I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Our expectations influence us more than we realize. And in more areas than we realize.

In this book, Robson shows from research that what we expect to happen can influence what actually does happen in many ways.

Thus, it’s important to learn how to set better expectations.

Examples include medicine. Did you know that all things being equal, we respond better to larger tablets than smaller tablets, and to capsules the best? It has nothing to do with the ingredients in the pills. It has to do with our expectations. (We know it as the placebo effect.)

Likewise, there is a nocebo effect. When we read that horrible long list of side effects from a drug, we’re more apt to have a side effect than if we don’t read it.

Even a nurse saying, “This may hurt” before giving you an injection makes your pain more likely.

How can we counter this normal, human expectation effect?

For pain, Robson suggests this:

“You may try to remember a few reassuring phrases, such as ‘my pain is in my brain,’ and ‘the sensations are real, but temporary’ that can counteract more general anxieties and that emphasize the power of the brain’s capacity to bring its own relief.

More than half of people with chronic pain report at least a 30 percent reduction in their symptoms when using this technique, with many patients experiencing as much as 70 percent improvement.”

Other areas of life that are affected by our expectations include how we respond to stress. If we reframe a racing heartbeat before a public speech as a sign of energy for an important event, we’re more likely to do better than if we view the anxiety as debilitating and disadvantageous.

Robson is quick to point out, though, that this isn’t a matter of just “positive thinking.” He says he’s the last person to make that claim.

But what Robson does say is that specific beliefs (rather than general optimism) is what makes the difference.

Another example is food. Robson says,

“The way you describe your food will strongly influence the ways that you and your guests appreciate it. So be sure to season your dishes with some delicious words as you serve—that verbal garnish may be as important as the actual, physical ingredients.”

Aging is another excellent chapter. How we think about getting older can influence our health and mental attitude. Adjust your expectations like this:

“Rather than idealizing youthfulness, focus on all the things that you can gain from living a longer life—including experience, knowledge, and improved emotional regulation and decision-making. Remember that many of the things that we typically associate with aging—such as physical weakness—are within your control and can be improved with a healthier lifestyle. Avoid attributing sickness to your age, since this will reinforce the idea of an inevitable decline.”

Our brains are more malleable than we think. Reframing our mind as a work in progress can encourage us to change unhelpful thinking patterns to more accurate patterns when possible.

While setting better expectations cannot influence everything, it can influence some things. So why not?

My thanks to NetGalley NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the review copy of this book.

I have written extensively about books and research that deal with one's mindset, thinking, and mindfulness so I turned eagerly to THE EXPECTATION EFFECT by David Robson, an award-winning science writer who has previously worked as an editor at New Scientist and a senior journalist at the BBC. Immediately, I saw several chapters that would be of interest to our students: taking the pain out of exercise; healthy eating; de-stressing; building will power and creativity. Robson argues that "beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophesies, changing our lives for better or worse" and that learning to reset expectations "can have truly remarkable effects on our health, happiness, and productivity." Employing a conversational tone, Robson acts as a coach and encourages his readers by weaving his personal experiences with scientific research, often published in peer-reviewed journals (my preview copy had close to five hundred footnotes). He simplifies explanations and offers memorable examples (like the hotel cleaners' experience of increased fitness or students who exhibited improved academic performance when instructed to reframe their situations). The quote Robson chooses from Alia Crum at Stanford provides an overview: "Our minds aren't passive observers simply perceiving reality as it is; our minds actually change reality. In other words, the reality we will experience tomorrow is in part a product of the mind-sets we hold today." THE EXPECTATION EFFECT is worth reading in more detail; pick up this book and learn much more about "How Your Mindset Can Change Your World."

The Expectation Effect a was very interesting book on just how much our mind and mindset can affect our health, diet and even lifespan. Discussing studies on the placebo effect, the nocebo effect, psychogenic illnesses and more, David Robson makes a solid case for how we can control much of our health and wellbeing just by how we think about life.

An important read for me to help me get out of of my Covid-19 funk. This book touches on many subjects of every day life that prevent us from advancing and growing and feeling better. The brain is such a powerful tool, even more so when starting to understand its functioning and then applying its virtues to daily routine. The Expectation Effect is a great book to keep in one's library so we can get back to it when needing a boost or inspiration. It helped me with my relationship with my health, the way I approach some people, my relationship with food, managing my stress, and more. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to get better control of oneself or life in general.

Thank you to Henry Colt and Co and Net Galley for the e-ARC in exchange of my honest review.

A very interesting book based on the belief that our mind is able to control aspects of our life, based on our expectations and how we allow ourselves to believe. I am not sure that I believe that our mind can trick our heart into believing it had a bypass or that they don’t have heart disease-when they do. I base my practice of medicine on scientific evidence and facts so this is hard for me to believe…that being said we hear about miracle cases all the time. i do believe staying positive benefits all aspects of your life.

If nothing else, this book will make you think 😉

This eminently readable book lays out the science showing how our expectations affect our outcomes. Some of the research was familiar, some new to me. I found a lot of it startling. My takeaway is that the brain regulates the body in ways we don't understand. If we expect scarcity, the brain prepares the body for scarcity. If we expect abundance, the brain prepares the body for abundance. Mindset therefore becomes an important factor in health and longevity, often in surprising ways.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The Expectation Effect had the unexpected effect of making me feel uplifted after reading it. Although belief in yourself can't cure everything, positive thoughts from yourself and those around you go a long way into making us feel healthier, younger, smarter. If a teacher believes a kid can't learn, he becomes a kid who can't learn. If girls keep getting clues that they can't do math, they become girls who can't do math.

Our beliefs lop over into every aspect of our lives, from how full a meal makes us feel to whether we can participate in Ironman competitions in our eighties. The Expectation Effect isn't a positive affirmation book but shows readers the science behind our expectations. It comes with plenty of references if you want to know more.

I'll go now because I need to write a novel, learn to tango, and train for an Ironman. The Expectation Effect makes me feel invigorated. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this eARC.

An outstanding summary of the science of expectations and their impact on well-being and so much more. Looking to use this book as the learning resource for a jigsaw classroom activity. An excellent read for anyone who wants to take a more deliberate stance toward what and how they think about themself, others, and the future.