The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life
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- Create Date：2022-07-23 00:53:23
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：David Robson
- ISBN：183885326X
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Summary
A journey through the cutting-edge science of how our mindset shapes every facet of our lives， revealing how your brain holds the keys to unlocking a better you
What you believe can make it so。
You’ve heard of the placebo effect and how sugar pills can accelerate healing。 But did you know that sham heart surgeries often work just as well as placing real stents？ Or that people who think they’re particularly prone to cardiovascular disease are four times as likely to die from cardiac arrest？ Such is the power and deadly importance of the expectation effect—how what we think will happen changes what does happen。
Melding neuroscience with narrative， science journalist David Robson takes readers on a deep dive into the many life zones the expectation effect permeates。 We see how people who believe stress is beneficial become more creative when placed under strain。 We see how associating aging with wisdom can add seven plus years to your life。 People say seeing is believing but， over and over， Robson proves that the converse is truer: believing is seeing。
The Expectation Effect is not woo-woo。 You cannot think your way into a pile of money or out of a cancer diagnosis。 But just because magical thinking is nonsense doesn’t mean rational magic doesn’t exist。 Pointing to accepted psychology and objective physiology， Robson gives us the practical takeaways we need to improve our fitness， productivity， intelligence， and happiness。
What you believe can make it so。
You’ve heard of the placebo effect and how sugar pills can accelerate healing。 But did you know that sham heart surgeries often work just as well as placing real stents？ Or that people who think they’re particularly prone to cardiovascular disease are four times as likely to die from cardiac arrest？ Such is the power and deadly importance of the expectation effect—how what we think will happen changes what does happen。
Melding neuroscience with narrative， science journalist David Robson takes readers on a deep dive into the many life zones the expectation effect permeates。 We see how people who believe stress is beneficial become more creative when placed under strain。 We see how associating aging with wisdom can add seven plus years to your life。 People say seeing is believing but， over and over， Robson proves that the converse is truer: believing is seeing。
The Expectation Effect is not woo-woo。 You cannot think your way into a pile of money or out of a cancer diagnosis。 But just because magical thinking is nonsense doesn’t mean rational magic doesn’t exist。 Pointing to accepted psychology and objective physiology， Robson gives us the practical takeaways we need to improve our fitness， productivity， intelligence， and happiness。
Reviews
Boni Peterson
，
The brain is fascinating！
Jamad
，
An interesting read - somewhat contradictory to the last read about depression。 Hadn’t come across the nocebo effect before （you are given a placebo with the information it will help what ails you but there are sone negative side effects and you experience the side effects）Full of compelling anecdotes。
Josh
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Astonishing look at neuroscience and power of the brain as predictive machine。 Yet another book which makes a compelling case for more research on the brain; an organ it seems we are barely beginning to understand。 The power of placebos is daunting; even in some cases when we know about them but still reap the fruits of improvement or amelioration。 Placebos being as 90 percent as effective as morphine in a combat hospital in World War II？ Good night。
Rik
，
I almost want to tag this book as 'super powers' and 'mystery'， such are the phenomenal and downright weird results that your expectations - both positive and negative- can have on your life。 Whilst the overall message of the book is brief and simple， the author delves into various specific areas to discuss the effects in detail， providing some positive ways to alter your outlook。 Nearly every page has something to read out to any one who will listen。 I almost want to tag this book as 'super powers' and 'mystery'， such are the phenomenal and downright weird results that your expectations - both positive and negative- can have on your life。 Whilst the overall message of the book is brief and simple， the author delves into various specific areas to discuss the effects in detail， providing some positive ways to alter your outlook。 Nearly every page has something to read out to any one who will listen。 。。。more
notgettingenough
，
