Psychology – Australian Science

Market Research: Science vs. Art

Alex Petrovic — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 00:15:09 +0000

Market research – it’s the essential step that every business needs to take to maximise their chance of success. It’s a hugely complex study area, and market research companies are constantly trying to find new ways to get the best results. From online and field surveys to panel interviews and product testing, there are hundreds of ways to gather information about the market place.

Naturally, there is a lot of science behind this research. With billions of dollars invested by businesses into market research, it’s essential that there is some science to back it up. But increasingly, art and creativity is playing a more prominent role.

What is market research?

Market research in itself is a science. At its core, it is about collecting qualitative and quantitative data about customers and the target markets of a particular product or service. The key purpose of market research is to ensure a business or product stays ahead of its competition. The goal once the data is collected is to analyse, interpret and assess what the market wants and needs; it also looks at competition and the size of the need. Using this assessment, businesses can work out how best to market their product. (Small Business Development Corporation, 2014)

Despite the overall purpose of market research being quite simple, there is not just one way to achieve the end result. In the era of the internet, businesses are becoming more competitive than ever before – and at a much faster rate. Market research needs to be more innovative and creative to stay ahead.

Psychology and market research

Many of the world’s largest market research company hire psychologists to develop and analyse market research plans. Qualified consumer psychologists specifically look at the behaviours of shoppers and try to work out why they are making the decisions that they do.

Psychologists are the perfect fit for market research, says psychologist Graham Chant. “Psychology training is extremely useful in market research. In fact, it could be argued that it is one of the few areas that make use of the board range of psychology skills,

Cite this article:
Petrovic A (2014-04-11 00:15:09). Market Research: Science vs. Art. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/research-2/market-research-science-vs-art/

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Weekly Science Picks

Markus — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 00:04:28 +0000

I’m loath to begin a weekly roundup on a low note, and I’m truly sorry to have to, but this most certainly needs to be discussed. It’s been a turbulent week this week in the science blogging world. Turbulent and full of raised concerns over the state of things for those in a science communication career. Basically, there have been two sexual harassment scandals in the news – the first concerning Urban Scientist Danielle Lee and her terrible treatment by an editor at biology online, and the second around playwright and author Monica Byrne and some downright shameful behaviour on the part of Bora Zivkovic, blogs editor at Scientific American.

Both women, after being given rather distasteful treatment, decided to go public with the matter. This has rightfully sparked some quite heated discussions across the online science writing community. The entire matter is summarised quite well by Priya Shetty at the Huffington Post and Laura Helmuth at Slate. I’d recommend reading Dr Isis’ perspective on all of this too. My personal opinion is that the behaviour of “Ofek” at biology online (who has been fired since the incident in question) and of Zivkovic (who has since resigned from the board of directors and Science Online) is an utter disgrace and humiliation to all of us involved in the science communication community. While it’s reassuring to know that neither of these recent events has occurred without repercussions, it raises the huge concern of precisely how often events like these occur and simply go unreported.

I feel it’s of prime importance to all of us to show our support to Lee and Byrne, not only for their sake but for the sake of all others out there who’ve been similarly marginalised. They need to know that they have our support and that we will listen if they choose to make the remarkably difficult decision to speak out about experiences like these. That is, after all, what a community is all about. Personally, I’d like all of online scicomms to be an open and welcoming forum for discussion of all kinds. I’m not sure if I feel it can be, knowing that things like this are occurring beneath the surface, but I truly hope that such nasty incidents can someday be a thing of the past.

Now… Scandals aside, there have also been some rather remarkable happenings this week in science.

Perhaps most remarkable is the news that amputees may be able to have their sense of touch restored with technology. Much like Luke Skywalker in The Return of the Jedi, people left disabled due to amputations may soon be able to not only control prosthetic limbs directly with their brains, but also feel them. Needless to say, the implications of this are just wonderful!

Prosthetic wired to the brain could help amputees feel touch

In my lab at the University of Chicago, we’re working to better understand how the sensory nervous system captures information about the surface, shape and texture of objects and conveys it to the brain. Our latest research creates a blueprint for building touch-sensitive prosthetic limbs that one day could convey real-time sensory information to amputees and tetraplegics via a direct interface with the brain.

