Communication Neuroscience Lab

🚨 New preprint out! 🚨 We’ve spent years assuming liberals and conservatives prioritize fundamentally different moral values—and designing persuasive messages based on that assumption. Our data suggest there's more to the story, and that making that assumption can backfire.

🚨 HIRING! 🚨 Are you passionate about using science to help society? We’re hiring a Civic Science Fellow to develop civically oriented projects on topics like climate and health comms, civic engagement and climate action, and social connection and resilience. Apply here: tinyurl.com/CCDCivicScience

Recruiting participants aged 18-35 that can come to Penn's campus for a 2-session study! Fill out the screening survey here: tinyurl.com/neuronewsinfo

Check out Emily's interview on @whyy.org's "The Pulse" where she discusses why nurturing connections is essential for health and wellbeing: whyy.org/episodes/wha...

Emily discusses how different regions of the brain shape the big and small decisions we make every day with Marty Moss-Coane on @whyy.org. Listen to the podcast here: whyy.org/episodes/the...

It was a delight to share insights from our research on youth voting with @asc.upenn.edu on behalf of my fabulous collaborators @curse10.bsky.social @asinclair.bsky.social @diegoreinero.bsky.social @falklab.bsky.social!

🚨📣 We’re recruiting a postdoc! 📣🚨 Are you curious about how the environments in which people spend time influence their health? Are you motivated by research that promotes climate action, resilience, and wellbeing? Read more and apply here: www.asc.upenn.edu/node/5905

Young voters played a key role in elections across the country last week. It’s fantastic to see record turnout in so many communities AND we still have so much room to grow! For ideas on how to motivate and support youth to vote check out our new commentary: osf.io/kyzh9_v1 Key points in 🧵

Recruiting PhD students for Fall 2026! The Coupled Minds Lab at @tamu.bsky.social will use a multimodal approach combining fMRI hyperscanning, computational modeling, and natural language processing to study how conversations transform minds. Learn more: coupled-minds.github.io Due Date Dec 1

Researchers from Annenberg's @falklab.bsky.social have found that smokers report higher levels of craving and smoked more cigarettes on days when their exposure to tobacco retail is higher:

@falklab.bsky.social wrote a nice summary of our hyperscanning work on how people form social connection and find agreement through conversation: www.scientificamerican.com/article/good...

Penn has launched a new website to share climate insights, available to PennKey holders. Our post-doc @asinclair.bsky.social and Emily shared their first insight here: climateinsights.upenn.edu/insights/wha...

Reminder: BCFG is co-hosting a conversation between @katymilkman.bsky.social & Team Scientist Emily Falk on her new book. @falklab.bsky.social 📅 TOMORROW, Sept 10 | 4–5:30PM 📍 The Agora, Annenberg Public Policy Center Co-hosted with @appc.upenn.edu, @asc.upenn.edu, @pennmindcore.bsky.social

📢 Our awesome post-doc is recruiting for her Learning & Behavior Change Lab! 📢

Check on Emily's episode on the Hidden Brain podcast where she talks about how we can regain control over our decisions! @hiddenbrain.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

In this @pnas.org Letter, we respond to a comment on our paper about behavioral interventions to motivate action on climate change. In new analyses exploring individual differences, we find that our leading interventions were effective across the political spectrum. 🧵⤵️ www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....

Emily joins Matt Abrahams on "Think Fast Talk Smart: The Podcast" to discuss insights on relevance, storytelling, and what makes our brains sync up during great conversations. Watch/listen here: www.fastersmarter.io/guests/emily...

Check out Emily's op-ed for @nytimes.com on how small shifts in how we think can help us make choices that are better aligned with our values! www.nytimes.com/2025/07/06/o...

In this letter in @pnas.org, we respond to a comment on our recent paper. Although multiple factors shape whether we act on our intentions, intentions are valuable precursors of behavior that can guide the iterative development of behavior change interventions. www.pnas.org/doi/epub/10....

@sciam.bsky.social spoke with Emily for a What We Value Q&A! Check out their discussion here: www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-m...

There is currently a lot of polarization about how we should think about what's right and wrong!💡 Neuroscientist Emily Falk drops some serious wisdom in our recent interview: bit.ly/emilyfalkdecisions

Watch or listen to Emily's Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on the Behavioral Grooves Podcast, where they discuss real-world applications for the insights in What We Value! Find it here: behavioralgrooves.com/episode/the-...

