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Neuroscience Research
New research in neuroscience
Training Your Brain to Multitask
It's Monday, your inbox is full of unanswered emails, you desk is piled high with paper, and you've got a couple of important project deadlines looming. There's one bright spot: although past research has indicated that people's ability to…
Paralysis of Analysis: Overthinking and Bad Decisions
Choking isn't just for golfers and free-throw shooters. A particular kind of "choking," thinking about the process of doing something instead of just doing it, can affect us all even when performing such mundane tasks as choosing a…
Is Branding Dead? Our Brains Say No!
A recent post at ClickZ declares that branding is "Ineffective, Irrelevant, Irritating, and Impotent." The author, Augustine Fou (I can't help but point out "fou" is French for "crazy" or "madman" :)), starts by suggesting that "branding"…
Smarts from Sunshine
We all know that sunshine seems to have an impact on your mood, but could it even affect how well you think and make decisions? Surprising new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham suggests that it can:
Close Your Eyes, Change Your Brain
I find I close my eyes to "enhance" my other senses. If I'm trying to hear a barely audible voicemail, for example, I often close my eyes. I always assumed that I was merely reducing visual stimuli and hence freeing up my brain to…
Selling to the Right Ear
If you want to get someone to do something, speak into his right ear. Research by Dr. Luca Tommasi and Daniele Marzoli from the University Gabriele d'Annunzio in Chieti, Italy, shows not only that we have a preference for processing…
Synthetic Fear: How to Make a Scary Movie
Over the years, movie-makers have tried to go beyond what's on the screen to scare theatergoers. In the 1950s, director William Castle startled those viewing his horror films, notably The Tingler, with gimmicks like vibrators installed…
Proof: Headlines Are Crucial
Should you spend as much time polishing the few words of your headline as on the hundreds of words that comprise your news article or blog post? The answer may well be, "Yes!" according to a new study by OTOInsights. In an unusual…
Disney’s Secret Austin Neuromarketing Lab
According to the New York Times, the Walt Disney Company is operating a "secretive" lab in Austin, Texas, to perform neuromarketing studies. Specifically, the NYTimes describes a program to determine the effectiveness of online ads:
Another Way Video Games Make You Smarter
One of my most read, tweeted, and retweeted posts lately has been Video Games Make You Smarter... Really. In addition to the cognitive enhancement from "shooter" and other games involving intense screen action, there's another way that…