Noah Goldstein

It’s not only sleep deprivation or fatigue that can lead us to become more easily persuaded. Studies also demonstrate that distraction has a similar effect on our susceptibility to influence

found that homeowners were twice as likely to purchase Christmas cards from a door-to-door salesperson when the salesperson distracted them by unexpectedly announcing the price in pennies—rather than dollars

What do these studies say about how to avoid succumbing to the factors that make us more easily persuaded? Our first recommendation would be to get more sleep. Of course, we’d all like to get more shut-eye, and we understand that’s easier said than done. If you do happen to find yourself particularly distracted or sleep-deprived, however, try to stay away from programs such as