Recognising threats is a vital skill in the natural world, and has been a mainstay of evolution in animals since the Precambrian era. And some creatures have evidently gone to great lengths. Latest research shows that the rainbowfish, a fairly humble seeming species, can smell predators when they’re still embryos, a mere 4 days after fertilisation!

The nose knows: Rainbowfish embryos ‘sniff out’ predators

Jennifer Kelley, a scientist with the University of Western Australia, explains that predator recognition is required at such an early age because responding to predator cues is absolutely crucial for early survival. For example, detection of “alarm cues” suggests that other fish in the vicinity have been attacked by predators.

Seeming like something taken straight out of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, blood has been discovered inside a fossilised mosquito for the first time ever. While most likely not from a dinosaur, it’s fascinating to finally have concrete proof of such an audacious science fiction concept.

First Blood-Filled Mosquito Fossil Makes Jurassic Park Feel More Real

Even if it doesn’t bring us closer to getting an amusement park of death and delight, this is a pretty exciting discovery. We never knew that blood could last so long inside of a mosquito! What other kinds of surprises are hiding underneath Montana?

And finally, as an avid Instagram user myself, I find it rather interesting that a study has found that photographing your dinner can actually make the meal less enjoyable. While this doesn’t look to be a particularly big study, it exposes an interesting little facet of human psychology. And for the record, no, I don’t normally Instagram my food. Though I know a few people who do.

New research shows how ‘Instagramming’ a meal can ruin your appetite

Basically, when we look at photos of say, fish and chips over and over before we eat it, our senses become ‘bored’. The photos ruin your appetite by making you feel like you’ve already experienced eating the fish and chips before… This sensation is measured in levels of satiation, a scientific term for the ‘drop in enjoyment with repeated consumption’. Consumption, in this case can just be viewing a photo of food, not actually eating a food.

And finally, let’s end with something pretty. For some gorgeous botanical images, Botanartist is a brand new blog full of some really rather charming photographs of plants, both close up and extremely close up through a microscope. If you want to enjoy some cool macro photography and scientific explanations of what you’re seeing, you’ll probably find all of this just as marvellous as I do!

I hope everyone has a great week. Until next time, DFTBA and stay curious!

Cite this article:
Hammonds M (2013-10-20 00:04:28). Weekly Science Picks. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/news/weekly-science-picks-51/

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The Psychology of First Impressions

Editorial Board — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 08:18:24 +0000

Though one must not judge a book by its cover, a job candidate only has thirty minutes to prove his or her worth to a hiring manager. Thus an interviewee’s cover must be able to represent the qualifications and potential that lies within. Since the job market is full to the brim, it is not realistically possible for hiring agencies to allocate equal amounts of time and resource to each candidate. If a candidate wishes to stand out in such a situation, he or she must understand the psychology behind first impressions.

Ann Demarais and Valerie White together wrote a book titled First Impressions: What You Don’t Know About How Others See You. The book helps one to understand how he or she can best present themselves in any situation. Though a first impression will never tell the whole story, it is the only thing that a stranger has to judge someone. Of course the mood of the interviewer does play a crucial role but according to the book, three characteristics namely speech, body language and confidence play an equally important role in this regard.

A first impression is like a filter. People absorb initial information by noticing your body language and assessing what you say. This information helps them determine what you are like and how you would react to situations in the future. Thereafter they keep seeing you through this filter because everyone likes to believe that they knew what you were like from the first moment they met you. While some interviewees may have to go through several rounds of interview to finally get a job, the impression that he or she makes the first time is the one that the interviewer is most likely to stick by.

According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, the first impression is likely to dominate regardless of how a person may contradict it by new experiences at different times. If you can impress an interviewer at the first meeting, you are likely to maintain that image but if on the other hand you come off poorly at an interview, it might be close to impossible to change that impression.

How can you use the first impression to your advantage?

Here is a list of tips that will help you create a great first impression and increase your chances of getting that job you have always wanted!

· Be on time – Research shows that for every second you arrive late at an interview, you lose some traction with the interviewer and you will never be able to regain this loss. For an interview, ten to fifteen minutes before time is considered to be on time. Behaviour is often associated with personality so if you reach early your interviewer will also assume you have good organisational skills.

· Look fresh – Appearance is very important. Some physical characteristics can determine the final outcome of the first impression. Your eyes should be bright and open. Avoid averting them as that will make you appear insecure. Get a good night’s sleep before your interview so that you appear fresh. A lack of smile will make you appear disinterested so remember to smile just enough to convey eagerness and emit warmth. Always attend an interview in conservative clothing even if the company you are applying to is alternative and funky. It is the safest option that will keep you from being judged.

