Brain Games 2 Power of Persuasion Script

Brain Games 202: Power of Persuasion
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Producer: R. Goldberg
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Standards & Practices Notes: APPROVED BY S&P 11/12/2014
Rating: TV- PG
Slates or Disclaimers:
Other Notes:
BG202-Power of Persuasion-SMLS-#63382-02
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Transcribed on 02/01/13
Transcribed by Keystroke Gurus
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TRANSCRIBERs NOTE: Every post transcript is carefully proofed. However, NG Research should conduct a final
review to verify overall content and make corrections as necessary. Particular attention should be paid to all spellings,
technical references, jargon, character identification, dialogue, capitalizations and formatting needs in keeping with NG
style. Specific flags, if any, are noted below. For questions, feel free to contact keystrokegurus@verizon.net Thank you,
Robin
BELOW IS A LIST OF NAMES AND REFERENCES AS THEY APPEAR IN THIS POST TRANSCRIPT:
Jason Silva, Host / Jay Painter / Ducks and Rabbits / Josh Ackerman MIT Persuasion Specialist / Priming /
Expert Fallacy / Apollo Robbins Deception Specialist / Box Trick / Expert Fallacy / National Geographic News
Experiment / Bulgarian Perception Specialist Alex Todorov of Princeton University / Trustworthy Photo
Experiment / Stephanie and Stacy (twins) Interview / Nobel Prize Winning Economist Daniel Kahneman /
Rico / Fred / Kevin / Dan / Primacy Effect / Milk Experiment
FYI: This PT was transcribed from a CTC file named BG 202 Power of Persuasion INTL SMLS CTC wBITC.mov.
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VO:
01:00:00:23
Animated picture of clouds, trees and
Stop. Pay attention. Watch the image on your screen you
sign that says Shoot 10 ducks Win a
have five seconds to count the number of ducks you see.
prize
VO:
Gun shooting ducks
Ready? Go!
VO:
01:00:15:21
Score drops down and counts to 10
If you counted ten ducks, youve got a sharp eye!
Brain freeze sound, blurred out screen
But did you see the 10 rabbits?
VO:
Scene falls away one piece at a time
We just persuaded you to miss them, and if you stick around,

youll see how we did it.
VO:
01:00:29:04
Busy street activities, spinning model of
This is a show about your brain and persuasion. In the next
human, brain network, moving fast
half hour, were going to mess with your mind. Were gonna
through tunnel, breaking crates
twist you
Jason:
Brain model and brain network
What were you thinking?
VO:
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Surprise you
Participant:
Thats amazing.
VO:
Two photos being held up, two women
Convince you of things that just arent true
by x-ray board
Jay painter:
The first human clone.
Participant:
Female puts hands to her head
I cannot believe this!
VO:
Elevator doors open and twin females
Get ready to be persuaded on Brain Games.
walk out
Rubiks cube mobile
(Music up)
TITLE:
BRAIN GAMES
VO:
01:01:05:12
CU eye, CU lips in fast motion, CU ear,
Persuasion is one of the most powerful tools your brain uses to
talking with hands, male and female on
get what you want.
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beach
Bathing suit model, female looking
But its also a tool used by advertisers, marketers and
through magazine, man watching TV,
politicians every day to persuade you to do what they want.
chocolate syrup being poured over

marshmallows, female dancing, male at
podium
Jason:
01:01:23:16
Jason sitting in front of MJ
Theres a method to all this madness.
advertisement
For the next half hour, were gonna show you the science
behind the power of persuasion.
LOWER THIRD:
JASON SILVA
HOST
Jason:
01:01:31:12
Jason in front of Converse store
Your brain makes literally thousands of decisions per minute.
Woman:
Woman in mall compliments Jason
Nice pants dude.
Jason:
Jason walking and talking
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Many beneath your conscious thought. Persuasion through

