Persuasion Articles of the Week

"Brain" by wyinoue, Flickr, CC-By-2.0
“Brain” by wyinoue, Flickr, CC-By-2.0

#brains #emoticon #thinking #emotion #russia #socialmediaDinner in an Instant

Communication is hard. Ensuring we’re understood is the role of the speaker, not the listener.

The Social Media Ads Russia Wanted Americans to See

Playing with our identity, these ads pulled emotional levers in voters.

Jenna Abrams, Russia’s Clown Troll Princess, Duped the Mainstream Media and the World

This fake account paced Americans to get followers, and then led them into divisive arguments. Pacing and Leading is a persuasion tactic.

How Much is Too Much to Save a Dying Cat?

When we have to make emotional decisions, our rational brain shuts off. From the outside it’s obvious, but on the inside we have no idea that emotions made the decision.

Is ☺ Smiling? Cross-Cultural Study on Recognition of Emoticon’s Emotion

Emoticons are not a universal language.

Why We Contradict Ourselves and Confound Others (audio and transcript)

Daniel Kahneman, author of the phenomenal Thinking, Fast and Slow, discusses why we contradict ourselves.

The Age of the Algorithm (audio)

Ever seen a human shut off their brain when math (or computers) is involved? Algorithms are mathematical processes designed to remove bias. But when humans create those algorithms, the bias comes with, and lazy humans often don’t question the outcomes.

Oliver Sacks: A Journey From Where to Where (audio)

Some musings from the late Mr. Sacks. Around the 20 minute mark, he discusses how our brains invent information when we’re not sure what we heard.