Another great What We Value conversation, this time with Emily and Kerri Miller on @mprnews.org! Have a listen: www.mprnews.org/episode/2025...

Phenomenal health communication research panel hosted by CSAB which highlighted great research from the @falklab.bsky.social at #ica25! @xinyiwang.bsky.social on curiosity’s role in health info seeking, and Ben Muzekari on how ad cues spark smoking cravings (via experiments + fMRI). 🧠🚬

Attending #ICA25? I’m presenting twice! Today (Sat) 10:30-11:45: imagination interventions motivate pro-environmental behaviors Mon 12-1:15: affective framing of news headlines influences engagement, donations, and memory @falklab.bsky.social @asc.upenn.edu @penncssm.bsky.social @appc.upenn.edu

Emily shared five key insights from What We Value with @nextbigidea.bsky.social! Read and listen at nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/man...

Want your NIH and NSF program officers and division directors to be fired and turned into political appointees? Deadline extended: 3 days left! Already 33,000+ public comments Comments can tank a proposed rule in court. 📣 Oppose the rule with a brief comment: shorturl.at/WKuBj

New! Emily Falk (@upenn.edu @asc.upenn.edu @falklab.bsky.social) is interviewed on @nextbigidea.bsky.social about her new book on the episode "The Neuroscience of Choice: Train Your Brain to Accomplish What Matters Most" bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com/p/the-neuros...

A new study by @falklab.bsky.social and the @penncssm.bsky.social tested 17 strategies to motivate environmental action:

If you're in Philly on Tuesday (June 3)-- Come join Emily Falk and @corinnelow.bsky.social at Barnes & Noble in Center City for a discussion of What We Value, the current moment, and more! Register here: emilyfalkbnphilly.eventbrite.com

We are so proud of you, Prof Sinclair!!! For folks looking for grad school opportunities, Allie Is incredible! Can’t wait to see all of this lab’s breakthroughs!

What motivates people to take action and share info about climate change? We tested 17 psychological interventions in a tournament—Discover the winners in our new paper! Out now in @pnas.org w/ @falklab.bsky.social, @michaelemann.bsky.social, & team. Thread ⤵️ 1/9 www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

We've got more podcast features! Emily talks What We Value on The Groks Science Show: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/v... and Instant Genius: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h.... Tune in for some cool conversations!

A brief interruption from book posting to say a huge congratulations to DR. @xinyiwang.bsky.social on a spectacular dissertation defense! We're excited to see you pique people's curiosity in your new postdoc role and beyond 🎉 Job well done!

Emily recently spoke with Moira Gunn on Tech Nation Radio - another great conversation about "What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice & Change"! Listen to the full interview here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Miss this great conversation between Emily Falk and Ethan Kross on the neuroscience of choice and change? Now you can catch it on FAN's YouTube page: youtu.be/DAIDEFE6h7g?... @asc.upenn.edu @upenn.edu

LIVE ONLINE TODAY! Secret Science Club presents “WHAT WE VALUE: The Neuroscience of Choice & Change” Free! Join via ZOOM TODAY, April 16 at 8PM (EST). "Doors" open at 7:30PM. For sign-up, visit their website: secretscienceclub.blogspot.com

Join us today!

Happening tomorrow 4/16 at 1pm EST/12pm CT! #free event with a book giveaway! Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Update via #SCIMaP now broken down by house districts Our interdisciplinary team has expanded efforts to communicate the economic impacts of White House proposed cuts to health research. Find out how your community may be impacted. Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org

Neuroscientist and Annenberg Professor Emily Falk reveals the hidden calculations that shape our daily decisions — and how to make more fulfilling, impactful choices in our work, relationships, and lives — in her new book What We Value, out now from @wwnorton.bsky.social:

Today's the day! We're thrilled to share that Emily Falk's new book, "What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice & Change" is out now! Available here wwnorton.com/books/978132... & more. Happy reading! #psychology #neuroscience #communication #research #choice #change #book #emilyfalk #whatwevalue

I had a great time talking with Xavier about my new book, What We Value: The neuroscience of choice and change, and lots of other things! I hope you enjoy!

Share this widely!