As a psychologist, I’ve seen the proof: What people say they’ll do and what they actually do often don’t match. Consumers’ reasoning below the level of consciousness influences buying decisions. We can learn more about those subconscious processes by using brain scan technologies like Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Steady-State Typography (SST).At the same time, as a psychologist, I’ve a professional responsibility to warn you about brain science nonsense. The fMRI and SST technologies being used in many of these projects give a valuable—but only a partial—view of business management reality. In his cleverly-titled book Buyology, marketing consultant Martin Lindstrom describes many profitable insights about why we buy—insights achieved via brain scans. But if you read the text beyond the claims on the book jacket, you see that Mr. Lindstrom validates his conclusions with more meaningful measures, such as sales figures.
Reaching further into the basket of silly science, a recent article in the Kansas City Star reports that brain scan evidence shows supervisory feedback to employees is pretty much fruitless. When it comes to helping your store employees build their decision making skills, don’t waste time telling them what worked out well and what didn’t. The machines can’t find any significant systematic effect on brain activity, so the feedback must be useless.
Nonsense.
Our brains are extraordinarily complex, with overlapping functions and individual differences. Moreover, the brain scan technologies are imperfect. According to a paper in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, a postdoctoral fellow in neurological sciences at University of California-Santa Barbara performed fMRI measurements as part of a brain study to show the limitations of the methodology. The readings gave evidence of activity in a region of the brain associated with empathy. Almost surely a false reading, though. See, the brain was of a salmon. A dead salmon.
No comments:
Post a Comment