Cognitive Design

In cognitive design we seek to support, enhance or even create specific mental states (frame of mind) in anyone that uses our designs.   Understanding the neuropsychology of mental states is therefore fundamental to the discipline. Two recent studies shed interesting new light on the link between money, reputation, fairness and food cravings. Quotes and links are given below.

Fairness and sweets (from the SciGuy blog) 

“According to the researchers, who were from UCLA, receiving a fair offer activated the same brain circuitry as when we eat the food we crave, win money or see a beautiful face. Unfair offers engendered disgust.”

 Money and repuation (from the mind & brain blog)

  “Our findings indicate that the social reward of a good reputation in the eyes of others is processed in an anatomically and functionally similar manner to monetary rewards, and these results represent an essential step toward a complete neural understanding of human social behaviors,” concluded Sadato and colleagues.