Some years ago， my Swiss doctor suggested that the first step to dealing with really bad adjustments to jetlag - it would take me weeks to recover - was to take melatonin。 When I went to the pharmacy and asked for it， the girl serving said 'we only have homeopathic'。 'Oh， that's okay，' I said， thinking that it was a brand。 I'd never heard of homeopathy before， and only when I got home did I discover that this meant there was nothing in it。 Actually， it said in very big font on the label 2X， and Some years ago， my Swiss doctor suggested that the first step to dealing with really bad adjustments to jetlag - it would take me weeks to recover - was to take melatonin。 When I went to the pharmacy and asked for it， the girl serving said 'we only have homeopathic'。 'Oh， that's okay，' I said， thinking that it was a brand。 I'd never heard of homeopathy before， and only when I got home did I discover that this meant there was nothing in it。 Actually， it said in very big font on the label 2X， and apparently that meant I'd just bought two times nothing。 That night come bedtime， I was really cross， drafting the letter of complaint to the pharmacy governance board。 I should have been warned！ But at the same time I thought well， I've paid for the darn bottle of these 'pills'， I might as well take one。 And I did。 Then I laid in bed， irate， starting to imagine how I was going to lie there all night stark wide awake。。。 when I fell asleep。 Just like that。Yes， I know， it's only an anecdote。 But when I started reading about the astonishingly scary way that the brain gets on with the body， not only inadvertently passing on false information， but even deliberately， I could see how this might have worked even if I didn't believe in it。 Maybe at some level my brain was able to ignore my conscious reasoning and said to my body， sleep treatment taken， let's go。 Holy Toledo if stuff like that happens。。。。And indeed， according to this book， such stuff happens all the time。I'm in at least two minds about this book。 It's an enormous literature review done in an accessible way， though Robson is no great prose stylist。 Every time he points out another way in which the expectation effect seems to come into play， we are bombarded with examples from scientific and medical trials/experiments。 The reader really is overwhelmed by the evidence， so that although he occasionally points out that an experiment did not have a meaningful number of subjects， and even though we might have at the back of our minds some suspicion about the methodology and motives of such research in general， nonetheless it's hard not to say， okay， you win， it is a real phenomena。 Indeed， I happened to talk to a doctor about some of this recently and she said the results are amazing in reference to knee 'operations' being performed instead of knee operations。 Ie that pretending an operation has been done， even if the patient is informed， has an impressive success rate。The rest is here: https://alittleteaalittlechat。wordpre。。。 。。。more
Kurt
，
Expect the best when reading this book！ What a wonderful exploration of expectation effect - so much great research and insights contained in this delightful read。 I highly recommend this book！
Tracey Ellis
，
Most of us are aware of the importance of a positive ‘growth’ mindset， but I certainly underestimated the effects it can have， especially on health and aging。 I’ve always had low expectations to avoid being disappointed， but will re-think these， especially in terms of health and aging， and I found the placebo effect very interesting。 It is incredible how something we are in complete control of， our thinking， can transform things utterly and completely， yet it seems the hardest thing to manage， a Most of us are aware of the importance of a positive ‘growth’ mindset， but I certainly underestimated the effects it can have， especially on health and aging。 I’ve always had low expectations to avoid being disappointed， but will re-think these， especially in terms of health and aging， and I found the placebo effect very interesting。 It is incredible how something we are in complete control of， our thinking， can transform things utterly and completely， yet it seems the hardest thing to manage， and the most easily swayed and molded。 。。。more
Beth Ann Mathews
，
I found Robson's The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World enthralling。 Every chapter had research-backed information that was personally applicable。 I highly recommend this book and will encourage myself to re-read it every few years。 I found Robson's The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World enthralling。 Every chapter had research-backed information that was personally applicable。 I highly recommend this book and will encourage myself to re-read it every few years。 。。。more
N
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Our expectations influence us more than we realize。 And in more areas than we realize。Interesting read
Kathy
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Full of data and only gets to the how-to in the epilogue。
Steven Lewis
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Promotes reflection and inspires。
Ismael Gutierrez
，
