Psychology: How to track and control triggers

Updated July 24, 2021 222 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. This term has taken root in the vocabulary of psychologists and psychiatrists, gamers and programmers, physicists and doctors. The word “trigger” comes out of the mouths of teenagers and PhDs. What is the reason for this popularity?

Well, it would be nice to at least in general terms understand its meaning in various areas, so as not to get into trouble. I think it’s time to figure out what a trigger is and what you eat it with (or is it inedible?).

The general essence of the concept of Trigger

The word “trigger” translated from English means “ trigger ”, “launch”. The literal translation reflects the essence of this concept:

an element that powers a system.

An analogy with a weapon will help to visualize the meaning of this mysterious term. When the trigger is triggered, the sound of a shot is heard (an active action occurs, the situation changes). A trigger is a pressed hook, in other words, a stimulating kick, Gagarin’s “Let’s go!”

It sounds vague because the term has multiple meanings. This is just the essence, and kicks, events and situations are different. This means that the term can have different meanings. Now let's move on to specifics, and everything will become clear.

Why are triggers used in marketing and personal promotion by experts?

In marketing, triggers are most often strong visual images, sounds and text. They also evoke strong emotions, as well as the desire to possess, buy, download and engage in online discussions.

Triggers are used to:

• sell (which means the target action for the reader is to buy);
• engage (target action - comment, increase coverage);
• remove the objection (and the reader watches the demo lesson or reads the FAQ);
• launch word of mouth (the audience wants to share the content);
• demonstrate expertise/express the author’s position (and if the reader remains, it means he accepts these conditions).

What is a trigger in psychology

Psychologists, speaking about a trigger, draw an analogy (what is this?) with a toggle switch, which temporarily “switches” a person’s thoughts and forces him to perform unconscious actions. “Switches” can be any signals entering the brain (auditory, tactile, visual, olfactory, gustatory).

Psychological triggers are a factor that is not traumatic in itself, but can cause strong re-experiencing of a past experience (or its individual elements).

How it works

A person has a developed sensory memory (even someone who was never able to learn “Lukomorye has green oak” at school), and this sometimes makes life very difficult.

Under the influence of irritants (smells, melodies, photographs, stills from films, snatches of phrases), strong memories awaken. Everything is long in the past, but the brain helpfully draws a parallel with the present. “The legends of deep antiquity” suddenly evoke real emotions, and often actions.

Psychological triggers vary in their impact. Some cause an uncontrollable storm of emotions and actions, while others are easily overcome.

Here is a visual picture:

1. A girl who has undergone treatment for anorexia, when she sees a photograph of a very thin man, begins to starve herself again.
2. An elderly person, noticing a queue in a store, without hesitation stands in it: they are offering something worthwhile (“they threw away” a scarce product), you have to take it!
3. A woman experiences panic attacks every time she inhales the scent of blooming lilacs: she felt it when she was attacked by a rapist in the park.
4. A procrastinator logs into a social network and “turns it off” for an indefinite period of time. No one knows when he will return to work.

A trigger can cause an emotional reaction before a person even understands why they suddenly feel scared or sad.

Breaking free from influence: how to overcome psychological triggers

There is no need to be afraid of triggers, you need to learn to control them, and then the influence of the “triggers” will disappear.

First, it is important to understand: what exactly triggers the mechanism that turns on the “autopilot”? The answer to this question will help you see the situation somewhat detached when faced with a trigger, and this will make it easier to control it. If you recognize the onset of an undesirable reaction in time, it will be easier to extinguish the emotional outburst and prevent unconscious actions. Follow your feelings !

To suppress the unwanted impulse from the appearance of a trigger, it is worth looking for alternative methods of behavior. The smell of lilac and a rush of panic? We mentally read “Lukomorye has a green oak tree”! A little exaggerated (what is this?), but the essence is clear.

Types of psychological triggers

• Crowd of people. When we see a crowd of people gathering somewhere, a strong interest is immediately formed. I want to come up and find out what is going on and what people are interested in. This desire will be like a sudden impulse within, pushing towards the crowd.
• Sharp sounds. Not every person outwardly reacts sharply to a sudden cry, but there is always a reaction inside. A thought associated with danger immediately arises in my head. The brain reacts to this picture with a surge of adrenaline, which makes you turn to the scream and decide on further actions.
• Phrases. If you hear a phrase that a loved one or abuser said to you in the past, you will unconsciously be overcome by corresponding emotions.

