The brain likes the “Like”button

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Just like Skinner’s rats were trained to respond in a particular way by being rewarded with a food pellet, you’ve been trained to respond to the Facebook “Like” button. Facebook may have had a more noble idea in mind when they created the “Like” button, but the food pellet principle still applies. It works the same way on your brain circuits by activating your feel good pleasure center.

 

Think for a moment about how much pleasure your brain gets out of clicking on the “Like” button by being intrinsically reward for − 

  • showing support, appreciation, thanks or kudos to others
  • doing a favor to help someone else increase their Facebook profile
  • recognizing the value of the information
  • sharing with friends and others who should know about it
  • increasing your image in the eyes of friends and others by showing approval
  • doing something that is easy and without a hassle

However, there’s also a more devious brain response being activated, and that’s the unconscious trigger response. In this case, it’s the embedded command to respond without giving it much thought based on a recognizable visual image.

 

The “Like” button increases your chances of your brain responding with a click to the one-word command “Like.” Also, there’s an embedded brain association linked to the thumbs-up image and the color association of blue Facebook icon.

Not every brain will automatically respond to the “Like” button. There’s critical thinking that comes into play, but chances increase if the brain has developed a fairly regular habit of the click. Also, notice that Facebook doesn’t give you the option of a “Dislike” button. Hmm… I wonder why?

 

Then there are some people who get unconsciously triggered to “Like” just about anything for no reason at all.

 

Here are 10 of 20 unexplainable recorded “likes” from Facebook posted comments. 

  1. “I am sad today.”
  2. “Please tell our relatives and friends that the burial of my grandmother is on Monday.”
  3. “It is a shocking news my brother died with heart attack. May his soul rest in peace.”
  4. “I have a headache.”
  5. “My project proposal was disapproved.”
  6. “The party was canceled due to heavy rain.”
  7. “Got to go to the dentist for tooth extraction.”
  8. “Bad day today.”
  9. “You are arrogant and I don’t want to talk with you anymore.”
  10. “I am grounded.” 

If you’re in the “Like” mood, feel free to like this. Or, better yet make your brain really feel good and “Like” my Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/mwbfp 

 

In lieu of a feed pellet, take my sincere appreciation and thank you for the “Like.”

 

Source: http://ignugent17.hubpages.com/hub/They-Are-like-Humming-Birds