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marketing in media is a 500 billion dollar a year industry.
Scientists and marketers know that if they can tap into your
unconscious channels, they have a much better chance of
selling you their product. So in a sense, theyre not really
marketing to you, theyre marketing to your brain. If you dont
believe me, I bet we can persuade you otherwise.
LOWER THIRD:
PAY ATTENTION
GAME #1
VO:
01:01:59:04
Animated picture with trees and clouds
Remember when we asked you to count ducks? Lets try this
and hills
one again, only this time, youre counting rabbits.
VO:
Gun shooting rabbits
Ready? Go.
VO:
01:02:14:22
Did you count all 10 rabbits this time? Or did you still see
ducks?
VO:
In fact, each animal could be seen as either one.
VO:
We just used one of the simplest persuasion techniques around.
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Here to explain is MIT Persuasion Specialist Josh Ackerman.
LOWER THIRD:
JOSHUA ACKERMAN
MIT
Ackerman:
01:02:33:14
Josh on-screen with Rubiks cubes in
We were able to get you to see what we wanted you to see
background
through a phenomenon called priming. Think of primes as

subtle cues that influence your attitudes, your responses, often
Priming
without you even noticing.
VO:
01:02:44:29
Hey You book cuts to brain network
Priming is a way to bypass your brains conscious decision

making process to work directly on your subconscious.
Ackerman:
Brain model
In other words, we say duck, you see duck.
LOWER THIRD:
PAY ATTENTION
GAME #2
VO:
01:02:57:20
Image of face in mask
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Take a look at this image; lets prime you one more time.
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Outline of mans features
Do you see the mans face in the mask? If you still dont see
it, here it is.
Okay, lets take another look this is the exact same image as
before, but this time do you see the kissing couple?
(longish pause)
Single face becomes two kissing faces
If you do, we just successfully primed you. By telling you that

there are two kissing faces here, we made your brain see this
instead of the single face.
Side-by-side images of face(s) in mask
First we told you to look for a face and you saw a face.
Then we told you about the kissing couple and one face
became two.
Thats Priming.
VO:
01:03:39:06
Rubiks cube floats across screen, Click
Priming is such a powerful, persuasive tool because your brain
in, red keyboard, various
is always looking for shortcuts
advertisements
Jason:
Jason on camera
Deciding quickly means your brain can conserve energy for

important things like looking out for the next decision to
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make.
VO:
01:03:51:26
Brain model spinning around
Heres how these shortcuts works on your brain.
Highlighted section of brain model,
This region, called your prefrontal cortex- is responsible for
Prefrontal Cortex, brain network
much of your conscious thinking.
Priming reduces activity in this area, and instead, targets the

regions of your brain that are responsible for your
subconscious decision making.
Female smelling perfume, cows in field
And suddenly, youre being herded by someone elses ideas
mooing
Ackerman:
01:04:16:18
Ackerman on camera, Rubiks cubes in
In a way, your brain is giving up conscious control over the
background, various sunglasses on
decisions that you make. Advertisers and marketers know this.
display, hand counting cash in cash

register
VO:
01:04:25:09
Woman looking at shoes, Clearance sign,
Marketers know that every detail of their message impacts
various advertisements
your brain-
Person carrying shopping bags onto
They know the color red can drive you to act and make you
escalator, Featured Special sign, food
hungry,
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in grocery store
That rhyming words and bold fonts increase the chances youll
believe a simple statement.
Shoppers in fast forward
And that just by writing something like limit 8 per customer

they raise the probability youll buy more of their product.
Everything they do is steering you toward the decision they

want you to makeso even when you think youre in
control
Youre not.
Scenes inside Rubiks cube
VO:
01:04:57:06
Crates sitting in floor
So how much control do you have over your decisions?
In this next experiment, Deception Specialist Apollo Robbins

has put that question to the test.
LOWER THIRD:
APOLLO ROBBINS
DECEPTION SPECIALIST
LOWER THIRD:
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PAY ATTENTION
GAME #3
Apollo:
01:05:07:29
Apollo on camera
Lets play a game.
Crates in circle around Apollo
In one of these boxes, weve hidden Jason Silva, the host of

