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Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior

Computational social scientist Sandra Matz explores how digital data can reveal patterns in personality, preference, and behavior—and how those insights are used to influence what people buy, believe, and do. She explains the methods behind psychological targeting, separating realistic capabilities from exaggerated claims about mind reading. The book follows applications in advertising, politics, health, and public policy while confronting the ethical risks of manipulation, discrimination, and lost privacy. Matz argues that behavioral prediction is neither inherently liberating nor oppressive; its consequences depend on who controls the data, how systems are designed, and whether people retain meaningful choice.

Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Publication date: 2025
Format: Print edition
Pages: 240
ISBN: 9781647826314

Subjects

Big Data Behavioral Science Privacy

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Interview with the Author

4 available interview links

1. Reader's Corner — "Mindmasters" by Sandra MatzChecked

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2. New Books in Psychology — Sandra Matz, "Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior" (HBRP, 2025)Checked

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3. New Books in Science, Technology, and Society — Sandra Matz, "Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior" (HBRP, 2025)Checked

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4. New Books in Economics — Sandra Matz, "Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior" (HBRP, 2025)Checked

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