In Episode 8, George and Gil discuss six cognitive illusions/effects used by advertisers, marketers, and propagandists to influence public opinion.

These include:

The Clustering Illusion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clustering_illusion

The Social Proof Principle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_proof

The Reciprocity Principle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reciprocity_(social_psychology)

The Authority Bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authority_bias

The Story Bias https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201612/what-is-narrative-bias

The Forer/Barnum Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum_effect

Works Referenced:

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28815.Influence

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062219695/the-art-of-thinking-clearly

Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things: What Categories Reveal About the Mind by George Lakoff https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women,_Fire,_and_Dangerous_Things