The Psychology Behind our Mood and Reactions

Have you ever started off a day feeling great, then…WHAM…out of no where, you find yourself in a foul mood? You wonder, “What happened to put me in this mood?” You try to point out the last person, place or thing you contacted. But there’s much more to it than that.

There is a term used by Anthony Robbins, in his Personal Power II program, called Neuro-Associative Conditioning, which he refers to as a linking of a specific event with a specific feeling. A specific feeling can easily be triggered by a sight, sound, touch, smell or taste that occurred during a prior event. This kind of conditioning is rooted in behavioral science dating back to 1901 in the work of Ivan Pavlov (Pavolv’s Dogs).

Here are a few examples of how conditioning controls our mood, behavior and decisions: nn- Pete grew up with a verbally abusive Father. It caused him great anxiety. Pete’s Father used to point his finger while yelling. Twenty years later, Pete is grown with a great job but an ornery boss. One day his boss enters Pete’s office to discuss an important topic. While speaking loudly, the boss points his finger in much the same way that Pete’s Father did. Instantly, Pete’s stomach turns and he become anxious. Peter continues to get anxious around his boss. nn- Jake’s date was wearing a very alluring perfume on their recent date. The date itself was quite passionate. The following day when Jake gets into his car he smells the lingering scent of his her perfume and becomes transfixed with joy. nn- Sara eats lunch at a new restaurant in town. While eating, she gets sick because of the flu. A month later, her friends ask her out to lunch to the same restaurant in town. Sara gets nauseated thinking about that restaurant, so she suggests another one.

Understanding conditioning and how it affects the decisions that people make is key to understanding people. It is also a great tool to better understand yourself and your own behavior and mood changes.

I’ve researched the topic of personality to better understand and relate to different people in business and personal settings. I’ve found that it’s equally crucial to my success that I understand my own moods and reactions to different people in changing business situations. Learning more about conditioning has clarified a lot of my own questions about myself. Paying attention to our own feelings and conditioned responses will help us remain focused on the positive in every business and personal setting.