Brilliant and insightful， with proper research and lots of applicable examples。 I have particularly enjoyed the author's self-control when putting in place plenty of disclaimers along the book to make sure readers don't get too carried away with certain statements。 Brilliant and insightful， with proper research and lots of applicable examples。 I have particularly enjoyed the author's self-control when putting in place plenty of disclaimers along the book to make sure readers don't get too carried away with certain statements。 。。。more
Andrew Wolgemuth
，
An interesting， helpful dive into our brains as "prediction machines" and the implications of this interpretive lens。 Good stuff on the placebo effect and our internal scripts （though Robson doesn't use that phrase） and why such have real-life effects beyond what we would likely expect。 An interesting， helpful dive into our brains as "prediction machines" and the implications of this interpretive lens。 Good stuff on the placebo effect and our internal scripts （though Robson doesn't use that phrase） and why such have real-life effects beyond what we would likely expect。 。。。more
John Staveley
，
There are a lot of interesting ideas about how expectations affect outcomes in the real world， however I thought there was little practical advice on how you could effect these yourself。
Adam Colby
，
Everyone should read it once， just to challenge their own thoughts。It needs a little more support in the ideas and theories。
Ala
，
An informative book on the power of expectations， how it affects our overall quality of life， and how we can recognize it and make the most out of it。
Jung
，
Your mind is a powerful tool in the fight against illness， inaction， and even aging。 By visualizing positive outcomes for yourself， you make it all the more likely that those outcomes will become your reality。 You might not be able to think yourself into becoming healthy， or young， but you can certainly create the right mental conditions to help you flourish。To implement this into your daily life， here’s a quick piece of actionable advice to take with you:Find a way to channel high expectationsI Your mind is a powerful tool in the fight against illness， inaction， and even aging。 By visualizing positive outcomes for yourself， you make it all the more likely that those outcomes will become your reality。 You might not be able to think yourself into becoming healthy， or young， but you can certainly create the right mental conditions to help you flourish。To implement this into your daily life， here’s a quick piece of actionable advice to take with you:Find a way to channel high expectationsIt’s hard to have a permanent positive mindset。 So， instead， try and find something tangible to help steer your mindset。 Like a lucky charm that an athlete might use – something that you can take with you on your daily routine。 Even if it’s just for a special occasion like a big interview， if you can focus your expectation into this one lucky object， that might just provide that positive bit of expectation that you need to make a real difference。 Because， as we learned from the kangaroo bone， a little superstition can go a long way if you believe it。---You have untapped reserves of mental stamina。When Barack Obama was president of the United States， he wore almost exactly the same suit every single day。 The only thing that varied was the color; the suits were either dark brown or navy blue。 （Let’s forget about the tan suit fiasco。） Obama isn’t alone in his limited wardrobe choices， either。 In fact， lots of highly successful people， like Steve Jobs， Ariana Huffington， and Mark Zuckerberg all prefer to wear the exact same outfit every day。 Why？ It all has to do with their expectations。 But as you’ll discover， these expectations are totally wrong。The reason why Obama and Zuckerberg dress the way they do is because they’re trying to get rid of unnecessary decision-making。 For most of us， deciding what to wear each morning requires conscious thought。 Do these pants match this shirt？ Are these the best shoes to wear with this jacket？ According to the theory known as ego depletion， we only have a limited amount of mental resources to use on decisions each day。 After we’ve done a certain amount of hard work， or decision-making， or difficult thinking， those resources are exhausted。 With this in mind， these leaders don’t want to waste their mental capacity on thinking about exactly what to wear。 On the surface， the ego-depletion theory seems to make sense。 After all， how many times have you come home from a hard day’s work and felt too exhausted to do anything except lie on the couch？ Some experts have even suggested that the reason why successful people cheat on their partners is because they’ve used up all their mental willpower on their career。 They simply don’t have the capacity to work on their relationships。But just how true is any of this？ Because， in fact， other evidence suggests that the ego-depletion theory is instead just one big expectation effect。 The mental exhaustion we feel after working hard is real， but it’s only real because we expect it to be。 At least， that’s according to a study by Austrian psychologist Veronika Job。 Job asked participants to complete two tasks in a row。 