Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Decoding Human Behavior [Video]

Introducer: Sarah Kugelman ’89
Sandra Matz-Cerf, David W. Zalaznick Associate Professor of Business Management Division
There are almost as many 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.
In her talk, Columbia Professor Sandra Matz offers a fascinating insider perspective on the art and data-driven science of psychological targeting. Filled with Ted-Talk-like explanations and real-life examples from Matz’s research and consulting work, Dr. Matz shows how our digital footprints offer insights into the most intimate aspects of our psyche, how they’re being used—for good and for ill— to shape our behavior, and how we can redesign the data game to gain more control and power over the data that define us.