· Be personable – Remember to seem simple but be confident at the same time. Work on your chemistry with the interviewer while making sure you are polite. If the interviewer tries to lighten up, maintain a professional distance so that you seem poised and sincere.

· Practice – If you are not sure how you will seem at your interview, it is a good idea to practice a few times. Prepare a list of your strengths and weaknesses so that you can handle any question that is thrown at you. Run a search about the company so that you have adequate information about where you are headed. Basically all you need to do is anticipate your interview and prepare accordingly.

Once you lock in an interview, you are obviously moving towards the right direction. You were chosen from a much larger pool of applicants for an interview so have faith in your education, experience and skills. If you impressed them without seeing them, there is little that could go wrong when you meet them in person. Be confident and comfortable and let your personality show. Since you won’t get another chance to make a first impression, give your best shot at this interview.

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From fables to Facebook: Why do we tell stories?

Lauren — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:33:20 +0000

Cave painting, Lascaux, France, 15,000-10,000 BC

Throughout human history, stories have existed across all cultures in all forms, from ballads, poems, songs to oral history, plays, novels. Some narratives have evolved along with the human species—we are consistently drawn back to ancient parables, fables and fairytales, constantly reworking them into modern contexts.

Narrative is a gift unique to the human species, but how as it survived for so long? Is it a by-product of evolution or essential to survival? What drove us to painstakingly inscribe portraits on rocky walls in ochre and charcoal, to compose and listen to lengthy ballads of heroes’ tales, to nosily read people’s Facebook statuses about their day, to devour novels and films like we’re hungry for fictional worlds? Neuroscience and developmental psychology have begun to answer these questions, embarking on the ambitious task of explaining why we tell stories.

Storytelling is one of our most fundamental communication methods, for an obvious reason: narrative helps us cognise information. Telling intelligible, coherent stories to both ourselves and others helps our brains to organise data about our lives and our world. But when we ask why stories are so effective at helping us cognise information, the answers are surprising: it seems that somewhere in the otherwise ruthless process of natural selection, evolution has wired our brains to prefer storytelling over other forms of communication.

Good stories engage us. When we hear plain, bloodless facts, the language processing centres of our brain light up and we decode words into meaning—but when we’re told a story, not only are language processing centres lit up, but also a vast array of other regions distinct from those centres. For example, if you tell a friend a story about a dinner party at which you ate delicious roast pork, their sensory cortex will light up; or if you tell them about the game of football, their motor cortex will become active. The parts of the brain they would use if actually experiencing the event light up, even though they are only being told about it.

This is particularly interesting when considering the effect that literary techniques have on our brain activity. In a 2006 study published in NeuroImages, Spanish researchers asked participants to read both neutral words (such as chair and key) as well as words with strong odour associations (such as coffee, perfume, lavender and soap). Brain scans using an fMRI machine showed that when they read the odour-associated words, their primary olfactory cortex lit up; but when they read the neutral words, that region remained dark. In another study at Emory University, texture metaphors such as “the singer had a velvet voice

Cite this article:
Fuge L (2013-06-18 00:33:20). From fables to Facebook: Why do we tell stories?. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/psychology/from-fables-to-facebook-why-do-we-tell-stories/

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Do animals have minds?

Kevin Orrman-Rossiter — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 02:00:07 +0000

Animal Wise: the thoughts and emotions of our fellow creatures, by Virginia Morell, Black Inc. Books, 2013.

Laughing rats, name-calling wild parrots, archer-fish with a sense of humour, and educated ants; the naturalist Charles Darwin would have loved this book. The philosopher Rene Descartes would equally have found it deeply troubling. Both with good reason.

In Descartes’ dualist philosophy the mind and body are two separate entities. There is the material body and the immaterial mind or soul. The latter linking humans to the mind of God, making us, in his philosophy, different to animals. Descartes famously reasoned animals are composed only of material substances and therefore have no capacity to reason. More importantly for how we see animals, Descartes wrote that a human person, such as you or I, is something distinct from that person’s body. Therefore an animal, being material only, could in this way of thinking, never have a mind – never have a concept of “I”.

This stance was extended by the behaviorist paradigms of the mid 20th century associated with the psychologist B F Skinner.