Before they began the first task， Job asked each participant whether performing hard work usually a） depletes their mental resources or b） energizes them。Interestingly， Job found that the people who had listed hard work as exhausting did much worse on the second task than they did on the first。 In contrast， those who listed hard work as energizing performed evenly across both tasks。Now， this might seem like the predictable outcome， but， in a follow-up study， Job then tested whether it was possible to change people’s beliefs and expectations about their own mental depletion。 So， for this next study， before participants undertook the two tasks， they each read one of two statements。One statement stated that hard work depletes our mental resources， and the other stated the opposite: that hard work has been proven to energize our minds so much that it actually enables us to thrive on other hard tasks once we’ve started。 Job found that the people who had read the “energizing” statement performed twice as well on their second task as those who had read the “depleting” statement。 All because their expectations had been shifted。This just goes to show that our mental capacity is much greater than many of us believe。 With the right expectations， we really can get more done。 So， the next time you find your concentration waning in the middle of a hard task， try and remind yourself of a time when you found a challenging task energizing rather than draining。 Then ask yourself whether that energizing task was objectively harder than the task you’re undertaking right now。 Reframing how you view the challenging task at hand will help give your mental stamina enough of a boost to power through。---Placebos are powerful drugs， with many potential benefits。Is it ever right for a doctor to lie to their patients？ In the nineteenth century， US president Thomas Jefferson wasn’t so sure。 On the one hand， he knew that it was morally ambiguous for a trusted doctor to deceive a patient。 But on the other hand， Jefferson believed that placebos can do patients a world of good。 Two hundred years later， science is beginning to understand that Jefferson might have been right。A placebo is a dummy medication that contains no active ingredients。 This means it has no physiological benefits or disadvantages for the person taking it。Some of the first modern evidence of the benefits of placebos was collected by a military doctor during World War One。 Henry Beecher was an anesthetist whose job was to treat Allied soldiers in France and Italy。 These soldiers had come straight from the battlefield， and their wounds were often horrific and deeply painful。 Worse still， the pain-killing drug morphine was in short supply， and Beecher was sometimes faced with the awful prospect of operating on these men without any anesthetic。But during the course of his work， Beecher realized something remarkable。 Oftentimes， a wounded soldier’s pain could be effectively treated with a simple saline solution。 As long as the man believed that he was being injected with morphine， he would respond almost exactly as though he had been given the real drug。 In fact， Beecher estimated that his placebo saline solution was about 90 percent as effective as morphine itself。 It was so effective that it reduced the chance of the patient going into cardiac arrest while they were being operated on， which was a major risk during surgery without anesthesia。Since Beecher’s pioneering discovery， placebos have been shown over and over again to have powerful effects。 Consider recent evidence from people with Parkinson's disease。 Many of its symptoms， such as shaking limbs， are caused by a lack of dopamine in the brain。 With this in mind， existing medications boost dopamine levels， which provides relief。 Remarkably， though， when people with Parkinsons are given placebo drugs， their symptoms can improve by up to 30 percent。How can we explain this？ It may all come down to the patient’s expectations。 Experts now believe that our brains act as the body’s internal pharmacy。 When you expect to receive a benefit from a medication， your brain opens up its pharmacy， and releases biochemical substances that affect your body much in the way the real drug would。 So in the case of the Parkinson’s placebo， the patient’s brain may have released more of its own dopamine or a dopamine-like substance。Evidence for the pharmacy theory comes from a study that looked into placebo painkillers。 The researchers believed that receiving a morphine placebo would stimulate patients’ brains into creating their own natural painkillers， known as opioids。 To test this theory， the patients were also given another substance at the same time as the placebo。 This substance was called naloxone; it effectively blocks opioid receptors in the brain。 The researchers found that the naloxone stopped the placebo from working， just as they would have expected if they had administered it alongside actual morphine。 This suggests that the placebo morphine really was stimulating the brain to produce its own opioids。Interestingly， though， not all placebos have the same effect on us。 