Brain Games.
And your job is to find him.
Apollo:
Jason inside crate, Apollo on camera
Its a simple game, really. All you have to do is pick your lucky
number- anywhere from three to twelve.
But dont tell me- got it?
Apollo:
01:05:28:16
Star on crate, arrow showing direction,
Start with this first box over here. I want you to move that
numbers on boxes 112
many times. So for example, if your lucky number was six,

youd move six times clockwise into the circle. For example,
one, two, three, four, five, six and so on. Try that now.
Apollo:
01:05:53:27
Got it? Good. So you should be on one box. And thats good
because I want to show you what happens to the boxes that you
didnt choose.
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In this case, were going to eliminate three of them.
Gentlemen
Men breaking crates with sledge
Take out these three.
hammers
Apollo:
01:06:15:15
Apollo on camera, arrow showing
Right now, you should be on a box that you chose with your
direction
lucky number. I want you to go backwards the other direction

the exact same number of times. For example, if your number
was seven- you would move seven times backwards the other
way.
Do that now.
Apollo:
Man breaks crate 11
Got it? If youre on a box, I want you to stay there. And I

promise, I dont have any cameras in your house but I bet that
youre not on this box.
Apollo:
01:06:51:01
And neither is Jason.
Breaking crate 6
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And I also bet- youre not in this box.
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Apollo:
01:06:59:15
Arrows pointing clockwise and
I am going to give you one more choice and the responsibility
counterclockwise
is all on you. I want you to move four more times in either

direction. Either clockwise or counter clockwise. For example,
if you picked this boxI want you to move one, two, three,
four and skip over the smashed boxes.
Apollo:
Now thats your final decision. Stay there
Smashing box 4
And I dont think youre in this box
Apollo:
01:07:31:04
Boxes being smashed
Or this one. Or this one. Or this one.
Apollo:
Box 3, 8 and 1 get smashed
I believe we can also let this box go and this oneand this
one.
Apollo:
01:07:52:24
Box 12 and 5 left
Youve done a great job so far. And hopefully youre still in the
game. Theres only two left. But we have to eliminate one
more.
Apollo:
01:07:59:05
Box 12 gets smashed
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And I think thats going to bethats going to be this one.
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Apollo:
01:08:11:10
Apollo knocks on box
Jason, you in there?
Jason:
Yes!
Apollo:
Good job.
Jason:
Jason comes out of box
Tell me again why I signed up for this?
Apollo:
Jason and Apollo shake hands
Awesome job man.
Jason:
Oh my God, that was terrifying.
Apollo:
Its alright.
Jason:
01:08:27:18
You did a good job.
Apollo:
No, it wasnt me. It was them. They made all the choices.
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Jason:
Thank you!
Apollo:
But I had a feeling youd make the right ones.
(Music up)
VO:
01:08:41:28
Aerial view of smashed boxes
Amazing, right?
So how did you choose the box I was in?
VO:
Turns out, it was just the illusion of choice
Jason:
01:08:50:10
Jason on camera, Apollo at blackboard in
Apollo used a mathematical formula so no matter which
background
number you picked, you always landed exactly where he

wanted, even though you thought you were in the drivers seat.
As for the exact formula? Well come on, you know a

magician never reveals his secrets.
Rubiks cube floats across screen
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VO:
01:09:06:04
Fast forwarding through grocery aisles
Marketers use formulas and techniques like this to manipulate

your brains most basic biology, persuading you to make
decisions about their product or message beneath your
conscious awareness-
VO:
01:09:18:01
Apollo in top frame with boxes, mask
These decisions happen so quickly your brain often doesnt
with face in bottom half, duck and rabbit
stop to ask: is that duck really a duck?
in animated picture
**** BREAK ONE ****

Fast forwarding through mall, people
walking on street, man directing traffic,
Your mind isnt just taking shortcuts when it comes to
wine being poured into glass, cars on
advertising- its constantly analyzing visual cues to help you
road
make quick choices about where to eat, the best route to take
home, and who to trust.
Woman kisses mans neck, Crime scene

tape, man with tie standing by computer,
And when it comes to trust your brain takes a surprising
two women in medical clothes
amount of shortcuts, sometimes based only on what someones

wearing.
Expert Fallacy
VO:
01:09:49:00
Man pointing to whiteboard
Its called the Expert Fallacy and we all fall victim to it

every day.
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Dont think you get manipulated that way?
Rubiks cube floats across screen
LOWER THIRD:
JAY PAINTER
COMEDIAN
VO:
01:09:58:11
Jay putting on tie, man with camera, cut
Were about to put the expert fallacy to the test. Comedian Jay
to feet walking in mall
Painter is posing as a reportercomplete with suit,

