personality compatibility (ketsueki-gata) has no scientific basis; the belief is widespread despite lacking evidence
AI Will Become Sentient and Take Over Humanity
Current AI systems are narrow task-learners with no consciousness; general intelligence remains theoretical
Video Games Cause Violence and Aggression
Decades of research show no causal link; violence correlates with socioeconomic factors and access to weapons
Queen's 'We Are the Champions' Ends with 'of the World'
The album version ends with 'of the world' but live performances vary
C-3PO Is Entirely Gold Plated
C-3PO has one silver-coloured leg from the original trilogy onward
Hannibal Lecter Says 'Hello, Clarice'
The iconic line is 'Good evening, Clarice' in The Silence of the Lambs
A Dopamine Detox Resets Your Brain
Dopamine isn't a battery you can drain or recharge by avoiding TikTok for a weekend
Adderall Is Just Strong Caffeine
It's a Schedule II amphetamine; coffee is a different drug at a different scale of effect and risk
Wolf Packs Are Ruled by an 'Alpha' Who Fought His Way to the Top
Wild packs are families led by the parents; the alpha idea came from captive wolves
A Polygraph 'Lie Detector' Can Tell When You're Lying
It measures nervousness, not honesty, and it is easily fooled
Creative People Use More of Their Right Brain
Both hemispheres are equally involved in creativity
Dolphins Are the Smartest Animals
Intelligence varies by measures; many animals show remarkable cognition
Left-Handedness Can Be Trained Out
Handedness is neurologically determined and difficult to change
Waking a Sleepwalker Is Dangerous or Harmful
Waking sleepwalkers is safe and often advisable
You Have to Hold Your Breath Through a Tunnel for Good Luck
A fun game, but no magical consequences either way
HPV Vaccine Promotes Promiscuity
Large studies show no behaviour change; vaccine prevents cervical cancer in multiple populations
Power Posing Changes Hormone Levels and Behaviour (Amy Cuddy, 2010)
Original study's findings failed to replicate; meta-analyses found no reliable effect
Monopoly Board Says 'Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200'
The actual text reads 'Go' and 'Collect $200,' with slightly different phrasing
Subliminal Messages Make You Buy Popcorn and Coke
The famous cinema experiment was admitted to be a fraud
38 People Watched Kitty Genovese Be Murdered and Did Nothing
The famous number was wrong; people did call for help
Women Who Live Together Sync Up Their Periods
The original study was flawed; better research finds no real synchrony
We Dream in Black and White
Most people dream in colour; the belief tracked black-and-white TV
Some People Have a Perfect Photographic Memory
No adult has ever been verified to store images like a flawless camera
Schizophrenia Means Having a Split Personality
It is a disorder of perception and thought, not multiple identities
Tourette's Syndrome Means Shouting Swear Words
Most people with Tourette's never have the swearing symptom at all
Humans Are Diurnal Creatures Only
Humans have flexible circadian rhythms with nocturnal capacity
Mirrors Reverse Left and Right
Mirrors reverse front-to-back, not left-to-right; perception bias causes confusion
Itching Palms Means Money Is Coming
Itching is usually caused by dermatological conditions
Contagious Yawning Shows Empathy
The mechanism is neurological, not specifically empathic
Subliminal messages in advertising effectively control consumer behaviour
Subliminal messaging has no proven effect; conscious persuasion is dominant
People learn better with their preferred learning style
Learning style preferences don't correlate with better outcomes
Video games shrink your brain
Some studies show structural changes; causation and harm unclear
Maternal Impressions During Pregnancy Shape the Unborn Child's Form and Temperament
Maternal impression theory has no biological basis; development follows genetic and physiological principles
Ego Depletion: Willpower Depletes Like a Muscle
The theory failed to replicate in large, well-controlled studies; effect size is likely zero
Facilitated Communication Allows Non-Speaking Autistic People to Communicate
Controlled studies proved the facilitator, not the client, was controlling the communication
Recovered/Repressed Memories of Childhood Abuse Were Therapy-Induced False Memories
1980s-90s phenomenon; extensive research shows suggestive therapy techniques created false memories
Chartreuse Is a Pink or Red Colour
Chartreuse is actually yellow-green, and has been since the 1600s
You Cannot Taste Colours
Some people experience synesthesia linking taste and colour
Diederik Stapel's Social Psychology Research Was Entirely Fabricated
58 papers retracted; one of the largest fraud cases in scientific history
Your Nose Points in the Direction You're Naturally Heading
Body orientation doesn't predict navigation direction