Again， it comes down to our expectations。 Studies have found that larger placebo pills produce a more beneficial effect than smaller ones。 Similarly， placebos in the form of injections are then even more beneficial than pills。 Finally， the biggest placebo effect is seen after surgery。 So the greater expectations we have for the procedure， be it in the form of pills or surgery， the more placebo power we pump into ourselves。With all this in mind， let’s return to that very first question that Thomas Jefferson grappled with。 Is it ever right for doctors to deceive their patients？ While we don’t have a clear answer， one thing is for sure。 When we expect placebos to deliver powerful results， they tend to do just that。Having learned this， how can you now apply this knowledge to your own health？ First off， when you start taking medication， try to visualize the positive effects it could have on your body。 Doing so could help these positive effects become a reality。 Second， when you’re prescribed a drug， take the time to ask your physician exactly how it works to help your body。 Just knowing this information may help in enhancing the effects of the drug。 Finally， your expectations will receive a boost if you can talk to other patients who have used the same medication and found it effective。 Simply knowing that it worked for other people may enhance the chances that it will bring benefits to you， too。---In extreme cases， negative expectations can kill you。After discussing the positive effects expectations can have on our minds， it’s only fair to also lay out the risks of negative expectations。 Let’s start with the opposite of a placebo。 A nocebo。 Placebo in Latin translates as “I shall please，” whereas nocebo means “I shall harm。” Just as our expectations can turn saline solution into morphine， they can also transform nocebos， harmless things， into deadly weapons。It may surprise you to learn that one of the most ancient nocebos is a kangaroo bone。 According to traditional Aborigine culture， a priest can use a kangaroo bone to put a deadly curse on someone。 This ritual is fairly straightforward: the priest points the bone at someone and chants a deadly curse。 And， within a few days， the cursed person’s body will begin to weaken， until， eventually， they fall down and die。 According to nineteenth-century settlers who witnessed this phenomenon， it was as if the cursed person really did have a deadly hex on them。Of course， with what we now know about the power of expectation on the body， it seems much less likely that these mysterious deaths were due to the supernatural。 Instead， a more likely explanation could be that the kangaroo bone and the priest’s words acted as a powerful nocebo。 Put another way， if you believe strongly enough that something is going to kill you， then you can actually bring about your own death。Not convinced？ Then consider the following infamous case of self-willed death。 Let’s travel back to Nashville， Tennessee， in the 1970s。 A man was diagnosed with terminal esophageal cancer。 This came as a shock， especially since the cancer was so widespread that his doctor doubted that he would live to see next Christmas。 Well， the man did live to see Christmas， but he died just a few weeks later， in January。 Tragically， it seemed， the cancer had won。 But when an autopsy was performed， the pathologist made a shocking discovery。 There was no tumor on his esophagus。 There was a tumor on his liver， but it was small， and certainly not terminal。 But then， if that was the case， what caused the man’s actual death？ With his dire diagnosis in mind， there was only one conclusion to be drawn: it was the doctor’s prognosis that had killed him。 He had expected to die around Christmas of that year， and so he did。Our negative expectations can harm our health in other ways， too。 Often， the most potent nocebos come in the form of perceived side effects to real medications。 This means that when we expect to suffer a side effect of a drug， we are more likely to experience it。 Take， for example， a medication known as finasteride， which is used to treat enlarged prostates。 An uncommon side effect of finasteride is erectile dysfunction。 One study found that men taking finasteride were up to three times more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction when they were explicitly warned that it was a potential side effect。 In other words， many more men experienced a life-changing symptom simply because they were told about it。Similar nocebo effects have been found in the use of aspirin to treat angina。 Patients who were told that the aspirin might cause side effects of indigestion and stomach discomfort were six times more likely to stop the treatment than people who hadn’t been told about these side effects。 And when asked their reason for stopping the treatment？ Nausea and indigestion。 This just goes to show that our expectations can， quite literally， make us sick。If this news is starting to bring down your own health， there are luckily ways you can prevent harmful expectations from taking root。 First， when a medication does come with the chance of an unpleasant side effect， try to reframe your thinking around your chances of experiencing it。 For example， if you learn that one in ten patients suffers from a certain side effect， keep reminding yourself that that means that 90 percent of patients didn’t suffer from this side effect。 So the odds of your suffering this are actually pretty low。 Even just this simple reframing of expectations could prevent your body from needlessly developing these side effects on its own。 。。。more