microphone and camera.
People on escalator
We want to see if those cues are powerful enough to make

folks believe some absurd news stories that hes made up.
Think you wouldnt fall for it? Lets watch.
Jay:
01:10:17:09
Jay and cameraman stop shopper
Excuse me, sir?
Man:
Yes.
Jay:
Jay and man shake hands
Hi, Im Jay Painter, National Geographic News Network. I

was just wondering if I could ask you a quick question.
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Man:
Absolutely.
Jay:
Sir, as Im sure youve heard this morning, Texas has
announced that they are seceding from the United States.
Man:
Is that correct?
Jay:
Yes.
Jay:
Uh, can I just get your reaction on this?
Man:
Im very disappointed.
Jay:
Yes, yeah, youre very disappointed.
Man:
Yes, I am.
Jay:
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Tell me more about that. Why is that?
Man:
Well, first of all, I mean, how long have they been part of the
United States?
Jay:
Yeah, right. I believe that they are, in fact, one of the 13
original colonies.
Man:
Okay.
Jay:
Yes.
Jay:
01:10:54:07
News questions continue
This morning Texas announced that they are seceding from the
United States.
Man:
It seems troubling. It doesnt seem like this is the time to be
doing something like that. So
Jay:
Very good point, sir.
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Jay:
I just wanted to get your reaction on this breaking news.
Woman:
Im okay with it.
Jay:
01:11:11:07
News questions continued
I believe Alaska has already announced that they might

possibly be doing it as well.
Man:
Right.
Jay:
Obviously.
Man:
Its starting a domino effect.
Jay:
Very good point sir.
Man:
01:11:19:24
Actually as a Texan myself, Im kind offirst thing is Im

kinda calling family about that. Most of my family lives there.
Jay:
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Perhaps why you havent heard anything about it is the first
thing the U.S. government did was cut off all communication
with people in Texas, which is probably why no one has
contacted you. You havent talked to any family today?
Man:
No, I havent.
Jay:
Would you mind calling right now to see if you can get
through?
Man:
Sure.
VO:
01:11:47:03
Lets see if we can push this a little further. Will people

believe anything?
Jay:
01:11:51:12
News questions continued
Scientists in Sweden today announced the first human clone.

What do you feel about the moral implications of this sir?
Man #2:
Uh. Um, I did not know that. Uh.
Jay:
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01:12:03:11
Congress is now allowed to double the amount of bribes they

take each year from $5,000 to $10,000.
Man:
Against it.
Jay:
01:12:11:23
Jay asks woman question
Excuse me? Are you aware of the bill making its way through
congress that will limit the number of children that people
under a certain income may have?
Woman #1:
Oh wow.
Jay:
Exactly.
Woman #1:
This is a real law?
Jay:
Yes.
Woman #1:
Woman puts hands on head in disbelief
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I cannot believe this!
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Jay:
No...its a real law.
Woman:
Wow.
Jay:
01:12:28:19
One more news story about something that also might not be a
good use of your tax dollars. Zombie research has just been
announced.
Man:
When did this come about?
Jay:
Down in Florida the guy was eating the peoples faces.
Man:
Yes, yes.
Jay:
More and more of these are happening. So the government is
actually funding zombie research.
Man:
I really feel that were going in the wrong direction. To
continue on this path
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Jay:
Well, actually, sir, in the last two weeks, there has been three or
four so-called zombie attacks, two right here in New Jersey.
Man:
Is that correct?
Jay:
Yes.
Man:
I guess the government has to pursue their interest.
VO:
01:13:05:14
Fast forward through each scenario,
Sure its funny but whats going on here?
B&W
Your default setting is trust.
Man directing traffic, crowd walking,
You go along with the person in authority
people clapping
You go along with what everyone else is doing

