What exactly am I purchasing?

MriyaRun sells products for self-reflection, writing practices and psychological education, including journals, workbooks, books, planners, metaphorical associative cards and psychological games. The name, format, contents, number of pages or cards, language, price and availability are displayed on each product page. Please review the product description before placing an Order.

Are MriyaRun products psychotherapy or medical services?

No. You are purchasing a finished product, not a medical, psychiatric or psychotherapeutic service. The materials are not intended to diagnose or treat psychological or mental health conditions and do not replace an individual consultation with an appropriate professional. MriyaRun does not guarantee any particular psychological, medical or life outcome.

Can I use the products without a psychologist?

Yes. Most MriyaRun journals, workbooks, books and metaphorical cards can be used independently by following the instructions included with the relevant product. You may work at your own pace, skip exercises that are not suitable for you or stop the practice if it causes significant distress. If you require professional assistance, please contact a qualified professional.

Are the products suitable for psychologists and coaches?

Yes. Psychologists, psychotherapists, coaches and other professionals may use MriyaRun products as supplementary materials in their professional practice. The professional is responsible for determining whether a particular material is appropriate for a client and for how it is used. Copying, digitising, reselling or distributing the materials without the copyright holder’s permission is prohibited.

How do I place and pay for an Order?

Select a product, add it to your cart and provide your contact details. Three payment methods are available: Online payment through WayForPay. Payment using the Individual Entrepreneur’s bank details provided by our manager after the Order is placed. Cash on delivery at a Nova Poshta branch, subject to a mandatory guarantee payment of UAH 80 before dispatch. The guarantee payment forms part of the total Order price and reduces the cash-on-delivery amount by UAH 80. Nova Poshta’s money transfer fee is paid separately by the customer.

How is delivery arranged?

Orders within Ukraine are delivered by Nova Poshta. During checkout, provide your city and preferred Nova Poshta branch or parcel locker. Delivery costs are paid by the customer according to Nova Poshta’s rates unless free delivery is stated on the product page or in the promotion terms. International delivery must be agreed with our manager before payment.

When will my Order be dispatched?

Orders are processed and prepared for dispatch within 1–2 business days after confirmation or payment. Delivery by Nova Poshta usually takes 1–3 business days after dispatch. Once the parcel has been transferred to the carrier, you will receive a tracking number.

Can I return or exchange a product?

Goods may be returned or exchanged within 14 calendar days, excluding the day of receipt, provided that they have not been used and their saleable condition, consumer properties, packaging, labels and proof of payment have been preserved. Under Ukrainian law, printed publications of satisfactory quality are not subject to mandatory return. Nevertheless, MriyaRun voluntarily accepts books, journals and workbooks within 14 calendar days, provided that the conditions above are met. If the return is unrelated to a defect, damage or an error in the Order, the customer pays the return delivery costs. Refunds are processed within 7 business days after the returned Goods have been received and inspected.

What should I do if the product is damaged or incorrect?

Contact us and provide photographs or video of the product. After reviewing the request, we will offer a replacement, supply any missing items or issue a refund. MriyaRun will cover reasonable delivery costs in such cases.

How can I contact the Seller?

Seller of the products offered on the Website: Individual Entrepreneur Artem Dmytrovych Telushko Ukrainian taxpayer registration number: 3908614131 Telephone, Viber and Telegram: +380 67 581 60 90 Email: info@mriya.run Instagram: @mriya.run Office address: 2A Baseina Street, Zhytomyr, Ukraine. Visits are available by prior arrangement. Official correspondence address: 9 Kyivska Street, Zhytomyr, 10014, Ukraine. Please contact our manager before returning Goods. Do not send a return without prior approval.

Posts

14 August, 2023

Why People Believe False Information and How to Check It

Dmytro Telushko

Dmytro Telushko is a psychologist and author of MriyaRun. He writes about emotions, boundaries, relationships, self-esteem, life scripts, and creates practical self-therapeutic tools for gentle self-exploration.

How emotion, repetition, group identity, and cognitive biases make false claims persuasive, with practical steps for checking information.

This material is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical, psychological, or psychotherapeutic advice. If you are experiencing an acute psychological condition or need professional support, please contact a doctor, psychologist, psychotherapist, or crisis service.

