The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World

by David Robson

Overview

“As David Robson makes plain in this compelling book, the way we think about the world can profoundly shape how we navigate it. Based in science and packed with smart advice, The Expectation Effect will expand your mind—and maybe even extend your life.”

—Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human

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. Any reader who wants to take their fate into their own hands need only pick up this book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250871091
Publisher:	Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	02/14/2023
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	29,676
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David Robson is an award-winning science writer based in the United Kingdom. A graduate of Cambridge University, he previously worked as an editor at New Scientist and a senior journalist at the BBC. His writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Men's Health, the Psychologist, the Washington Post, and many other publications. His first book, The Intelligence Trap, was published in 2019 and has been translated into fifteen languages.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Graphs xi

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The Prediction Machine: How your Beliefs shape your reality 11

Chapter 2 A Pious Fraud: How beliefs can transform recovery from illness 34

Chapter 3 Do No Harm: How expectations can hurt as well as heal-and how to break a curse 56

Chapter 4 The Origins of Mass Hysteria: How expectations spread within groups 79

Chapter 5 Faster, Stronger, Fitter: How to take the pain out of exercise 102

Chapter 6 The Food Paradox: Why indulgence is essential for healthy eating 128

Chapter 7 De-stressing Stress: How to turn negative feelings to your advantage 154

Chapter 8 Limitless Willpower: How to build endless reserves of self control and mental focus 180

Chapter 9 Untapped Genius : How to boost your own-and others'-intelligence, creativity, and memory 202

Chapter 10 The Super-Agers: Why you really are as young- or old-as you feel 228

Epilogue 251

Notes 259

Illustration Credits 299

Acknowledgments 301

Index 303

About the Author 317

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR DAVID ROBSON'S THE EXPECTATION EFFECT

LitHub: 15 New Books to Love This Week

“A fascinating exploration of the ways in which our brains can sabotage or save us in our most challenging moments.”

—Salon

“If you’re looking to make major or minor changes in your life, this book will help you leave the starting gate with positive expectations of success.”

—New York Journal of Books

“[The Expectation Effect] made me realize that I’m leveraging far fewer of my brain’s features than I could be…. What scientists are learning about the connections between the human brain and performance is incredible. And David Robson manages to take this research and organize it into a compelling playbook for a better life.”

—Gayle Allen, Curious Minds at Work podcast

“Mind-changing science…One of Robson’s many strengths as a chronicler of science is to take what might seem familiar and show…just how much deeper the rabbit hole goes…. The book abounds in compelling anecdotes…Robson’s central point is that the expectation effect isn’t an amusing psychological quirk, but a fundamental aspect of our interactions with reality…. The result of marinating for a while in this outlook is surprisingly transformative.”

—Oliver Burkeman, New York Times bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, reviewing for The Guardian (UK)

“We’re six days into 2022 and The Expectation Effect by David Robson is already threatening to be book of the year—visionary, original, and exciting, like all the best science writing.”

—Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling

“As David Robson makes plain in this compelling book, the way we think about the world can profoundly shape how we navigate it. Based in science and packed with smart advice, The Expectation Effect will expand your mind—and maybe even extend your life.”

—Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human

“This is an utterly riveting and transformative book. You can’t afford not to read it!”

—Nigella Lawson

“Citing examples across the spectrum of human behavior, Robson shares compelling studies and anecdotal evidence to suggest that what people think will happen often turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy…. In The Expectation Effect, he more than meets his goals of equipping readers with a critical understanding of how expectations shape lives and providing practical tools for reframing and adjusting mindsets toward positivity and well-being.”

—Shelf Awareness

“The human brain, according to this absorbing book, has a mind of its own…. Cutting-edge research and effective storytelling create an insightful book on an ever changing field.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“A fascinating, optimistic, and empowering book. David Robson uses science and stories to show the extent to which we are shaped by our beliefs, and how the predictive power of our brains influences pain, diet, sleep, exercise, and intelligence.”

—Dr. Monty Lyman, author of The Remarkable Life of the Skin and The Painful Truth

“Authoritative, measured, practical, and encouraging, it will change your attitude to life’s challenges.”