Because thats the way evolution has conditioned us for
generations.
Going along with the tribe often upped your odds of survival.
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Brain model, brain network
And so your brain takes yet another shortcut deciding to trust

someone with very little evidence about who they really are, or
what they actually do.
Jay:
01:13:33:11
Well sir, one more thing.
Man #1:
Yes.
Jay:
Im not actually a real news reporter. This is the TV show
Brain Games.
Jay:
01:13:40:20
Jay talking with man
We just made up those news stories right now to test if people

will believe anything anybody in a suit with a camera tells you.
Jay:
How do you feel about that?
Woman #2:
01:13:49:00
Woman laughing
Yeah, that was good.
Jay:
Did you believe me?
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Woman #2:
A little bitactually, I kinda did.
Jay:
Man covers his face with hand
Yeah.
Man #1:
01:13:55:18
Jay and man shake hands
I had my doubts but then again because he wore a suit and a

tie, and the cameras and so forthI did believe him.
Woman #2:
01:14:02:08
I think if he would have come up dressed up in a t-shirt, I dont

think I would have believed him as much. But someone in a
suit seems like theyd be more persuasive.
Man #2:
Cameraman and Jay do high five
He looked pretty serious with the camera and the suit and the
microphone- he was pretty persuasive.
Rubiks cube on screen
VO:
01:14:14:03
Montage of people in business attire
When you fall for the expert fallacy, its not because youre
dumb or nave.
Brain network, brain model, cameraman
Before you even start to consider how wacky the information
and Jay, fast forward traffic on highway
is. Your brain has already taken a shortcut trying to
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blending with buildings and lights
streamline its workload once again. But its not just a

microphone and camera that can persuade your brain to take a
shortcut - and buy into a persons message.
CU eyes, CU face
Theres even such a thing as a persuasive face
Wanna see what we mean?
Jason:
01:14:40:20
Jason on camera
In this next experiment, were going to show you the faces of

different candidates from various local elections. Weve paired
up some of the winners with some of the losers. Something
tells me somehow youre gonna be able to pick the winner, just
by looking at them.
LOWER THIRD:
PAY ATTENTION
GAME #4
VO:
01:14:54:02
Two photos on screen, male and female
Ready? See if you can tell which of these candidates won their
elections.
VO:
01:15:01:00
Green check mark on mans photo
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Got it? Now heres the real result.
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VO:
Two photos on screen, male and female
Now, how about these two?
VO:
Check mark on females photo
Heres the winner
VO:
01:15:14:20
Two photos of men on screen
What about these two?
VO:
Check mark on mans photo on right
And the winner is.
VO:
01:15:21:17
Three photos on screen, two males and a
So how did you do? Did you pick most of the winners?
female
The majority of the people we surveyed did.
Jason:
Jason on camera, zooming in on photos
So how did you pick those winners? How could you know
based on nothing more than seeing their faces for just a few
seconds?
Jason:
01:15:34:14
Todorov holding up two photos
Bulgarian Perception Specialist Alex Todorov of Princeton

University found the answer in a groundbreaking 2007
experiment.
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LOWER THIRD:
ALEX TODOROV
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Todorov:
01:15:43:10
Alex on camera, Rubiks cubes in
A very rapid glance is sufficient to predict about 70% of the
background
election outcomes.
VO:
70%
70 percent of the time, we can predict the winners of elections,

based on their faces alone.
Flipping through photos
Pretty incredible but what is it about these winners that

persuaded your brain to vote for them? Its not just the clothes,
the background or even the smile. The answer has to do with
two specific qualities you saw in their facial structure.
Todorov:
01:16:11:20
Alex on camera, Rubiks cubes in
In our studies we found that candidates who look more
background, CU Alex face
competent and more trustworthy were more likely to be elected

in office.
VO:
01:16:19:08
Peoples faces side-by-side, CU eye
Competence and trustworthiness. You may find it hard to

believe your brain can make such complex social assessments
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based on a face alone. But it can. Give it a shot.
Face 1, 2 and 3
Which one of these faces looks the most trustworthy?
This one? Or this one? What about this one?
Made your choice?
Face 1
If you chose face one, youre with 85% of the people we

surveyed.
VO:
01:16:48001
CU faces, flipping through faces, Jason
Although our judgments of someone elses character arent
06
on camera
necessarily accurate, they happen in the blink of an eye.

