Julie Downs, PhD is an associate professor of psychology in the Social and Decision Sciences department at Carnegie Mellon’s Dietrich College and fits perfectly into the cross-disciplinary culture of the group. Her interests have spanned anthropology to healthcare to economics and her zest for each of them is undeniable.
Our discussion with Julie started with some of her latest research on how to help women make the proper vaginal insertion of an HIV-prevention drug. While scientists at the University of Pittsburgh are developing the medicine, Julie is focused on the behavioral aspects including the proper way to apply it because the efficacy of the drug relies on proper application. The drug is extremely low-cost, doesn’t require refrigeration, and can be kept private in otherwise touchy situations with sexual partners.
We also discussed making decisions in an increasingly complex world of what to eat. Fast food is readily available, it’s cheap and easy to acquire for working parents with a hungry family. However, recent research on fast food consumption reveals the calorie counters on the food menus are not having a positive effect on what gets ordered. Julie is working to figure out solutions that make the calorie counts salient with an online ordering app.
In our grooving session, we chat about the concept of friction and how that applies to product development and communications AND we talk about insights we can take from a food ordering app that has a special calorie counter built into it and use those insights in our work.
So, sit back and enjoy another episode in our Carnegie Mellon series with professor Julie Downs.
Links
Julie Downs: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/people/faculty/julie-downs.html
Carnegie Mellon University: https://www.cmu.edu/
CMU Social and Decision Sciences Department: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/
Truvada: https://www.truvada.com/
Fleshlight. https://www.fleshlight.com/
Sahel Desert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahel
Satisficing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing
The Beatles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles
Louie Prima / Jungle Book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV8HrpOu1FA
Ella Fitzgerald: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2bigf337aU
Queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A22oy8dFjqc
Hamilton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvBYOBTkDRk
Kurt Nelson: @motivationguru and https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtwnelson/
Tim Houlihan: @THoulihan and https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-houlihan-b-e/
Listen to Behavioral Grooves: https://behavioralgrooves.podbean.com/
Break Autopilot with Intentional Living | Norman Farb and Zindel Segal
The Secret Power of Rituals | Michael Norton
The Science of Influence: Nudges in Action | Silvia Saccardo
Unlock Workplace Happiness | Gonzalo Camiña Ceballos
Tuned In or Tuned Out? | Nuala Walsh
The Burnout Breakthrough | Kandi Wiens
Turning Anxiety into Assurance | Dr. Julia DiGangi
Grooving on: Starting a Movement
Grooving on: Side Projects
...Ridiculous Ep. 5: The Future
...Ridiculous Ep. 4: Behavioral Economics Goes Mainstream
...Ridiculous Ep. 3: Children of Unlikely Parents
...Ridiculous Ep. 2: Importing Psychology
...Ridiculous Ep. 1: Beyond Anomalies
Make Great Decisions | Elspeth Kirkman
Trailer: They Thought We Were Ridiculous
Unlocking Intimacy: The Power of Questions | Topaz Adizes
The Key to Boosting Retirement Savings | John Beshears
Decoding Behavior Change | Bri Williams [Republish]
Mapping Out Our Minds | Linnea Gandhi
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