Negativity Bias—One mind quirk you are probably not making the most of in your presentations

Imagine a tall, elegant woman with an angelic face and a graceful figure wearing a gorgeous white dress with a little red stain. We will revisit her later. For now, let us talk about human beings. You know, us.

Humans like to think that we are smart and rational beings. That we make decisions based on reason and logic. Sure, we do... sometimes. But more often, we are at the mercy of our quirky and often irrational psychological makeup. The worst part? We are usually completely unaware of it.

In particular, one tendency stands out from research as being especially powerful in influencing our attention, and consequently, our decisions.

This article is about that tendency and how to use it in your presentations to help make you more persuasive.

But first…

Recall the picture presented at the start of this article:Imagine a tall, elegant woman with an angelic face and a graceful figure wearing a gorgeous white dress with a little red stain... Now ask yourself: What got the most of my focus when I first read that?

Was it the lovely ladies face, her grace, her white dress? Or was it the red stain?

If you found yourself fixated on the red stain, then you have just displayed what psychologists call negativity bias. Not to worry, most people focus on the stain as many of my audience surveys prove. You are in good company.

So, what is negativity bias?

Negativity Bias

Put plainly, negativity bias is the tendency (or bias) people have towards remembering and placing more importance on negative experiences or impressions than positive ones. It is why people are more likely to post a review of a product if they have had a bad experience than if they have had a normal one. It is why a negative impression about someone is difficult to change especially if it was the first impression.This is true of most of us. It is likely true of you (as we just saw) and, also of your audience. Virtually all of us notice and focus on the red stain.To understand how this plays into your presentations, let us briefly talk about why negativity bias is even a thing that we have in the first place.

Negativity and survival

Many psychologists believe that negativity bias developed as a survival instinct in our ancestors.Back thousands of years ago, we could probably get by paying only marginal attention to things that go well. Let’s call these the neutral inputs. For example, the quiet pond or the gentle sway of the tall grass. These neutral inputs solicit only meagre consideration as we saunter by in our small bands chattering about whatever was the focus of conversation those days.But when something went wrong – especially something that could impact our wellbeing and survival – we had better quit yakking, perk up and pay attention. Let’s call these the negative inputs – the stuff that potentially spelt trouble. Like if there was a sudden and violent stir in that pond – could be an alligator in there. Or if the tall grass began parting with an eerie rhythm like some sort of ominous curtain – could be a hungry predator with an appetite for, you know, you.

...we learned to ruthlessly prioritize negative inputs over neutral ones and make adjustments to our actions based on them.

We quickly learned to take notes and, here’s the key, we learned to ruthlessly prioritize negative inputs over neutral ones and make adjustments to our actions based on them. That remains true today. The inputs may have changed, but our systems haven’t really.So how does this play into your presentations?

How it could work for you

As you design your presentations, keep this negativity bias in mind. It will help you choose supporting points and stories. It will also help you with how you present solutions and suggestions.When giving a presentation, focus on the benefits of your offering but do not ignore the consequences. These consequences have a natural "stickiness" so that your audience will likely remember them even after they have forgotten about all the good stuff.Depending on the nature of your presentation, the key is to make sure that you have sad stories as well happy ones; that you have consequences as well as promises.An example might help. Here is what a good pitch for some change in a business context might sound like:"These changes will improve our overall efficiency. We project up to 7% in cost savings not to mention the boost to employee morale. We need to act soon otherwise we run the risk of...."Did you spot the subtle reference to consequences in that example? This is very important because some members of your audience will notice the consequences much more readily than the benefits – and that could make all of the difference in whether you get a green light or a stop sign.

Only if it is so

Of course, only say things like this if they are true. But in general, with a little thought and reflection, it is not difficult to see how, if making a positive change is good, then not making that change would likely end badly. The problem is, most speakers are not even thinking in line with this so they do not exploit this inherent human bias in their presentations. As a result, their presentations fall short, are not as persuasive as they could be, and sadly, their great ideas are never materialized.

How negativity bias could work against you

I was in a seminar a few years ago put up by a University on the topic of classroom (audience) engagement techniques. The speaker had been brought in by the University due to his extensive experience as an actor and acting professor and coach. He had a fantastic presentation which was performed brilliantly with a lot of great content. At least, that is the impression I remember having.You see, I have forgotten virtually the entirety of his talk save a few tips I took on board to incorporate into my speaking. What I have never forgotten though, is the unfortunate and highly embarrassing accidental verbal dropping of a loud and ill-received F-bomb at a particularly passionate portion of his presentation. And true to it's bomb nature, it was follwed by gasps and an uneasy unsure silence as the conservative audience tried to make sense of the ruins in the aftermath. What a shame.Odds are, they remembered the F-bomb more vividly after the seminar than the tips on using subtle props and managing your energy.

The key to avoiding the flip-side of negativity bias can be summed up in one word – preparation.

The key to avoiding the flip-side of negativity bias can be summed up in one word – preparation. Prepare to the full extent of your power. Plan and rehearse well in advance and nail down the details of your presentation and all related logistics. As best you can, make sure that the only negative inputs your audience experiences are intentionally and purposefully engineered by you, for their benefit and the success of your presentation. And oh, maybe avoid the potty-mouth talk. Its an easy target for negativty bias especially with the wrong audience.

Take the good, take the bad

In closing, negativity bias is not our ideal state when it relates to our relationships with ourselves and others. This is not a glorification of this human tendency. Neither is it an indictment. Negativity bias exists because it serves a purpose. What I invite you to do is acknowledge that it does play an important part in how you (and your audience) interpret and interact with you and your presentation.We can, and I believe we should, stay vigilant in recognizing when this negativity bias is not working in our favour. But the good and the bad will always be part of our experience and how we make sense of things. It is like the theme song to the old TV sitcom, Facts of Life: “You take the good, you take the bad, you take ‘em all and there you have the facts of life”.It is true about life – and it is true about your presentations. So, go ahead and see how you can make it work for you.Until the next article,Speak with skill.