Todorovs study revealed your brain can literally decide if it
trusts someone within a tenth of a second of seeing his or her
face.
Todorov:
Feminine face changing to more
As the face becomes more feminine, it becomes more
masculine face
trustworthy. It also becomes looking much happier. As it

becomes more masculine, it becomes less trustworthy.
VO:
01:17:14:29
CU eyes, mouth, Jason walking with
Wanna see how your brains snap judgments about
photos in mall
trustworthiness play out in the real world?
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Im taking a few more of these photos to a New Jersey mall to
see if volunteers can call elections based only on some photos.
Jason:
Jason holds up two photos
Who do you think looks more trustworthy?
VO:
01:17:32:06
Two photos side-by-side
Which ones your choice? Lets see what some of these folks
say.
Guy:
Green check on photo
I would have to go with this guy.
Participant:
Im going to go with him.
Jason:
Vote for me, vote for me.
Participant:
I have to go with the one on the right.
Woman:
Im just going by my gut.
Participant:
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Hes got a nicer face.
Participant:
He looks more comfortable. He looks approachable.
Jason:
As it turns out, he beat this guy in a local election.
Participant:
First impressions.
Jason:
01:17:57:17
Jason talking with participants
Your impression was the same as the majority voter. You

didnt know anything about their policies, you didnt know
what they were running on and yet you basically knew who the
winner was.
Participant:
Thats really interesting.
Jason:
Right?
VO:
01:18:07:23
Amazingly, time and again these people chose the actual

winners based just on their looks.
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Jason:
We like to think we make informed decisions when it comes to
politics.
But at a subtle level, were all being persuaded by first

impressionswhether or not we even realize it
Rubiks cube floats across screen,

animated picture with rabbit and gun
VO:
01:18:25:08
Man shopping, crate being smashed,
As you've seen, it doesn't take much to influence your brain
females photo with green check mark
the smallest, subtle factors will nudge it in one direction or the

other
Jason:
Jason on camera, hand on keyboard, man
Wouldnt it be great to take control of the powers of persuasion
dialing phone, stapler
and use them to your advantage? Were gonna show you how
to use a little secret that advertisers have been using on you for
decades.
VO:
01:18:44:18
Stacy shakes hands with interviewer
And it might just help you get your next job.
Stacy:
Im Stacy.
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Interviewer 1:
Thanks for coming in Stacy. Have a seat.
VO:
01:18:51:25
Smashing crates, faces, photos, animated
So far weve seen what happens when your brain is on the
picture rabbit and duck
receiving end of persuasion techniques.
CU womans face
But wouldnt it be great if you could take control and do the

persuading yourself?
VO:
Jason on camera
For instance, wouldnt you like to know how to be more

persuasive, lets say at getting a date or applying for a job?
Well were about to recreate an experiment described by Nobel
Prize Winning Economist Daniel Kahneman in his fascinating
book Thinking Fast and Slow.
VO:
01:19:17:02
Men sitting at desk moving papers
Weve asked a few volunteers to play boss for the day and
around
interview two candidates for the same job.
Play along with our boss and decide which candidate you
would hire.
VO:
01:19:27:07
Hand writing on notebook
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Listen carefully; the interviews will go by quickly. Here comes

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candidate number one.
LOWER THIRD:
PAY ATTENTION
GAME #6
Rico:
01:19:34:06
Stephanie shakes hands with Rico
Hi.
Stephanie:
Hello, Im Stephanie.
Rico:
Stephanie sits
Stephanie. Rico, pleasure to meet you. Have a seat. Great.
Rico:
So how did you hear about the company?
Stephanie:
Through my school.
Rico:
Okay.
Rico:
So tell me a little bit about yourself.
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Stephanie:
Im serious, hardworking and creative. Im also moody, nitpicky and brutally honest.
VO:
01:19:57:01
Stephanie walks out of office
Okay, thats candidate number onewhat do you think? Okay,

now get ready for candidate number two.
Candidate #2:
01:20:06:19
Stacy and Rico shake hands
Hi.
Rico:
Hi.
Candidate #2:
Im Stacy.
VO:
01:20:11:00
Twins walking out of elevator
So heres the key to the experiment:
Were using identical twins--with identical resumes-- which

