Channel 4

The internet, the newspapers and the self-help sections of book shops are all teeming with the latest psychological tips and tricks. Whether you want to slim down, swot up, catch a liar, or simply manipulate other people for your own nefarious ends, you will find no shortage of expert advice.

This swings wildly between genuine research, pseudoscience, misinterpreted data, and straight up b*llshit.

Although there definitely are ways to use human psychology to your advantage, the effects would probably be subtle at best. A good general rule is that if something sounds too good to be true, slightly dodgy or even like straight up witchcraft, then you should probably take it with a big old pinch of salt. Particularly if someone also happens to be trying to sell you something.

This is also useful information to have on hand when that eerie dude at the pub starts trying to convince you that he's some kind of mind control master because he's watched a couple of Derren Brown videos. You can either use it to administer a spectacular science take down, or just sit safe in the knowledge that he's probably not going to be able to read your mind or make you bark like a dog.