News

Ripple Effect Podcast: Visual Marketing: Barbara Kahn and Zab Johnson

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In a podcast episode titled ‘Visual Marketing: A Practical Guide to the Science of Branding and Retailing,’ Barbara Kahn and Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson discuss the merger of marketing and neuroscience, focusing on visual marketing’s increasing significance in today’s digital and omnichannel environment. They highlight key principles such as attention and fluency, and the importance of interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate behavioral and neuroscience data to optimize marketing strategies.…Read More

Who’s Accountable When AI Fails?

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The article by Cornelia C. Walther, a visiting scholar at Wharton, discusses the importance of embedding accountability at every level in the development and deployment of AI systems, using a framework called M4-Matrix to assign responsibilities from micro to meta levels. It highlights the significance of integrating ethical values and systemic accountability in AI governance for achieving long-term competitive advantages and minimizing risks.…Read More

How Small Talk Opens Up Deeper Connections

How Small Talk Opens Up Deeper Connections

In an article for MSN, Emily Falk, Associate Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, unpacks how small talk can spark deeper social bonds. Backed by neuroscience research, Falk explains how brief, everyday conversations help establish brain synchrony—laying the groundwork for more meaningful exchanges. Using the “Fast Friends” protocol, a structured Q&A game, Falk and her collaborators found that even strangers could align neurologically through initial icebreakers, leading to more enjoyable and wide-ranging discussions. The piece reframes small talk as a gateway rather than a barrier to connection.…Read More

When Does Waiting Stop Being Worth It?

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In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Penn psychologist Joseph Kable—Jean-Marie Kneeley President’s Distinguished Professor of Psychology—explores how different regions of the brain help us decide whether to stick with something or walk away. By examining patients with specific prefrontal cortex lesions, Kable and his collaborators uncovered how the brain weighs uncertainty and reward in real time. The findings have implications for decision-making, mental health, and our understanding of persistence—not as simple grit, but as a dynamic, context-driven process.…Read More

A New Study Shows How the Brain Processes Partisan Information

In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Penn psychologist Joseph Kable—Jean-Marie Kneeley President’s Distinguished Professor of Psychology—explores how different regions of the brain help us decide whether to stick with something or walk away. By examining patients with specific prefrontal cortex lesions, Kable and his collaborators uncovered how the brain weighs uncertainty and reward in real time. The findings have implications for decision-making, mental health, and our understanding of persistence—not as simple grit, but as a dynamic, context-driven process.…Read More

Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested – Now What?

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The episode of Freakonomics Radio examines the potential risks and rewards of celebrity endorsements, focusing on the scandal involving Jared Fogle and Subway, and analyzes whether such endorsements significantly impact consumer behavior. Despite Fogle’s arrest for repugnant crimes, Subway sales showed no significant decline, questioning the actual influence of celebrity endorsements on brand success as opposed to conventional beliefs held by marketing departments.…Read More