Do you ever wish you could read minds and control what people think about you without speaking out loud? Or do you want to be able to talk to people in a more memorable, confident way? Thanks to the science of psychology, there are small things you can do to control your relationships and even how people perceive you. And you don't need any magical powers to make it happen, just good old tricks of the mind.

Find out if someone is secretly watching you. Imagine this: you're sitting in a classroom and you look over your shoulder at the person sitting behind you, only to find that they're looking out the window. But you were sure you felt their gaze on you. If you want to know if someone is watching you, try yawning. No, it's not some secret code, but if someone is watching you and you happen to yawn, they won't be able to resist yawning too. This phenomenon is called contagious yawning. According to the journal Psychology Today, scientists still haven't been able to determine exactly why people yawn when they see other people yawning, but they do know that it happens in both humans and chimpanzees. Some assume it has to do with the human ability to empathize with other people, but regardless of the real reason, when people see others yawn, they tend to do it themselves.

Calm the conflict with food. Have you ever been angry while biting into a delicious burrito? Probably not, unless you ordered a burger. The point is that food is a great way to calm people down and resolve awkward situations. Let's say you had a fight with your partner and you need to talk and work things out. Instead of going to your house or walking in the park, choose a restaurant to go to and eat. When you order food and have it in front of you, your attention will be divided between the problem on the table and the food you are about to eat. Food serves as a great distraction and can actually ease the tension because you'll start to care more about the food than what you're talking about. As a bonus, it's good to resolve conflicts in places where there are other people around you so things don't get too heated. There is nothing more awkward than yelling at each other in the middle of a nice restaurant. Even if you're on an awkward first date with someone and you're not fighting, food can be a great ice breaker. Focusing on the chicken on the plate is much more comfortable than staring into a stranger's eyes all night.

Get someone to tell you more. They say silence is golden, and when it comes to getting someone to pour their heart out, it's a winning combination. If you're talking to someone and you're not getting the deep, thoughtful answers you'd hoped for, try staying quiet while they're talking. After you ask the person a question, stop talking and let them answer. When there is silence, the other person is more likely to talk and fill the void, and will likely say more than they would if you had interrupted.

Make yourself memorable at job interviews. Are you nervous during a job interview, perhaps worried that you won't stand out enough among all the candidates? A surefire way to stand out from the crowd is to use the serial position effect. This is based on the idea that people tend to remember the first and last parts of things, not so much the middle. Imagine trying to memorize a grocery list in ten seconds. You'll probably remember the first few and the last couple, but not much of what was in the middle. People tend to remember the beginnings and endings of things, so the next time you're in a job interview, be sure to include your name and talk about yourself at the beginning and end. And if all else fails, you can always wear a weird hat. That can usually jog a memory. Hey, just kidding, don't do that.

Form stronger connections with people. Do you remember the feeling of closeness with your teammates on the soccer or baseball team in elementary school? That's because being actively involved with someone can help you form stronger bonds faster. So, if you're in a new relationship or starting a friendship with someone, instead of going to the movies or out to dinner, try doing some adrenaline-pumping activity together. Maybe hiking or even an amusement park. When you get your adrenaline pumping, your body releases endorphins. This puts you in a better mood and makes you more enthusiastic about what you are doing. In this case, meeting someone.

Control people's assumptions about you. First impressions are very important, whether you're meeting new people at a party or introducing yourself to your future boss. But there is a way to actually control a stranger's first assumptions about you. As you talk and get to know each other, try to highlight something you both have in common. Maybe you both grew up in the same city or have the same home school. That way, the person you're talking to will base their assumptions on that common ground. Because it is related to them, their assumptions about you will be more positive. This is known as the aura effect. Although this requires some effort in conversational skills, it is much better than shouting "you like me, you will like me" to someone you just met.

Make someone feel important. There are several ways to achieve this. Be sure to use their first name when you first talk to them. When meeting someone for the first time at a party or business event, say their name immediately after they introduce themselves. "Hello, Jill, nice to meet you." Now keep using their name while having a conversation. This will make them feel like you are engaged in the conversation with them, which will make them feel important. Another way to help someone feel special is to use the paraphrasing technique when addressing them. For example, if a friend tells you that she went shopping but the market didn't have the kind of bread she was looking for, repeat back, "Wow, they didn't even have that kind of bread." Paraphrasing what they just said lets them know you're really listening to what they're saying.

Get someone to help you. Sometimes you have to ask friends or family members for a favor, but those favors aren't always fun, which makes their willingness to help you less likely. Let's say you need someone to feed your cat for a few days while you're out of town. Instead of directly asking the person if they can help, pose a mock dilemma. Say something like, "Hey, would you rather come and feed Mr. Whiskers early in the morning or in the evening?" The person will probably choose a time that is easier, and has never had the opportunity to say no, I can't.

Make people believe in you. Would you believe me if I said, "Hey, I think this next psychology trick is really effective"? And what if I said, "This next psychology trick is really effective"? Did you believe what I said more the second time? Well, that's because when you put "I think so" at the beginning of a sentence, it can come across as uncertain or hesitant. Even if you're not sure about something, that doesn't mean you should question what you're saying. Be confident. From now on, try to leave out the word "I think so" when talking to friends and family. They may take you more seriously and even make less jokes about you because of this confident way of speaking.

Keep people's attention. Have you noticed that if you look at the phone, you can't hear what the person talking to you is saying? That's a clear sign that you're not listening. To draw attention to what you're saying, maintain direct eye contact with them while you're talking. You will notice that your conversations will start to get better and more interesting when you do this. Maintaining eye contact with someone can actually convince the person you're talking to to believe what you're saying. It gives you a certain dominance in the conversation. You can even nod your head while making certain points to further prove how confident you are in what you are saying. Don't be surprised when you notice the other person nodding along with you. Who knows, this technique might even help change someone's mind about something. So pretty cool, right?