David
，
If you only read one book in 2022 and you want to transform your life， read this book！Our brain is a prediction machine。 As a result， our conscious and unconscious expectations can powerfully influence our perceptions of reality。 This is what gives rise to the placebo and nocebo effects。The author calls this the Expectation Effect。Going through a ton of research， he looks at how the Expectation Effect impacts our:- sense of the world- ability to heal- experience of pain and discomfort- response If you only read one book in 2022 and you want to transform your life， read this book！Our brain is a prediction machine。 As a result， our conscious and unconscious expectations can powerfully influence our perceptions of reality。 This is what gives rise to the placebo and nocebo effects。The author calls this the Expectation Effect。Going through a ton of research， he looks at how the Expectation Effect impacts our:- sense of the world- ability to heal- experience of pain and discomfort- response to health scares- efforts to achieve fitness- relationship with what we eat- stress， happiness and sleep- propensity to exercise willpower- intelligence， learning and creativity- body's response to aging 。。。more
Bharati Challa
，
I'm so glad there was none of that wishy-washy new age stuff with claims of curing cancer using crystals and candles。 One of the best things about this book is that the research delves into various spheres of life where our brain （prediction machine） can make that much of a difference。 The chapters are structured accordingly， and at the end of each of the chapters， David Robson lists actionable takeaways。 I'm so glad there was none of that wishy-washy new age stuff with claims of curing cancer using crystals and candles。 One of the best things about this book is that the research delves into various spheres of life where our brain （prediction machine） can make that much of a difference。 The chapters are structured accordingly， and at the end of each of the chapters， David Robson lists actionable takeaways。 。。。more
Jim Parker
，
There was an interesting article in his book， but like many popular overviews of medical/psychological issues， particularly from American writers， this was just stretched beyond my potential interest in the subject。The idea behind The Expectation Effect - that our attitude and expectations are an under-rated determinant in our success or failure at life endeavours - will be familiar to anyone who read pop psychology back in the 70s， except in this case David Robson adds scientific evidence to ba There was an interesting article in his book， but like many popular overviews of medical/psychological issues， particularly from American writers， this was just stretched beyond my potential interest in the subject。The idea behind The Expectation Effect - that our attitude and expectations are an under-rated determinant in our success or failure at life endeavours - will be familiar to anyone who read pop psychology back in the 70s， except in this case David Robson adds scientific evidence to back it up。We’re as young as we feel。 We succeed at hard tasks commensurate with our belief in how much we will be energised by them。 Placebos in medicine are frequently as effective as the real drugs。 It’s really ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ PLUS experiments。But like so many of these non-fiction books from American writers， Robson piles on anecdote after anecdote， study after study， to the point where you find yourself saying “yes， I get it， can you shut up now？”Needed a good editor。 。。。more
Cate
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Everyone should read this。
Mark
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I expected this book to be bad， and it turned out to be badUnsure if this is a confirmation or an indictment of the book 🤔Also， I couldn't shake the question of how many of the ideas and experiments described in the book will stand up to the test of time， what with the replication crisis in psychology I expected this book to be bad， and it turned out to be badUnsure if this is a confirmation or an indictment of the book 🤔Also， I couldn't shake the question of how many of the ideas and experiments described in the book will stand up to the test of time， what with the replication crisis in psychology 。。。more
Book Monitor
，
