Emily Falk, vice dean of Penn’s Annenberg School of Communication, recently published her first book, which examines the neuroscience of decision-making, behavior change, and successful communication.
Falk, who also serves as director of the Communication Neuroscience Lab and the Annenberg Public Policy Center's Climate Communication Division, published her book — titled “What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice & Change” — on April 8.
“I hope if people understand how their brains work, it could give them more agency in thinking about the choices and the possibilities that they have,” Falk told Penn Today. “What we value, what we pay attention to, and how we connect with others all shape the paths we take, often in ways we don’t even realize.”
Falk added that her goal “was to make those invisible forces visible, so that anyone can harness them” and “to build a life and a world that reflects what matters most to them.”
The book begins by introducing Falk’s research on the brain’s decision-making processes. Falk described the value system as how the brain assesses what should deserve someone’s “time, attention, and effort.” The self-relevance system contributes to how the brain makes choices by identifying and categorizing things.
The book also features personal anecdotes and stories from public figures. Falk noted that telling stories can “convince” people of her research’s relevance.
“I didn’t want to have an idea in mind and then cram somebody’s experience into that idea,” she said. “For me, from the beginning of working on this book, it was really important to lead with stories as a way of illustrating what might be happening in people’s brains or what kinds of tools are available.”
Falk also uses her book to highlight research from other members of Penn faculty — with subjects ranging from behavioral economics to psychology and cognitive science to physics. She said her colleagues’ research in value-based decision-making, behavioral science, and network dynamics helped shape her own thinking.
“Part of the reason that I love communication as a field is because it is so central to our health and happiness at so many levels,” Falk said. “Being connected to other people is fundamental to our mental well-being and to our physical survival and health.”
Falk also believes her research will help people understand how choices are made and how to change their behavior.
“Neuroscience evidence suggests there is something in the brain that is actually shifting in the way that people are calculating their desires,” Falk said. “Knowing this, we can be more mindful of the stories we share with our kids, the people we’re spending time with, and the media we are consuming.”
Falk was chosen to lead the Annenberg Public Policy Center's research on climate communication in April 2024. Her research — as part of APPC’s Climate Communication Division — was founded as part of the center’s 30th anniversary celebration.
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