A Secret Psychology Behind Trump’s Political Success.

I was definitely not alone. The hatred for Bush was so bad that during his final departure from the white house, a crowd formed near the helicopter, tasked to whisk him away, to bid their farewells with their backs turned and a shoe held in the air.

It was a comedic yet painfully symbolic reminder of the viral moment a month earlier when an Iraqi reporter threw a shoe at him, yelling that it was:

“A farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog!”

With the war in Iraq estimated to have potentially cost 1 million Iraqi citizens their lives, he had good reason to be hated there.

Although he didn’t cause as many American deaths, he played a role in nearly 10 million homeowners losing their homes or being forced into short sales after defaulting on their mortgages. Between the seemingly endless wars, the housing crisis, and his inept and negligent handling of the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, he had become public enemy number one by the time of President Obama's swearing-in.

How did he transition from leaving office with less than 25% of Americans approving of his performance to becoming America’s favorite aloof grandpa? Several factors contributed to this change, and the saying “time heals all wounds” exists for good reason. One likely factor is the shift in perception of Bush, which can be explained by a psychological phenomenon known as the Mere Exposure Effect.

In the 1960s, psychologist Robert Zajonc discovered this effect by observing that humans tend to become fonder of things we are exposed to frequently, even if we held neutral or negative feelings about them before the repetitious exposure. He showed people different images—like shapes, words, or faces—at different rates. Then, when asked to choose their favorites later, they usually liked the images they had seen more often, even if they didn’t remember seeing them before. This idea has been studied and used in many areas, such as marketing, advertising, and relationships.

I haven’t done the research, but I have to assume this is why KFC has survived this long despite serving raccoons instead of the roided-out Frankenstein chickens we get from superior chicken shops like Popeye’s.

The Mere Exposure is just one small piece to the puzzle that is trying to understand Trump’s success in getting elected twice since he initially announced his campaign to be our next President. Still, I think it played a considerable part. Every ludicrous comment delivered by Trump was met with 1,001 articles or videos discussing it, and as they say, all publicity is good publicity. Most pundits were appalled, some were amused, but nearly everyone spoke about him, even if they thought he would meet his demise far before reaching 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

One notable exception highlights another key factor in Trump’s campaign success—defying all odds and conventional wisdom about winning the world’s most crucial popularity contest. That exception is Scott Adams, best known as the creator of Dilbert.

When bookmaker William Hill still gave Trump just a 1-in-12 shot of winning, Adams told everyone who would listen that Trump would win easily. However, Adams wasn’t making a prediction based on politics, as some suggested Trump was keenly aware of the issues that mattered to the silent majority who elected him to the highest office. Instead, Adams felt confident in his prediction because of an unrelated social science…the science of persuasion.

Adams called Trump the most skilled persuader he had ever witnessed in politics, saying on Bill Maher’s HBO Show:

“When I saw Trump last Summer displaying the tools of persuasion, I thought ‘Oh my God, he’s not a crazy clown, everything he’s doing, including his complete ignoring of the facts, is persuasion perfection.’”

As many others had observed, Adams said Trump was working under a different set of rules than other politicians, saying:

“Essentially, he’s taking a flamethrower to a stick fight.”

Maher agrees, noting Trump’s childish branding of his opponents with elementary school insults like “Crooked Hillary” and “Low-energy Jeb.”

Scott Adams interrupts Maher, “So wrong!” and explains why this is actually a powerful persuasion technique. He exploits people's tendency toward confirmation bias so that later when any story about Hillary emerges suggesting corruption, they will remember his name and associate Trump with being the one who recognized her flaws and characterized her correctly.

Psychologists created the idea of confirmation bias. English psychologist Peter Wason introduced this term in the 1960s through his “selection tasks” experiments. Wason showed that people often seek information supporting their beliefs instead of considering other options. His research helped establish the basis for further studies on cognitive biases and decision-making.

Later, psychologists like Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky expanded on this concept while studying cognitive biases in their work on heuristics and judgment.

In another interview, Adams says, “Forget about their policies, forget about the facts…nobody makes a decision based on those things.” Instead, he concludes, "They make decisions based on how they feel.”

In his book Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking, Leonard Mlodinow argues that emotions and logical reasoning are inseparable: “Even if you think you’re applying cold reason, you’re not.”

“Emotions play a hidden role in our behavior,” Mlodinow said. “They help the brain choose what sensory information to pay attention to, how to process it, and what other data — such as memories or goals — to weave into decisions.”

Finally, Adams reveals that Trump’s use of simple phrases to communicate his policy ideas plays two roles: it effectively neutralizes the amount of criticism he can receive because the policies are vague in detail and because constant repetition sticks in people’s minds and persuades them better than elaborate policies.

Many studies have validated this point, known as the illusory-truth effect. One study by Vanderbilt found that this behavior was even present in the 5-year-old children they used for the experiment.

“Our results suggest that children learn the connection between repetition and truth at a young age,” Fazio said. “In general, statements that you hear multiple times are more likely to be true than something you are hearing for the first time.”

Significant psychological dynamics influenced public perception and behavior, helping Donald Trump ascend to the presidency. The Mere Exposure Effect suggests consistent media coverage, regardless of its nature, can foster familiarity and acceptance, allowing Trump's unorthodox style and controversial statements to resonate with voters.

Additionally, his exceptional skills in persuasion and the exploitation of confirmation bias enabled him to connect with the sentiments of his audience, solidifying their support. Together, these scientific principles reveal how Trump's unique approach to communication and campaigning effectively tapped into the emotions and beliefs of the electorate, ultimately leading to his unprecedented electoral success. Understanding these factors clarifies Trump's rise and offers valuable insights into the mechanisms that drive political outcomes in our increasingly complex media landscape.