I bought this in the sale and found it an interesting listen。 Each chapter has a brief summary at the end indicated by a little bell。 The PDF that accompanies it is OK but I think more thought would have been helpful with making this as an audiobook。 I usually listen when I am doing something else， and it is not always possible to stop and look at a diagram when indicated。 I think the summaries would also have been a good thing to have included in it。The narration was fine but it seemed odd to h I bought this in the sale and found it an interesting listen。 Each chapter has a brief summary at the end indicated by a little bell。 The PDF that accompanies it is OK but I think more thought would have been helpful with making this as an audiobook。 I usually listen when I am doing something else， and it is not always possible to stop and look at a diagram when indicated。 I think the summaries would also have been a good thing to have included in it。The narration was fine but it seemed odd to have an English voice reading an American book。 I don't really know why。 This is a book that might work better in a written format。Overall 3。5 starsNarration 4 starsText 3。5 stars。 。。。more
Alžběta
，
"The Expectation Effect" explains why you are always right when you think you can or can't do something。 The beliefs we hold about ourselves become self-fulfilling prophecies。For decades there have been discussions about the power of the mind and how we can harness its "magic，" but David Robson illustrates how little we still understand ourselves and what we are capable of。 Supported by a plethora of sound sources and evidence， Robson explains how the brain works， why it's a prediction machine a "The Expectation Effect" explains why you are always right when you think you can or can't do something。 The beliefs we hold about ourselves become self-fulfilling prophecies。For decades there have been discussions about the power of the mind and how we can harness its "magic，" but David Robson illustrates how little we still understand ourselves and what we are capable of。 Supported by a plethora of sound sources and evidence， Robson explains how the brain works， why it's a prediction machine and how we can use its powers to our advantage。 This book should be compulsory reading in schools！ I genuinely believe that everyone can benefit massively from reading this book。Thank you， David Robson！ 。。。more
Margaret
，
I have to give this five stars， because I was sending quotes and references to people while I was reading it。I really appreciate the amount of technical studies， and that the author recognizes some that might sound interesting but have low sample sizes。The writing is approachable。 Alongside the summary of various research findings， there are brief descriptions of activities to e。g。， practice self-affirmation in some chapters。 And， again， there's so *many* citations。I do see why some commenters s I have to give this five stars， because I was sending quotes and references to people while I was reading it。I really appreciate the amount of technical studies， and that the author recognizes some that might sound interesting but have low sample sizes。The writing is approachable。 Alongside the summary of various research findings， there are brief descriptions of activities to e。g。， practice self-affirmation in some chapters。 And， again， there's so *many* citations。I do see why some commenters say there's "nothing new"， but I've never read a selfhelp book that felt "brand new"， so that doesn't seem particularly fair as a rating criteria。I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program。 。。。more
Bridgette
，
The Expectation Effect is a great， inspiring read。 It will help change how you think about your world and gives you ways to re-think decisions you make。 It is science based with lots of practical tips。
Kent Winward
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Expect great things from this book 。 。 。
Manny
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The basic thesis of this book is that your expectations can make a large difference to your life， health and wellbeing。 If you expect bad things to happen， you're more likely to be unsuccessful and unhealthy， and you'll have a shorter life。 Conversely， if you expect good things to happen， you're more likely to do well， enjoy good health， and live longer。While I was reading it， I constantly felt two possible reactions fighting each other。 One is that this is all nonsense: it's some more academic The basic thesis of this book is that your expectations can make a large difference to your life， health and wellbeing。 If you expect bad things to happen， you're more likely to be unsuccessful and unhealthy， and you'll have a shorter life。 Conversely， if you expect good things to happen， you're more likely to do well， enjoy good health， and live longer。While I was reading it， I constantly felt two possible reactions fighting each other。 One is that this is all nonsense: it's some more academic version of "The Secret"， the crazy and dangerous New Age idea that just wishing for something hard enough will make the universe give it to you。 The second reaction was that this actually makes a lot of sense。 In particular， the placebo effect， and its converse， the nocebo effect， are well documented and certainly exist。 