Triggers can affect us in varying degrees of intensity. We can immediately leave some without experiencing discomfort, while others begin to control us. In order not to be a hostage to triggers, it is worth analyzing their nature and finding ways to control them.

Triggers can really interfere with our lives, but we shouldn't blame ourselves for it. As soon as it begins to act, a person begins to feel as if in a fog. It turns out that further actions will be performed on “autopilot”. It happens on its own. Then the person will not even remember and will not be able to explain why he reacted this way, why he bought an unnecessary thing, hit another person, or left for another city.

Trigger is a marketer's weapon

This term is very loved by marketers because it serves them without fail, bringing profit. Having studied what it is in terms of psychology, sales specialists build entire marketing strategies based on creating mechanisms that trigger the desire to buy.

Really good marketing triggers are:

1. A temporary constraint that hints at scarcity. “Prices are valid until the end of the month,” or something like that. If we are talking about an online store, the picture is often complemented by a countdown timer. And now it clicks in my brain: buy it urgently, otherwise I’ll miss the chance!

2. Thirst for free acquisitions. “2 products for the price of 1”, “Buy and get this very valuable thing as a gift”, “Every third bun is 50% off” - sound familiar? The bonus system is a chord from the same song.

3. Bestseller. “If everyone buys it, I’ll buy it too. After all, I’m no worse than others!” Crowd trigger in action.
4. Common habits and attitudes. The phrases “GOST”, “taste of childhood”, “German quality” are often decisive when choosing.
5. Fear is a trigger that always hits the target. Everyone is afraid of something: extra pounds, loneliness, old age, illness, mice, poverty...
6. The desire to have something exclusive. Buy an author's course, a unique blouse, a handmade bag - few people can resist such an offer!

A video filled with marketing triggers from start to finish:

It is difficult to resist such tricks, but it is possible. The recommendations from the previous section are also relevant here. Know the “enemy in person”, listen to your feelings in order to prevent spontaneous actions.

Do you have an irresistible desire to buy 7 packages of cereal for the price of 6? We exhale and act according to a proven scheme: Pushkin, “Lukomorye”. Helps!

Trigger marketing - tips

1. Use triggers on your website, advertising, social networks, videos, commercial offers, and mailings. The main thing is not to overdo it with them. Try to have up to three triggers per post: in the title, description and conclusion.
2. Study your audience, find out their weaknesses and strengths, fears and desires. This will make it easier for you to understand which trigger to apply and where it is best to do it.
3. If you promise your audience a gift, a discount or free shipping, do not deceive, make sure that the person trusts you and will definitely come back.
4. Don't be intrusive. Play with triggers carefully: for one aggressive, two soft ones. Otherwise, the client will be in constant stress and leave you. For example, constant reminders about loneliness in mailing lists or on dating sites make a person depressed.
5. Use numbers and data about your success and experience. This will show your expertise - and the user will be able to trust you more easily.
6. Tell the customer how he will feel after purchasing your product or using your service.
7. Show how the product simplifies his life, relieves stress and unnecessary worries.

Triggers in circuit design

The moment has come for the transition from poetry to physics (it won’t do without computer science either): the concept of “trigger” is actively used in computer technology and electronics.

This is the name for pulsed electronic devices (transistors, thyristors, comparators) capable of remaining for a long time in one of two stable states , alternating under the influence of external signals. In essence, it is an externally controlled (by small electrical signals) valve with two positions - open or closed (zero or one).

In addition, these devices have the ability to store binary information. They are used in various elements of computing systems: processors, registers, random access storage devices. There are billions of these “triggers” alone.

Typically, flip-flops are used to generate an output signal, which is perceived as enabling or informing other nodes of a digital circuit (“the process is in progress!”). “Process flag” is how these devices are often called. The number of trigger inputs depends on its functional purpose, and there are usually two outputs: direct and inverse.

According to the method of recording information, there are asynchronous and synchronized (or clocked) triggers. In asynchronous recording is continuous; it is determined by information signals acting at a particular moment at the inputs. If this happens only during the action of the synchronizing signal, then we are talking about a clocked trigger.

Among such devices, the Schmidt trigger especially stands out. This is the name of a two-position switching element (it has one analog input and one two-level output) with a hysteresis loop (translated from Greek as “delay”, “lag”: the system reacts to the influence depending on its current state).

Schmidt triggers are actively used in electronic devices to reduce interference in circuits, especially in circuits whose purpose is the interaction between digital and analog sections: the digital signal here can be distorted.

