Mindset shifts are associated with shifts in behavior as well as psychological, physiological and social reality. Still, it can be hard to cue a mindset shift that lasts long enough to yield durable changes in experience.
Stanford psychologist Alia Crum researches the various ways mindset affects us. The parts of the interview that caught me eye explore the implications of the placebo (and “nocebo”) effect.
For short periods we can be fooled into believing things about ourselves that are not objectively true, resulting in measurable changes in short-term physiology and performance. We can also extrapolate longer term impact on physical wellness and psychological well-being. Beliefs seem to elicit temporary change.
The challenge is that we humans are not only capable of believing new stories, but also of poking holes in them. We can tell ourselves that we believe that the experience of stress enhances our performance, but we are also able to remember times when this wasn’t the case, and those memories undermine our belief in the stress as performance enhancer story.
In order for our stories to be believable enough to support constructive mindsets, they need to be grounded in real experiences. Luckily, we all have memories of positive as well as negative experiences. By accessing the positive ones in a strategic way we can often nudge our own mindsets away from the nocebos and toward the placebos.
Two decades ago, Andrea Konuma and I came up with a system our clients could use to tilt their minds and physiologies away from nocebo and toward placebo stories. This was not about tricking them into believing a convenient “fake it til you make it” story. Moreover, though we did draw upon scientific findings to establish credibility with our clients, we didn’t use that research to convince them that our approach was right.
Instead, we acknowledged their ability to compare research findings to their own experience and that of their colleagues. Then, we encouraged them to experiment and create positive experiences that could br grown into successes they could refer back to. Finally, we provided them with a self-nudging tool called RAFT (more in comments) that helped them plan how they would access those positive memories when they needed them.
WE respected their AGENCY and intelligence.
WE gave them space to articulate PURPOSE.
WE helped them plan, experiment and reflect until they experienced GROWTH.
WE CONNECTED them with their peers.
WE helped them make sense of their CONTRIBUTIONS to themselves and each other.
THEY created MEANINGFUL stories that helped them replicate this virtuous cycles when the initiative ended. Experience made their mindset shifts durable.
The company worked for earned the top ranking in the Great Place to Work survey for Japan.
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Agency (主体性) + Purpose (志) + Growth (成長) + Connection (繋がり) + Contribution (貢献) = Meaning (意義)
In the space between you and me awaits all that will ever be.
人と人の間に全てのもと
Below is a link to a conversation between Alia Crum and Scott Barry Kaufman:
Link to more information on RAFT:
© Dana Cogan, 2026, all rights reserved.