The author himself tells you many times that you need to be careful how you read the book， and that it absolutely isn't some version of "The Secret"。 With that important caveat， my feeling on reaching the end is that the second reaction is much closer to the truth。 Your expectations have a stronger effect on you than you probably believe， and being aware of this may help you。 One of the most striking examples came early on， and describes a syndrome that was observed in Hmong people who had emigrated to the US。 Many of these people believed in evil night spirits that can kill you if not placated by a shaman who knows the proper rituals。 I am doubtful about the existence of the evil night spirits。 But whether they exist or not， substantial numbers of Hmong people were dying in a way consistent with this belief。 American doctors thought that they usually had underlying heart conditions， and had terrified themselves to such a degree that they had fatal attacks。 Whatever the reason， they were ending up dead。 Importing shamans who knew the rituals had a good effect。 The Hmong believed that the night spirits had been scared off， and the mysterious deaths became less common。 Other cases are described where black magic at least has the apparent effect of being able to harm or kill。The author is quick to answer critics who assume that this kind of case can only affect "primitive" people。 Another striking example was a mysterious outbreak of a syndrome which struck down hundreds of Spanish teens and left adults unaffected。 It turned out that the teens had been watching a TV soap which featured a deadly virus producing the relevant symptoms。 The virus was fictitious: but once a few kids had displayed the symptoms， it spread like a real disease。 There are many other documented cases of psychogenic illnesses。 You do not need to think that having positive beliefs will magically make you happy and successful。 If false negative beliefs can be this dangerous， it is entirely credible that avoiding them might be very good for you。 Of course， you can't just wish your negative beliefs away。 If they are reality-based， that might anyway be a terrible idea。 Also， the author also warns you multiple times not to fall into the trap of thinking that， when bad things happen， it's your fault for not being positive enough。 That will just set up another negative spiral。 But he says that responsible awareness of these mechanisms may be useful to you。 The book contains a great many more case studies， all carefully footnoted。 I can't resist the temptation to add one more， from my personal experience。 I like playing speed chess on lichess。com and chess。com， and these sites offer integrated chess engines which let you review your games afterwards to get advice from a player as strong as a top Grandmaster。 As every serious chess player knows， doing this is a humbling experience。 When I am in a bad mood and not thinking well， I may lose several games and feel I have been hopelessly crushed by my opponents。 But the objective bot often shows me it's not true: in reality， I had some saving move I never saw， because I was thinking too negatively。 On a good day， when I am in the zone， I may spot these chances and save apparently hopeless positions。 But I shouldn't get too confident and think I'm playing brilliantly just because I'm winning。 This time， the bot shows me that my opponents are often getting opportunities which they don't see。 In actual fact， people can't play chess very well， it's too difficult; but if you're in a positive， focussed frame of mind， you'll play much better than when you're in a negative， distracted frame of mind。 Well， if that's what's happening in the tiny world of the chess board， just imagine what you're missing in the infinitely more complicated game of real life。 This is an interesting book！ It will make you realise， once again， that the notion of "reality" is not as straightforward as you thought it was， and it may conceivably even help you。 。。。more
Kathleen
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I highly recommend this book to anyone who believes in the power of positive thinking and those who don't。 This book shows time and again in research based examples what happens when you think something bad or good will happen to you。 This is the real deal with examples of people who have added years onto their lives or died because they thought they would。 I devoured this book at every opportunity like many would binge on a fiction book。I received this book in a goodreads giveaway。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who believes in the power of positive thinking and those who don't。 This book shows time and again in research based examples what happens when you think something bad or good will happen to you。 This is the real deal with examples of people who have added years onto their lives or died because they thought they would。 I devoured this book at every opportunity like many would binge on a fiction book。I received this book in a goodreads giveaway。 。。。more
Patrick Hanlon
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