In electronics

Any storage device cannot do without a trigger. This is the main element of any system of such a device. Most often, triggers store a small amount of information. Typically, this includes various codes and bits.

Triggers are classified as RAM due to the fact that they retain their memory if there is an element that will power them.

There are many types of triggers in electronics. Different types can be found in different devices. Most often it is used to create and transmit a signal.

Video about what a trigger is in electronics:

What is a trigger in medicine

The term we are interested in is often heard in medical circles (and not only among psychologists and psychiatrists). Doctors call triggers a provoking factor , under the influence of which changes begin in the body (usually unfavorable).

The medical concept of “trigger” is strongly associated with asthma, migraine, epilepsy - chronic diseases that periodically worsen under the influence of weather conditions, environmental factors, and food (they act as a “trigger” ).

In hypnosis, the word “trigger” refers to a kind of “key” that is established during a session. It is used to instantly put the patient into hypnotic sleep.

Another medical concept on the topic that interests us is “ovulation trigger.” This is the name for specialized medications that stimulate the ovulation process in women with reproductive system problems. Most often, this “trigger” is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

trigger points is also used in medicine . These are special areas on the body that are hypersensitive to external influences due to local muscle spasm. Most often they are located in muscle tissue.

To the touch, these places look like small hard lumps. When you press them, pain sharply “shoots out”, hence the name. To get rid of such pain areas, you need to consult a neurologist: Pushkin will not help here.

What is this on Instagram

Instagram is a social network that almost every Internet user knows about. Using the application, a person gets rid of boredom. After all, here you can find entire stores, a lot of entertainment content, learn about the lives of your friends and celebrities, and just watch funny videos, relaxing after a hard day.

Gradually, a person is drawn into this social network and can no longer live without it. Soon the fear of missing out on new publications and comments will begin to appear, which will cause stress. Instagram itself creates a number of habits among its users.

This application itself is an external trigger. How often does it appear on the page of other social networks? How often do friends and relatives refer to this portal? A person, willy-nilly, is imbued with Instagram, stepping towards the already internal triggers. Now the application itself hides a call to a particular action. More often, this can be found in various sweepstakes and store accounts.

What does this mean for gamers?

If you hear the word “trigger” in a conversation between two teenagers, it does not mean that they are discussing the principle of the Schmidt valve or an effective marketing strategy. Most likely, we are talking about a computer game, and these teenagers are gamers.

With this term they call various mechanisms or objects, the action of which in one way or another affects the development of the game plot (an explosion is heard, an enemy attack begins, etc.).

There are triggers that move selected objects in any direction, changing their color and transparency (this also works in relation to the environment). With the help of proper use of the “trigger” mechanism in the game, you can destroy an object and restore it.

Here are a couple more concepts from the world of computer games on the topic:

1. Trigger zone - a section of the game space that tracks the presence or absence of any object;
2. Trigger point is a “trigger mechanism” by which the player checks the distance from himself to the object of interest.

The world of computer games is full of diverse “triggers”; new ones appear periodically. There is even a virtual switch that can override other switches. Oh, how! And you thought that games were just...

How to use the freebie trigger more ethically?

Give your potential client the opportunity to get to know each other better. Give a checklist, a book, give away a webinar that you can’t get anywhere for free.

For example, during a report at the “Let’s Write” conference, I promised to give listeners a webinar about the author’s style in texts. And she posted a link to it in the Telegram channel along with a greeting and a short introduction.

And this is the approach I consider beneficial for both sides:

• The listeners themselves decided whether they wanted to continue communicating with me after the conference - they could pick up the gift without subscribing to the channel itself.
• And I got a new audience - people who are interested in what I write about and what I broadcast.

Group membership trigger

Abraham Maslow, in his hierarchical model of needs, said that immediately after the closure of basic needs and the acquisition of security, a person wants to be part of a community - his pack. He wants attention, love and support from those close to him in spirit. Therefore, the trigger of belonging to a group works great in selling educational projects by subscription - clubs, mastermind groups and closed communities.

So Varvara Lyalagina invites you to her closed community for creative entrepreneurs “Studio”. She says who is already in the “Studio”, and emphasizes that, despite all the commonality, everyone has their own rhythm and speed of mastering materials.

Trigger of individuality and special conditions

We often respond to this trigger when we see phrases like “only for girls/boys/housewives/freelancers”, or “you will only get this information from me and nowhere else”, or “this price is only valid for those who have subscribed”.

