Brian Cugelman, PhD

09/25/2025

Sharing my upcoming 9-week online series on the Applied Behavioral Design process — running LIVE from 9 Oct to 4 Dec 2025. Join us for weekly hands-on tutorials, real-world examples, and actionable frameworks.

Save 25% with code: SAVE25_BY_9OCT.

https://www.behavioraldesign.academy/courses

09/22/2025

A fresh look at teen tech use: many now admit they feel “addicted” to social media. It’s less about content and more about the emotional reinforcement learning loops.

Nine-in-ten U.S. teens say they use YouTube. Majorities also use TikTok (63%), Instagram (61%) and Snapchat (55%).

09/17/2025

Master Digital Psychology in 9-Weeks in our LIVE Applied Behavioral Design weekly tutorials & hands-on classes: 9 Oct - 4 Dec 2025.

Learn more:

Learn how to build psychology-driven products, with the behavioral design process.

09/15/2025

Seeing your life as a Hero’s Journey can boost happiness, resilience, and a sense of purpose.

But these same storytelling principles can also transform digital experiences—making them more motivating, meaningful, and emotionally engaging.

Learn about the Hero’s Journey and how to use it to design more fulfilling products

09/14/2025

Brand loyalty is turning political — more people choose brands based on political identity rather than product factors. It's based on shopping for tribal signals.

New Columbia Business School research reveals how political polarization reshapes consumer preferences, brand loyalty, and purchase decisions.

09/13/2025

If you reframe your life as a Hero’s Journey, it can unlock a powerful mix of psychological benefits—greater meaning, resilience, fulfillment, and even reduced stress and depression.

What’s especially exciting is how closely the Hero’s Journey aligns with behavior change frameworks. The overlap means we can use it in behavioral design to build products that are not just effective, but also more fulfilling and engaging.

But instead of explaining the concept, let’s try a short exercise to “restory” your life as the hero?

Here are a few questions. Don’t just skim; take a moment with each one and reflect on what it really means for you:

❤️ Protagonist: What makes you you? What are your core values and sense of identity?
⚡ Shift: What experience or turning point pushed you to grow?
🎯 Quest: What meaningful goal are you currently striving toward?
🧱 Challenge: What major obstacles or setbacks have stood in your way?
🤝 Allies: Who has supported or guided you on your journey?
🦋 Transformation: In what ways have you grown or changed through this experience?
🌱 Legacy: What impact has your journey had on others?

I adapted these questions from a scientific study that used Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey in several interventions aimed at improving well-being and resilience.

Although research in this area is still emerging, I believe it deserves some attention.

To help bridge these ideas with behavioral design, I wrote an article on how to adapt the Hero’s Journey to interactive design and UX design—so we can create products that are not only effective, but also more meaningful and engaging.

Hope you found this helpful.

Brian

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09/13/2025

Most online scams succeed because of emotional triggers like urgency and fear, not technical sophistication. Our brains are still the weakest link in the security chain.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/07/31/online-scams-and-attacks-in-america-today/

09/13/2025

Both humans and AI learn best by blending rules with trial-and-error. Turns out biological and digital networks share more than expected.

Brown University researchers found that humans and AI integrate two types of learning – fast, flexible learning and slower, incremental learning – in surprisingly similar ways. The study revealed trade-offs between memory retention and flexibility.

09/10/2025

An opinion: AI isn’t a decision-maker, it’s a tool. How we frame it directly changes how we use it.

Professor Anoush Margaryan, Visiting Research Fellow at the OII considers how we should frame AI: competitor, collaborator, or tool?

09/08/2025

When Google shows AI summaries, people click fewer links. AI is changing how we use search, with marketers racing to optimize for AI platforms.

In a March 2025 analysis, Google users who encountered an AI summary were less likely to click on links to other websites than users who did not see one.

09/07/2025

Use the Hero's Journey for happiness and product design:
https://www.behavioraldesign.academy/blog/hero-centered-design-for-meaningful-products

09/07/2025

Opponent process, my favorite color wheel.