eliminates all the variables except the candidates own words.
VO:
Listen closely to candidate #2 youre gonna have to decide
soon which one to hire.
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Rico:
01:20:28:11
Tell me a little bit about yourself
Stephanie:
Im brutally honest, nit-picky and moody but Im also creative,
hardworking and serious.
VO:
Fast forward through interviews
Got it? Lets listen to the most important information one more
time so you can make your decision.
One:
1, 2 side-by-side of both interviewees
Im serious, hardworking and creative. Im also moody, nitpicky and brutally honest.
Two:
Im brutally honest, nit-picky and moody but Im also creative,

hardworking and serious.
VO:
01:21:05:28
Interviewees B&W, each becomes color,
So which one would you hire? One or two?
Made your decision?
Lets see who the interviewer picks
Rico:
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Rico sitting at desk
I would be more prone to go with the first candidate.
Rico:
The first one, my brainit lit up.
Rico:
The second one had more like a negative vibe.
VO:
01:21:26:12
So, was number one your choice?
Number one highlighted, bell dings,
In fact, 80 percent of the people we ran this experiment on
montage of males at desk
hired applicant #1.
Interviewer:
Various interviewers talking about
I think I would go with Stephanie, which would be the first girl
decision
that I saw.
Fred:
The first candidate.
Kevin:
The first candidate.
Dan:
Id pick the first one.
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Fred:
She seemed to have a more positive outlook.
VO:
01:21:47:19
And theres a reason why.
LOWER THIRD:
JOSH ACKERMAN
MIT
Ackerman:
01:21:49:18
Ackerman on camera, Primacy Effect
In this case, the first information you hear stands out and your
brain uses that to color all later information. This is known as
the Primacy Effect.
VO:
You probably noticedthe girls are using the exact same

words. Only the order is different.
One:
Serious, hardworking, creative, moody, nit-picky, brutally
honest.
Two:
Brutally honest, nit-picky, moody, creative, hardworking,
serious.
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VO:
01:22:12:15
And that order makes all the difference
VO:
01:22:15:15
Twins walking in side-by-side shot
Everybody knows you want to start with your best foot

forward
But whats amazing is why
SERIOUS
BRUTALLY HONEST
HARDWORKING
NITPICKY
CREATIVE
MOODY
MOODY
CREATIVE
NITPICKY
HARDWORKING
BRUTALLY HONEST
SERIOUS
SERIOUS
BRUTALLY HONEST
HARDWORKING
NITPICKY
CREATIVE
MOODY
MOODY
CREATIVE
NITPICKY
HARDWORKING
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BRUTALLY HONEST
SERIOUS
In situations like these, your brain actually starts to shut down

after the first word or two in an effort to take a shortcut, it
quickly decides yes or no, and doesnt pay much attention to
the rest of the information.
VO:
01:22:33:24
Interview scenarios
In test after test, the vast majority of people chose the applicant
who started with positive words.
Dan:
Dan sitting behind desk, twins walk out
Thats amazing that if you just change the order of adjectives,
of elevator
it can completely change the impression that person makes on

you.
VO:
01:22:46:15
Jay and cameraman, duck and rabbit
From Primacy to the Expert Fallacy To Priming, salesmen,
animated picture, montage of various
advertisers, and politicians have been refining their techniques
sales techniques
of persuasion for decades.
Rubiks cube, cut to Apollo
LOWER THIRD:
APOLLO ROBBINS
DECEPTION SPECIALIST
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Apollo:
01:22:57:00
Apollo on camera
Now that youve learned how some of the techniques of

persuasion work, you might be better at spotting the methods.
For example, try to finish my sentence.
Apollo:
Im thirsty, Id like a nice cold glass of _____
PAY ATTENTION
GAME #7
Three glasses, juice, milk and water
So what beverage comes most quickly to mind juice, milk,