For example, I recently came across a special conditions trigger in the description of a Telegram channel for men:

Here's how a marketing coach uses a special conditions trigger:

There are only 4 lines, but they contain:

• an indication of where you need to be to receive special conditions;
• the condition itself, expressed in a clear figure - you can save 1,500 rubles;
• exclusivity - you can’t find this anywhere else;
• A call to action is the next step you need to make clear to the reader.

Social proof trigger

Triggered when we see other people praising a product, service, person or brand. We go to choose a robot vacuum cleaner and see why people give it stars. We read the landing page of the online course and again look for confirmation of our expectations in the reviews.

How can you use the social proof trigger for personal promotion?

• Show customer reviews with screenshots.
• Tag the client in a post about collaboration.
• Repost a client review post on your page.
• You can also ask your audience to share what they value about your activity or content. For example, like this:

Maria Gubina, AzConsult
People themselves come to the comments and write wonderful things of their own free will, and this captivates those who are not yet familiar with the author:

Trigger of paradox and contradiction

This is a technique with which we show the reader that he does not need to perform the target action. Although we mean that it is necessary to do this.

For example, I announce my latest article on storytelling in the channel. And I warn you: be careful, you can get stuck in it. On the one hand, the word “stick” has a negative connotation associated with wasting time. On the other hand, I controversially compensate for this meaning with the promise of benefits and a clear plan for immersion in the topic.

Intrigue Trigger

It is used when you need to emphasize the benefits of a product, but you can’t just “touch” it.

For example, I wanted to share what a wonderful text I analyzed together with the project participants in a closed channel. The content in the channel is paid, I can’t give it away just like that, so there was a post-intrigue. And three sales from it.

Result trigger + free trigger

These are not all the triggers that I know, but the main ones. To complete the typology, I would like to answer the question “Is it possible to use several triggers at once in one text?”

Yes, you can, but it is important to maintain a balance. If on a sales landing page several screens long, the use of 7–10 triggers is acceptable and even necessary, then the post on social networks will be too concentrated. The reader can immediately consider 5–7–10 triggers as aggression, but 2–3 are quite compatible.

As an example, I’ll give a fragment of a post where the result trigger is supported by a free trigger.

This move motivates the audience not just to take information, but also to extract value for themselves. Reach the end and don’t quit what you started halfway. This is important because in online education, the so-called “unavailability” of students is a big pain.

How to recognize your emotional triggers?

These may look different for each person, but there are a number of things that can help you identify your emotional triggers:

A close friend or relative shares some good news about themselves. You're happy for him, but you can't help but feel jealous.

What is this news about?

• Career advancement?
• New car?
• Is she getting married?
• Does he have a new relationship?
• Are they expecting a baby?

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you noticed that there is someone you follow on social media that you constantly compare yourself to?
• What bothers you most about his/her messages? How do you deal with this?
• Have you noticed that there is a topic of conversation that "pops up" every time you interact with friends and/or family?

Answering these questions will help you get closer to identifying your emotional triggers.

Emotional trigger

An emotional trigger is any topic that makes us feel uncomfortable. Emotional triggers tell us in what aspects of our lives we feel disappointed or dissatisfied.

As mentioned above, triggers can be different for each person because we are all “struggling” with something different.

Once we can identify what's troubling us, we can take steps to protect our mental health.

While it is impossible to avoid all situations that can make us angry, we can take effective steps to take care of ourselves and develop a strong inner voice that can help us navigate these uncomfortable situations.

Knowing your emotional triggers can help you avoid exposing yourself to certain situations and digital content that are harmful to your mental health and may cause unpleasant emotions.

The point is not to run away from these situations and create a bubble that separates you from the outside world. Awareness only helps, by knowing our limitations, to avoid (as much as possible) situations that harm our health and self-esteem.

The nature of triggers

Can only fears experienced in childhood cause triggers?

Many of the emotional triggers come from perfectionism. We're embarrassed to admit that we get angry when a colleague gets a promotion. Or when our best friend gets pregnant for the second time and we're still struggling with fertility.

Regardless of the topic that causes you these unpleasant feelings, you need to stop being ashamed of them. Try asking yourself, “What is it about this person's experience or capabilities that makes me so angry?”

If we can ask ourselves this question, we are more likely to begin to discover our emotional triggers.

A trigger can be caused not only by negative, but also by positive emotions.

For example, the smell of perfume “elusive to consciousness” can mentally return us to a romantic moment from the distant past.