Mindmasters : The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior / Sandra Matz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Matz, Sandra C., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Psychology--Research--Methodology.

Psychology.

Psychology--Technological innovations.

Technological innovations--Psychological aspects.

Technological innovations.

Human behavior--Research.

Human behavior.

Data mining--Social aspects.

Data mining.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (237 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Boston, Massachusetts : Harvard Business Review Press, [2025]

Summary:

"There are more digital pieces of data than stars in the universe. This data helps us monitor our planet, decipher our genetic code, and take a deep dive into our psychology. As algorithms become increasingly adept at accessing our minds, they also become more and more powerful at controlling it-enticing us to buy a certain product or vote for a certain political candidate. Some of us say this technological trend is no big deal. Others consider it one of the greatest threats to humanity. But what if the truth is more nuanced and mind-bending than that? In Mindmasters, Columbia Business School professor Sandra Matz offers a fascinating insider perspective on the art and data-driven science of psychological targeting. By relating her own personal story of growing up in a small village-where few aspects of life remain truly private-to her groundbreaking research in computational psychology, Matz reveals how Big Data offers insights into the most intimate aspects of our psyche and how these insights empower external influence over the choices we make. Filled with Ted-Talk-like explanations and real-life examples from Matz's research and consulting work, Mindmasters paints a nuanced picture of the power of psychological targeting. Like nosy neighbors, it can be creepy, manipulative, and downright harmful-with scandals like Cambridge Analytica being merely the tip of the iceberg. Yet, like any tight-knit, supportive village community, it also holds enormous potential to help us live healthier and happier lives-for example, by improving our mental health, encouraging better financial decisions, or enabling us to break out of our echo chambers. With passion and clear-eyed precision, Matz shows us how to manage psychological targeting and redesign the data game in a way that empowers us to take back control and ask more of our personal data. Mindmasters is a riveting look at what our digital footprints reveal about us, how they're being used-for good and for ill-and how we can gain more control and power over the data that define us"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Introduction

Part 1: Data Is the Window into Our Psychology

Ch. 1: Decoding Our Psychology

Ch. 2: The Identities We Craft Online

Ch. 3: The Digital Breadcrumbs of Our Existence

Ch. 4: You Are Not Yourself When You're Hungry

Part 2: The Bright and Dark Sides of Psychological Targeting

Ch. 5: Psychological Insights in Action

Ch. 6: Finding the Good

Ch. 7: When Things Go Wrong

Part 3: Making Our Data Work for Us

Ch. 8: We Need More Than Control

Ch. 9: Creating a Better Data Ecosystem

Ch. 10: Coming Together

Epilogue

Appendix A

Appendix B

Notes

Index

Acknowledgments

About the Author.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Includes index.

ISBN:

9781647826321

1647826322

OCLC:

1470854580