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“There are a lot of ways to influence people’s behaviors so they think Influence and the they’re doing things out of their Unconscious own volition, but they’re really being unconsciously manipulated by stimuli in their environment.” Based on your view of the world and your neuro- scientist, the one who knows the information—I’d science background, how do you define the better listen.” word influence? A lot of people who are easily influenced are look- Influence is when someone or something has an ing for answers or aren’t sure what direction to go effect, either positive or negative, on someone in their life, and they seek guidance from people else’s thoughts, feelings, or behavior. It doesn’t they admire or think are authority figures. This Dr. Heather Berlin is a cognitive neuroscientist, professor of psychiatry even have to be humans—the sun can have an puts the influencer in the position of having to be at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a visiting scholar at influence on which direction a plant grows. But in careful with their degree of influence. With great the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. the realm of people, influence makes us think, feel, power comes great responsibility, right? You have or behave in a way we would not have otherwise. to be aware of your influence and how it will affect Passionate about science communication and promoting women other people. in STEM, Berlin is a committee member of the National Academy of There are many factors that go into determining Sciences’ Science and Entertainment Exchange and a member of the why and how much people can be influenced, many The thing to remember is, all of us are being American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Committee on of which come down to psychology. For instance, unconsciously influenced by our environments all Science and Technology Engagement with the Public. suggestibility, or how readily a person will take on of the time. The unconscious processing capacity a suggestion, or how that person will respond to of the brain is vastly greater than the conscious She hosts Startalk All-Stars with Neil DeGrasse Tyson and has hosted perceived authority. There’s a “white coat” phe- processing capacity, and only a small subset of the series on PBS and the Discovery Channel. Dr. Berlin cowrote and stars nomenon where people are more likely to trust information processed by the unconscious brain in the off-Broadway production Off the Top, about the neuroscience of and be influenced by someone wearing a white becomes available to our conscious minds. So a big improvisation, and she premiered her comedy about the brain basis of coat; people think, “Okay, this is the doctor, the part of cognitive psychology and neuroscience is desire, Impulse Control, at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her numer- | ous media appearances include the BBC, National Geographic, TEDx, and 85 the documentary Bill Nye: Science Guy. working out and measuring the ways our behavior and popularity. I’ve been really interested in that. almost respect that honesty. But there are cer- For me, it’s less about the messenger than the is influenced by things we are unaware of and what What’s happening in their brains? Why do some tainly many other people who won’t admit they’re message, but I do realize that people are only is happening in the brain when those influences people seek out fame? It turns out that the markers driven by this motivation; they’ll create some other going to care about the information if they care occur. of popularity, such as getting likes or follows online, narrative for themselves about what they’re doing. about who’s delivering it. People are not going activate the reward networks in the brain. Pursuing to absorb the information if I just stand there In a way, you can think of influential people as fame can be addictive. These people want to be Kim Kardashian is an interesting case study. What delivering boring talks about neuroscience. I try to those who have figured out, consciously or uncon- influential because it makes them feel good. is she famous for, really? Her looks? Maybe she get people excited about the information. I have sciously, how to navigate the brain’s natural heuris- was telling herself a grander story in the early days a background in theater, which I think may have tic “shortcuts” to taking on information. Everything It makes you wonder what separates the people than, “I’m just trying to be famous for fame’s sake,” helped with my communication techniques. I was around the brain is vastly more complex than it can we view as “attention seekers” from the people we and maybe she wasn’t, but now her narrative is a fine arts and theater minor through college, and I track, so the brain has evolved to simplify infor- view as more genuine, when really we all want to that she’s doing important things for the world. For acted in school plays from the time I was in kinder- mation in ways that are useful, if not necessarily be authentic and we all want to follow our passion. example, she went to talk to Trump about prison garten. I’ve always enjoyed getting up in front of accurate. Influencers find ways to get “taken in” by But we often go to great lengths to protect our reform, and now she’s working toward becoming audiences and connecting with people in that way, the brains of their audience via side routes, like the egos. How much are we willing to share about our a lawyer and criminal justice advocate. There are and all that theater experience came together for Khaleesi conquering the city of Mereen in Game own selfish desires to be famous? How much do people who become famous for other reasons and me in the realm of science communication. of Thrones, not by smashing down the gates but we hide, even from ourselves? For some people, this then try to use their powers for good and actually by sending soldiers to sneak in through the sewer can lead them to lie to themselves. exert a positive influence. But it wasn’t an active process of seeking out system. The more you learn about the brain, the influence over people. I just cared so much about better you can fortify your city! Even dictators don’t have a narrative of “I’m doing How have you gained influence? What do you this cool stuff that was going on in the lab and this for power” or “I’m evil.” They have some other feel like your path has been to building the career wanted to get other people who were not in my What do you think drives people to want to be story that they tell themselves to protect their platform you have? field excited about it. influential? egos. I imagine that Hitler had a narrative in his mind that he was doing the right thing for the I’m in that category of doing things that I’m You never really know how much of an influence Some people, I think, are just influential without world. It’s hard to distinguish our true motives from passionate about, which may lead to me having you’re having. It’s so subjective. Even people I know being motivated to be so; they are simply doing the stories we tell ourselves, much less reveal the influence in a certain area, but influence isn’t my who are objectively famous usually have a hard what they enjoy doing or what they’re good at, and truth to other people. end goal. First and foremost, I’m passionate about time gauging that. It’s this weird dynamic where that has an effect on other people. For example, understanding how the brain and mind work and you have your own personal view of yourself and take Einstein studying physics. He was doing it Would it be authentic or ok to say out loud, “I helping develop more effective treatments for psy- then this image that other people see. How to rec- because he wanted to understand the laws of the want to be famous, I want to be an influencer”? chiatric and neurological disorders. But I also want oncile them is interesting and difficult. universe, and he inadvertently influenced the work to help people understand how their brains work of many other people. Sometimes we applaud people who just come out and what motivates their behavior. In understand- Can you elaborate more on the importance of the and say the honest truth even though it’s ugly. ing the science, they may also be influenced by it message versus the delivery? But there are other people who set out to influ- Right? Like, if someone says, “Yeah, I just want to and change their behavior accordingly or know ence others, whether they’re in politics and want be famous. I just want to do stuff that’s going to themselves better. Most of my career has been as a basic scientist. In to make a change in the world or they crave fame provoke people and get more followers,” we can my field today, there are graduate students with Influence and the Unconscious and the Influence | | 87 86 their own blogs, and they’re on Instagram, but it effectively. Communication is a difficult skill to when I was coming up, no one did that.

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