But now it brings a lot of trouble, because thousands of likes convince not only of the truth, but also of fakes.

How can you convince a person of something without providing evidence. Hillary Clinton helped traffic children through a pizzeria. Because of this, a person broke into a pizzeria with a rifle and looked for children there.

Fakes sound whimsical and captivate the reader. And because social networks are better at promoting engaging content, fake news spreads six times faster than real news. They receive a lot of likes and ripostes, create a sense of their prevalence and convince people.

Next, we'll take a look at the research and learn more about how popularity makes ideas more persuasive. The study will also tell you how to fight fakes.

The more popular the fakes, the more convincing they are
How to solve the problem with the spread of fakes
True or fake?

Dr. Evan Ortisio and his colleagues from the University of California conducted an experiment. For this, they prepared 30 statements, many of which were fake. Here are examples of statements: prayer cures cancer, vaccinations cause autism, humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time.

The researchers then asked 600 adults to rate how certain they were of the truth of the statements. After them, another question was asked: in your opinion, what percentage of people support each of the statements?

Next, participants were shown how many people actually supported the statement. Sometimes this information was exaggerated to see how it would affect the opinion of the participants.

For example, a participant read the statement that "toxic waste causes autism." He then assumed that 30% of people agreed with this. After that, the participant was shown that 70% of people agree with the statement.

According to the study, people then rated the statement as more believable. And some doubters agreed with a statement based purely on the number of people who support the statement.

"People seem to change their minds when it turns out to be less popular than expected." - says doctor Ortisio.

This trend persisted throughout the study. Participants learned how many people agreed with each of 30 statements, and based on that they changed their confidence in the statements.

Thus, a person will consider the information more believable if he is shown that the information enjoys more support than he thinks. You don't even need proof.

Dr. Ortisio offers four tips.

The results of the study confirm that social networks are responsible for the spread of fakes. But they can help solve the problem: remove the reposts and likes from records that have been flagged as falsely entered.
Previous research shows that once a person has made up their mind, it is difficult to persuade them. He is no longer looking for arguments against and is not amenable to them. Therefore, it is better to give people reliable information in advance, before they believe the fake.
In order not to overestimate the prevalence of the idea, subscribe to the channel of opponents of this idea. For example, subscribe to homeopaths - subscribe to the popular science channel as well. So you will understand what other beliefs prevail among people and what motives guide the authors of the sources.
Do not spread fakes yourself.

Here are 30 questions that scientists asked the participants of the study.

You can learn about personality traits and mental health of a person by handwriting.
Hospitals are overstating the number of deaths from COVID-19.
The assassination of President Kennedy was the organized work of a group of people.
Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of raping children, hanged himself in solitary confinement while awaiting trial.
Prayer cures cancer.
Reconstruction of the bone system cures most physical ailments.
All else being equal, a black person is more likely to contract COVID-19 than a person with white skin.
Toxic waste causes autism.
HIV causes AIDS.
Hillary Clinton assisted a network that sold children into sexual slavery and coordinated from a pizzeria in Washington.
Powerful people are hindering the development of effective treatments for COVID-19.
The terrorist attack on September 11 was planned by the US government.
People landed on the moon.
COVID-19 is more dangerous than the flu.
Hypnosis can bring out repressed memories.
Donald Trump is trying to stop a group of pedophiles and Satanists who have become entrenched in the elite.
Humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time.
Aliens are now visiting Earth.
NIH Director Anthony Fauci is lying about COVID-19 because he is profiting from the vaccine.
Children get or spread COVID-19.
People retain consciousness after death and visit those who are currently living.
Vaccinations cause autism.
Climate change is caused by humans.
People can contract COVID-19 outdoors.
The media exaggerated the risks of COVID-19 to destroy Donald Trump's ratings.
Wearing masks is harmful to health.
Masks reduce the possibility of transmission of COVID-19.
Bill Gates wants to track people with microchips that are given with the COVID-19 vaccine or when they are tested for COVID-19.
The COVID-19 virus is the handiwork of the most influential people.
The earth is flat.

Repetition increases familiarity, which the mind may mistake for reliability. Strong emotion, group identity, and confirmation bias can add persuasive force.

A pause before an automatic conclusion

A vivid story, polished design, many shares, or a categorical tone do not verify a claim. Find the primary source, date, author, full context, and independent confirmation.