—Dr. Christian Jarrett, author of Be Who You Want

“An intriguing account of the role of expectation (and perception in general) in a wide panorama of experience. Beautifully written, science-based, and a gripping read. I loved it!”

—Dr. Mithu Storoni, author of Stress-Proof

“As a counter to the many ‘pseudoscientific’ self-help books about the power of expectations (most notably, The Secret), Robson investigates the ‘expectation effect’ through peer-reviewed experiments and studies…a fine place to start for readers interested in the power of the mind.”

—Publishers Weekly

“The consistently brilliant David Robson is back with science, stories, and practical tips for anyone who wants to make better use of the remarkable body–mind connection.”

—Kerry Daynes, bestselling author of The Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried

“This book is entertaining, eye-opening, extremely useful, and, best of all, evidence-based.”

—Claudia Hammond, author of The Art of Rest

“The Expectation Effect is a must-read book that shows how we can all use our brainpower to improve our lives. Whether it’s medicine, anxiety, exercise, or diet, David Robson seamlessly and engagingly explores how what we expect to happen has a much larger role than we might have previously believed—and we can tap into that power to improve our own well-being…. If you want to learn how to reframe your mindset, to feel healthier and happier in the process, this book is for you.”

—Melissa Hogenboom, author of The Motherhood Complex

“How on Earth does a person pack in so much research and yet still make it fascinating and fun to read? Through the perfect mix of stories, stats, and science, David Robson makes a very persuasive case that what we expect has a significant material impact on our lives—and how we can harness this to live longer, happier, healthier, more successful lives.”

—James Wallman, author of Stuffocation and Time and How to Spend It

From the Publisher

12/20/2021

Journalist Robson (The Intelligence Trap) takes a comprehensive if dry look at the effects expectations can have on longevity, fitness, intelligence, and stress management. He explains that the brain, which he calls a “prediction machine,” constantly analyzes people’s own beliefs and expectations, and accordingly initiates changes, including physiological ones, as a result. As a counter to the many “pseudoscientific” self-help books about the power of expectations (most notably, The Secret), Robson investigates the “expectation effect” through peer-reviewed experiments and studies. In one, WWII soldiers who were told they were receiving a painkiller prior to surgery were actually given a saline injection; the placebo had a 90% efficacy rate. Elsewhere, the author cites studies of people who imagined they were lifting a heavy object and saw an 11% boost in their strength, and of people who have a sunny perspective on aging tending to live 7.5 years longer than those who have a pessimist outlook. Robson offers advice at the end of each chapter to help readers make the most of their lives by changing their expectations (for example, using visualization strategies to reduce anxiety), but while there are plenty of valuable takeaways, the bland prose doesn’t do the book any favors. Still, it’s a fine place to start for readers interested in the power of the mind. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

2021-11-30
The human brain, according to this absorbing book, has a mind of its own.

Robson, a former editor at New Scientist and a senior journalist at the BBC, has been studying the brain for years, and he admits that he is still surprised by the way it works. Why do athletes who believe in lucky charms perform better when they carry them? Why do people who believe that age leads to wisdom live longer than people who see getting older as a collection of physical problems? One of the keys to understanding this, writes the author, is the placebo effect, with which most readers will be familiar. The author also describes the “nocebo effect.” As he writes, “placebo means ‘I shall please,’ and nocebo means ‘I shall harm’—and the nocebo response occurs when we believe the body to be under threat. Through the actions of the prediction machine, such expectations will change our physiology so that the mere thought of having a symptom or disease can make us ill.” The reasons for the placebo/nocebo effect lie in the brain’s tendency to fill in the blanks. Since it can only process a small portion of received information, it makes up the rest with pieces of memory and assumption. Then it generates a response, which might involve releasing needed chemicals into the body. Mental becomes physical; expectations shape reality. Robson delves into the underpinning research, which includes methods to train the brain into positive patterns and processes, but he also emphasizes the limits. You cannot become rich by merely wishing for it, for example, but the brain can be trained into experiencing greater satisfaction with life. Robson’s many anecdotes and examples give a human dimension to these ideas. There is no doubt that there is still much to learn about the brain, but the author provides a solid grounding and a useful map on where future paths might lead.

Cutting-edge research and effective storytelling create an insightful book on an ever changing field.

Kirkus Reviews