or water?
VO:
01:23:19:16
Glass of milk
If milk was your answer.
Theres a reason
Apollo:
Apollo holding glass of milk, Apollo in
------ it might be because we hid milk throughout the episode.
rewind, blackboard
VO:
01:23:28:18
Rewinding through scenarios
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If you were thinking milk
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Milk sign, twins rewinding into
It may be because we put the thought therefor you
elevator, Milk Drink it Up sign
Glass of milk on desk, Milk Jeans ad
Again and again
Milk picture on wall, cows rewinding
Just a little bit of very powerful persuasion.
in field
Apollo:
01:23:49:20
Apollo pours glass of milk into hat
So is this your choice
Apollo spins hat and puts hat on his head
Or is it just an illusion?
VO:
01:24:00:09
Jay approaches with news questions, Jay
Oh, and if you were wondering if people took Jay Painters
is wearing t-shirt
news stories seriously without the suit, camera and

microphone, check this out.
Jay Painter:
01:24:08:00
Jay asking various shoppers news
Can I ask you a question real quick?
questions, Jay is wearing t-shirt
Man:
Okay.
Jay Painter:
Today Texas announced that they are breaking away from the
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United States, seceding from the United States. I just wanted
to hear what your feelings were about that?
Man:
First time I heard about it just now.
Jay:
Yeah, really. Its been all over the news. You havent heard it?
Man:
Youre lying, right?
Jay:
No, its all over the news. Havent you heard this?
Man:
01:24:29:14
Questioning continues with shoppers
Havent heard about that.
Jay:
Yeah. Look at the news.
Man:
Really?
Jay:
Yes.
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Man:
I watch the news every night man and I havent heard that.
Female:
01:24:35:08
I really dont have time for this.
Man:
Well, who are you anyway?
Female:
This is a joke.
Man:
Thats not ever going to happen. Man, Im sorry, man.
01:24:44:09
CREDITS
01:24:59:15
TO BLACK
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Brain Games 202: Power of Persuasion

(#63382-02 / RT: 50:00 / DOM CTC)

Transcribed by Keystroke Gurus

Brain Games 202: Power of Persuasion

(#63382-02 / RT: 50:00 / DOM CTC)

Transcribed by Keystroke Gurus

Brain Games 202: Power of Persuasion

(#63382-02 / RT: 50:00 / DOM CTC)

Animated picture of clouds, trees and

Stop. Pay attention. Watch the image on your screen you

sign that says Shoot 10 ducks Win a

have five seconds to count the number of ducks you see.

Score drops down and counts to 10

If you counted ten ducks, youve got a sharp eye!

Brain freeze sound, blurred out screen

But did you see the 10 rabbits?

We just persuaded you to miss them, and if you stick around,

Busy street activities, spinning model of

This is a show about your brain and persuasion. In the next

human, brain network, moving fast

through tunnel, breaking crates

What were you thinking?

Transcribed by Keystroke Gurus

Brain Games 202: Power of Persuasion

(#63382-02 / RT: 50:00 / DOM CTC)

Convince you of things that just arent true

I cannot believe this!

Get ready to be persuaded on Brain Games.

Rubiks cube mobile

CU eye, CU lips in fast motion, CU ear,

Persuasion is one of the most powerful tools your brain uses to

talking with hands, male and female on

get what you want.

Transcribed by Keystroke Gurus

Brain Games 202: Power of Persuasion

(#63382-02 / RT: 50:00 / DOM CTC)

Bathing suit model, female looking

But its also a tool used by advertisers, marketers and

through magazine, man watching TV,

politicians every day to persuade you to do what they want.

chocolate syrup being poured over

Jason sitting in front of MJ

Theres a method to all this madness.

Jason in front of Converse store

Your brain makes literally thousands of decisions per minute.

Nice pants dude.

Many beneath your conscious thought. Persuasion through

Transcribed by Keystroke Gurus

Brain Games 202: Power of Persuasion

(#63382-02 / RT: 50:00 / DOM CTC)

Animated picture with trees and clouds

Remember when we asked you to count ducks? Lets try this

one again, only this time, youre counting rabbits.

Transcribed by Keystroke Gurus

Brain Games 202: Power of Persuasion

(#63382-02 / RT: 50:00 / DOM CTC)

Here to explain is MIT Persuasion Specialist Josh Ackerman.

Josh on-screen with Rubiks cubes in

We were able to get you to see what we wanted you to see

through a phenomenon called priming. Think of primes as

without you even noticing.

Hey You book cuts to brain network

Priming is a way to bypass your brains conscious decision

In other words, we say duck, you see duck.