The human brain remains one of the great mysteries of our time. This remarkably complex biological structure employs billions of nerve cells and even more connection points to execute every thought, movement, function, and emotion in our bodies. All humans are equipped with what is essentially a supercomputer between their ears, yet we lack a complete understanding of how it works, or how to maximize its full potential. But this is starting to change.
Advancements in neurotechnologies, combined with billions of dollars in public and private funding flooding the fields of cognitive neuroscience and behavioral neuroscience, have made the “thinking brain” one of the hottest areas of scientific research.
President George H.W. Bush declared the 1990s the “decade of the brain” to mark the start of a federal-level funding and awareness campaign around brain research. In 2013, President Obama, during the launch of the public-private BRAIN Initiative, likened the mapping of the brain to the “space race” of the 1960s.
Advancements in neurotechnology, combined with billions in funding, have made the ‘thinking brain’ one of the hottest areas of scientific research.
Indeed, the race is on to unlock the secrets of the brain—to find a cure for diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s; to treat disorders like Autism and PTSD; to enhance treatment of acute brain injuries; and to gain a better understanding of cognition and human behavior.
The excitement surrounding brain research has piqued the interest of business leaders, who traditionally have relied of experience, intuition, and tried-and-true methods for many facets of business, from sales and marketing to recruitment/retention to operations.
Why do people make the decisions they do? And, more importantly, how can we effectively influence people in their decision-making? The answers to these questions have the potential to transform any business organization, including AEC firms.
With this understanding, the SMPS Foundation, the research arm of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, set out to explore the known principles and most recent research surrounding the human brain and behavioral science. The goal: to discover connections between the science and the AEC business.
This six-month research project, headed by psychologist and behavioral scientist JonRobert Tartaglione, Founder of Influence51, culminated in August with the release of a 20-page report, “The Neuropsychology of Influence and Decision-Making.” In it, Tartaglione presents distinct concepts related to influence and decision-making, with advice on how AEC firms can apply these concepts.
On behalf of the SMPS Foundation Board of Trustees (I’m a proud two-year board member), I invite you to download this important report. It’s a must-read for any AEC firm leader.
Related Stories
| May 18, 2011
Sanford E. Garner on the profitability of being diverse
Sanford E. Garner, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP ND, NCARB, founding partner and president of A2SO4 Architecture, LLC, Indianapolis, on gentrification, the profitability of being diverse, and his goals as NOMA president.
| May 18, 2011
8 Tips for Designing Wood Trusses
Successful metal-plate-connected wood truss projects require careful attention to detail from Building Team members.
| May 18, 2011
Major Trends in University Residence Halls
They’re not ‘dorms’ anymore. Today’s collegiate housing facilities are lively, state-of-the-art, and green—and a growing sector for Building Teams to explore.
| May 18, 2011
Former Bronx railyard redeveloped as shared education campus
Four schools find strength in numbers at the new 2,310-student Mott Haven Campus in New York City. The schools—three high schools and a K-4 elementary school—coexist on the 6.5-acre South Bronx campus, which was once a railyard.
| May 18, 2011
Eco-friendly San Antonio school combines history and sustainability
The 113,000-sf Rolling Meadows Elementary School in San Antonio is the Judson Independent School District’s first sustainable facility, with green features such as vented roofs for rainwater collection and regionally sourced materials.
| May 18, 2011
New Reform Jewish Independent school opens outside Boston
The Rashi School, one of only 17 Reform Jewish independent schools in North American and Israel, opened a new $30 million facility on a 166-acre campus shared with the Hebrew SeniorLife community on the Charles River in Dedham, Mass.
| May 18, 2011
Design diversity celebrated at Orange County club
The Orange County, Calif., firm NKDDI designed the 22,000-sf Luna Lounge & Nightclub in Pomona, Calif., to be a high-end multipurpose event space that can transition from restaurant to lounge to nightclub to music venue.
| May 18, 2011
Lab personnel find comfort in former Winchester gun factory
The former Winchester Repeating Arms Factory in New Haven, Conn., is the new home of PepsiCo’s Biology Innovation Research Laboratory.
| May 18, 2011
Addition provides new school for pre-K and special-needs kids outside Chicago
Perkins+Will, Chicago, designed the Early Learning Center, a $9 million, 37,000-sf addition to Barrington Middle School in Barrington, Ill., to create an easily accessible and safe learning environment for pre-kindergarten and special-needs students.
| May 18, 2011
Raphael Viñoly’s serpentine-shaped building snakes up San Francisco hillside
The hillside location for the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine building at the University of California, San Francisco, presented a challenge to the Building Team of Raphael Viñoly, SmithGroup, DPR Construction, and Forell/Elsesser Engineers. The 660-foot-long serpentine-shaped building sits on a structural framework 40 to 70 feet off the ground to accommodate the hillside’s steep 60-degree slope.