Captivology summary

When you build a fire, you start with some small kindling, then gradually place larger logs onto it until the flames are steadily burning. Just as you first need kindling when starting a fire, you first need to attract people’s immediate attention, which is governed by the body's automatic responses and reflexes.

We’re hardwired to survey our surroundings for danger; we do it instinctively, without much conscious thought. For example, if someone at a party suddenly starts shouting, your attention will, for a second, be captured. This happens without your control, simply because it might mean danger.

Remember the last time you totally ignored a drop-dead gorgeous person wearing a bright red shirt? Of course you don’t.

That’s because our brain sifts through information in our environment without our being conscious of it, and beauty and loud colors snap up our attention whether we like it or not. Jumbled with to-dos and evening plans, our brain has limited space, and so it filters information, searching for cues on what to pay attention to, such as color, movement and sound.

Ever wondered why you select certain things to read on Facebook? Well, your choices are all about your frame of reference.

To help us filter through the eternal cascade of information, we use frames of reference. This is the way we perceive things in a more general context, and it's informed by our past experiences, expectations and interests. For example, the way something is worded can act as a frame of reference because it changes our perception of the message being conveyed. Politicians frequently use framing – by, for example, referring to “gun safety” instead of “gun control.” The first sounds reasonable, whereas the latter smacks of government intervention.

When was the last time you looked at your smartphone? A couple of minutes ago? Seconds ago? We actually check our smartphones around 110 times a day. Why?

Remember dopamine, that neurotransmitter? Well, we release dopamine when we experience new things, which is why we get excited when our smartphone beeps. Could it be a new text? An email? Some important news? We’re driven by the promise of something pleasurable, or a potential reward, and this comes in two varieties:

After Edward Snowden released documents on the NSA’s activities, the trust of the American people in their government dropped from 53 percent to 16 percent. And only 52 percent trust the media. So what is it that inspires, or undermines, trust?  

We often decide whether to trust something or not based on reputation, which we use as an evaluative shortcut. For example, if you’re an avid fan of fantasy novels and see a new book by J.K. Rowling, you’ll figure that, regardless of its title or cover, this book is probably worth your attention, because of her Harry Potter novels.

Someone comes up to you and says: “I think you’re special. I get you, I know how you feel, and I care about you.” How do you react? Well, this person certainly has your attention! But why?

We have an innate desire to be recognized, validated and understood. You love it, for example, when your crush compliments your outfit (recognition), your boss tells you that you did a fantastic job (validation) and your friend spends the evening listening to and empathizing with your problems (understanding).