Video by psychologyinreal

Okay, I know he's not exactly the most attractive guy, but by telling a little white lie and using a fake Instagram account, he always manages to date women who are way out of his league. These poor women fall for a psychological trick called the decoy effect. Here's how it works. Step 1. He messages them from the decoy, his fake Instagram account, being super friendly and charming.

He uses this account to gain their trust and make them feel comfortable. Step 2. He switches to his real account and tells a small lie to ask them out. The crazy thing is how often it works. When the decoy is done right, asking them out is almost effortless. The decoy is a strategy marketers use to influence your decisions.

Think you wouldn't fall for it? Let me show you why it's more common than you'd expect. Let's break down how it works, what's on his fake Instagram, and the little lie he tells. Imagine you're buying flowers for your girlfriend, and these are your options. A bouquet of tulips, very pretty, for $10. A bouquet of roses, also very pretty, for $10

A bouquet of roses with a ribbon And a card to write a personal message, also for $10 Which would you pick? Out of 100 people, 16 choose tulips None choose plain roses And 84 gopher roses with ribbon and card That's just what the seller wants Tulips cost more and yield low profit Roses are cheap and bring high profit

Without the plain roses, choices would split evenly Bad for business? So they add plain roses as a decoy. Nobody picks them, but they make the fancy roses look like the best deal. You think, tulips are roses. This one has extras. And just like that, you fall for the decoy trap.