Marianne Brandon Ph.D.
The Future of Intimacy
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Why it’s so easy for tech to manipulate us.
KEY POINTS
- Our unconscious mind heavily influences our thoughts and behaviors, often without our awareness.
- Our unconscious minds are easily influenced in part because it doesn’t feel like we are being manipulated.
- Technology uses advanced methods to profile us, predict our behavior, and potentially influence us.
- Recognizing our susceptibility to manipulation is crucial for maintaining autonomy in our tech-driven world.
The unconscious mind is fascinating, operating just beneath the surface of our awareness. While we don’t know exactly how much of our cognitive function is unconscious, estimates are generally about 95% of our thoughts and behaviors are mediated by unconscious processes. That’s an extraordinary number! Further, academic studies have repeatedly revealed how remarkably easy it is to manipulate our unconscious minds. Nonetheless, no one likes acknowledging that their thoughts and behaviors are easily influenced outside of their awareness.
Source: PeterPhoto123/Shutterstock
It’s often easier to perceive other people’s unconscious contents than it is to see our own. How many of the people in your life don’t see something basic and painfully obvious about themselves? For example, when someone’s lover makes the majority of decisions in the relationship, yet they believe the power is equally shared, or when someone denies they have a drinking problem but it’s painfully obvious that they do. This is one of the benefits of therapy, in that it gives people an opportunity to learn about their unconscious selves. The more you know about your unconscious mind, including how easy it is to influence and even manipulate it via outside forces, the less power it wields over you.
The Science of Manipulating Your Unconscious
The science of manipulating humans is rapidly becoming more advanced. Technology already engages in data-driven profiling and behavioral prediction, but this technology is evolving and will soon include data like pupil dilation (our pupils dilate when we are emotionally aroused), voice tone, and changes in facial musculature. Armed with this information, computer algorithms can make accurate, educated guesses about our secret fears, desires, and biases – even those that we are not consciously aware of! This means that algorithms, chatbots, and even our shopping app can know us better than we know ourselves! Computer programs already use correlational data and our response times to make educated and potentially very accurate guesses about all kinds of things about us – such as our political and sexual preferences. All of this information can then be used to influence our thoughts and behavior, yet leaving us feeling as if our choices or beliefs are our own. Everything from our purchasing decisions, political beliefs, and romantic feelings toward a chatbot can be examples of this process in action.
This isn’t speculation, it’s a fact already acknowledged by the tech industry. This elevates the science of manipulation to an entirely new level of sophistication, never before experienced by humanity!
Going Forward
We could just accept this reality and hand our power over to big tech. After all, there are so many advantages to embracing technology in our lives. However, it seems to me that there is a middle ground — the more we recognize how easy we are to manipulate, the more empowered we will be in this new world.
So, what can we do to protect ourselves from unconscious manipulation? Here are a few strategies:
- Question your impulses: When you feel a strong urge to do something, especially if it involves spending money or sharing personal information, pause and ask yourself where that impulse is coming from.
- Educate yourself: Learn about common manipulation tactics used in advertising, social media, and other areas of life.
- Seek diverse perspectives: Expose yourself to a variety of viewpoints to avoid getting trapped in echo chambers that reinforce unconscious biases.
- Practice critical thinking: Don’t accept information at face value. Develop the habit of questioning and verifying what you see and hear.
Our world is changing faster than at any moment in history. It may seem impossible for us to prepare for the future because change is so rapid and unpredictable. But we can’t solve challenges that we ignore. Recognizing how easy we are to manipulate is an essential step in maintaining some power and autonomy in a world where technology increasingly influences our lives.
The goal isn’t to become paranoid or to reject all forms of technology and influence. Rather, it’s to develop a healthy awareness of the invisible forces that shape our thoughts and behaviors. By acknowledging our susceptibility to manipulation, we can make more conscious choices and maintain our autonomy in an increasingly complex world.
In the end, our unconscious mind is a powerful force that shapes much of our behavior. While it can make us vulnerable to manipulation, it’s also a source of creativity, intuition, and rapid decision-making. By developing a better understanding of how it works and influences us, we can harness its power while protecting ourselves from undue influence. It’s a delicate balance, but one that’s crucial for navigating our modern, technology-driven world.
References
Bargh, J. A., & Morsella, E. (2008). The unconscious mind. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(1), 73-79.
Lau, H. C., & Passingham, R. E. (2007). Unconscious activation of the cognitive control system in the human prefrontal cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 27(21), 5805-5811.
Payne, B. K., Brown-Iannuzzi, J. L., & Loersch, C. (2016). Replicable effects of primes on human behavior. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 145(10), 1269-1279.