Darwin on the other hand thought differently. He was a natural philosopher who got up out of his armchair and voyaged the world, most notably aboard the Beagle. Darwin attributed emotions to many animals and even argued that earthworms are cognitive beings. In his classic The Descent of Man he argued, most persuasively, that we and the other animals differ in our mental powers by degree, not in kind.

Today the discussion is no different, researchers still debate not only advanced claims of intelligence in animals but also how to test whether their abilities reflect human-like cognition.

This brings me to what I liked so much about this book.

Each chapter focuses on an animal in a particular observational or experimental setting. Virginia Morell introduces us to the scientist and the animals, explaining the studies, the results and some of the trials and triumphs along the way to building an understanding of what the scientists find. The animal and settings we may already have a prejudice about; captive dolphins, elephant memories, chimpanzees and language, dogs and humans, are very carefully presented to ensure that the most compelling results are well presented. The more novel animals, ants and fish for example, are also carefully presented, their novelty makes for an easier presentation. For example I had no preconceived ideas regarding the ability of ants to teach – with no mental hurdle of my to overcome – that chapter was very illuminating. The examples and researchers chosen for these chapters succinctly illustrate what we have learnt about the emotions and intelligence of these animals.

Yes I did say chosen. It does not pretend, nor claim to be, encyclopaedic, academic nor ‘balanced’ presentation of the entire field. This is a lively, non-fiction tour of the cutting edge of animal cognitive science. Virginia Morell translates the scientific jargon of the field into words that all can engage with.

Each chapter is a separate story, reflecting that some of the chapters were adapted from previously published articles from 2008 to 2012. These are neatly book-ended with chapter that frame these quite succinctly. This I think is a strength of the book. Each chapter, each story, is self-contained that you can read it, look at the references and ponder what the researchers and Virginia are conveying to you. Not only do you get an appreciation of the scientific significance of the various studies – you get that rare glimpse into the scientific process and personality that is often missed in science communication writing.

For example, consider the archer-fish and neuroscientist Stefan Schuster. I learnt that Stefan has spent more than forty years investigating how fish think and make decisions. I learnt that the idea of seeing life from the mind of a fish was something that grabbed him as a child. Stefan’s story is more than just his careful experimentation on fish behaviour. Along the way he has made key discoveries about the sophisticated mental abilities of the archer-fish. The archer-fish is well-named for it is the sharpshooter of the piscine world.

In the chapter discussing his work I learnt that Schuster owes his success to curiosity, fun and serendipity – as well as careful experimentation. Schuster and his students had discovered that archer-fish learnt how to shoot at difficult and novel targets by watching another skilled fish perform the task. That means they had taken the viewpoint of the other fish. Did they copy or imitate? Let the philosophers debate the definitions. What the archerfish do involves cognition. Although we don’t understand the relationship between cognition and sentience, scientists know that one informs the other.

Each chapter is replete with great stories, good science and probing philosophy. Morell displays her ability to write engagingly for a general audience, while presenting the science at a suitably intriguing level. If you view animals the same after reading this book – then give it a second read – it will be worth it.

I’ll leave the last words to the late Douglas Adams:

Man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much – the wheel, New York, wars and so on – while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man – for precisely the same reasons.

Cite this article:
Orrman-Rossiter K (2013-04-19 02:00:07). Do animals have minds?. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/science-2/do-animals-have-minds/

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Tricks of the mind

amy.r — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:36:35 +0000

Have you ever experienced a sudden feeling of familiarity while in a completely new place? Or the feeling you’ve had the exact same conversation with someone before?

This feeling of familiarity is, of course, known as déjà vu (a French term meaning “already seen

Cite this article:
Reichelt A (2013-01-14 03:36:35). Tricks of the mind. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/psychology/tricks-of-the-mind/

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Remembering to forget

amy.r — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:34:16 +0000

Memories influence our behaviour for better or worse. A traumatic incident, experienced once, can darken our lives for ever more. Drug or alcohol addiction – driven by remembered rewards – can render the idea of “normal life

Cite this article:
Reichelt A (2013-01-07 00:34:16). Remembering to forget. Australian Science. Retrieved: May 02, 2024, from http://australianscience.com.au/research-2/remembering-to-forget/

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Amy Cuddy at TED: Your body language shapes who you are

Editorial Board — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 07:37:33 +0000

Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing

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