About this podcast
Behavioral science is a cornerstone of modern marketing practice, but much of what passes itself off as behavioral science is just bs. Good social science gives us the insights and roadmap we need to change behavior, but bad social science just muddies the water and tarnishes the social sciences. As behavior change is a core objective of marketing, getting behavioral science right is crucial. Join us as two behavioral scientists sound off on what is, and isn't, good social science, from a variety of disciplines covering new topics every podcast.
Your hosts: Sonika Garcia, MPH, and Gabriel Allen-Cummings- Medical Anthropology Strategists at Havas Health & You.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 55 episodes
- The Gift Of Anonymity · 16 minAs new technologies emerge with the promise of personalization, safety, or constant connection, some are beginning to feel surveilled, watched in the moments where they don’t…
- Where Culture Meets AI · 33 minClick here to read the team's whitepaper: "Where Culture Meets AI: Scaling the Human-Centered Healthcare Experience" As we continue growing our understanding of AI's role in our…
- Who Cares for the Raregiver? · 1 h 17 minThis Rare Disease Month, the team is shifting its focus to the caregivers. Caregiving is often seen as the ultimate display of love. It's a role that needs more recognition, but…
- The Evolution of the New Year's Resolution · 26 minEvery January, millions of us resolve to reset and become a better version of ourselves. But where did New Year’s resolutions come from, and why do they so rarely stick? As the…
- The Invisible Crisis Within Acute and Chronic Pain · 30 minIn this episode, Sonika and Gabe explore how pain is experienced differently across bodies and interpreted differently in conversations, with a focus on people living with Sickle…
- Social Media Diagnosed Me · 26 minIn Breaking the Code's 50th episode, we are joined by our 2025 summer intern, Gabriel Robinson (GR), not to be confused with Gabriel Allen-Cummings (GA). This conversation began…
- Ripped From The Headlines: Everything You Need to Know About the New Breast Cancer Vaccine (Vogue) · 31 min"Ripped From The Headlines" is a new series for Breaking the Code, where Sonika and Gabe react to a news story with a medical anthropology lens. On this edition, they react to…
- Behavioral Inertia: Our Irrational Desire for Comfort · 34 minBehavioral inertia has become a buzzword in marketing, often associated with the stubborn action (or inaction) of a target audience. As anthropologists, Sonika and Gabe are often…
- Seeing People Beyond Their Function · 20 minThinking holistically is easy to say, but hard to do, especially when designing strategies to change behavior within a specific role like patient, HCP, or caregiver. In this…
- GLP-1 Santa?!: The Cultural Shifts Behind St. Nick's Changing Shape · 25 minThe biggest health story of the year has been how GLP-1s like Ozempic are reshaping everyday life. As the holidays approach, we take a closer look at an unexpected cultural…
- Equity in Action PART 1: Understanding the Hearts and Minds of Multicultural Patients ft. Eirásmin Lokpez-Cobo · 48 minIn this episode, we are joined by Eirásmin Lokpez-Cobo, EVP of Brand Strategy at República Havas Health, to dive into the insights from her team's recently published white paper…
- Women, Sports, and Leadership: The Evolution of Female Success ft. Claire Knapp and Denise Melone · 45 minWomen's professional sports are "having a moment", but this did not happen in a vacuum nor did it happen overnight. In a highly anticipated episode (for us), we finally got a…
- Do GLP-1s Change the Meaning of "Obesity"? · 44 minWith the advent of GLP-1 drugs, it was only a matter of time before Brad and Gabriel dove into a discussion about this controversial drug class and the equally contentious…
- Gifted, Neurodivergent, or Nerd: The Highs and Lows of Growing up Tagged as 'Gifted' · 50 minOur fascination with neurodivergence continues as we are joined by PsyD, Dr. Matt Zakreski to breakdown the semantics of giftedness, and inclusive design for neurodivergent…
- Unpacking the Rituals of Barbecues and Health: How we Give Structure and Meaning to an Unstructured World · 23 minIn this episode, recorded right before the Labor Day weekend, Brad and Gabe have one thing on their minds... barbecuing! More specifically, they're thinking about barbecuing as a…
- Bridging Minds: Autism, Neurodivergence, and Inclusive Communication in Advertising · 36 minThe term "neurodiversity," introduced 25 years ago by autistic Australian sociologist Judy Singer, marked a milestone in our understanding of autism and the appreciation of…
- Defeating Cancer’s Hero Trope: Cancer Doesn’t Make Humans Super - It Makes Them More of Who They Already Are · 26 minA cancer diagnosis is a "moment of truth" that brings an undeniable shift to someone's identity. Faced with one's own mortality, a concerted effort may be required to overcome…
- Making Sense Of "Trigger Warnings": Stigma, Taboo, and Trauma · 33 minCorrection: In this episode, we mention that Anna Calix had a miscarriage. Anna actually had a 40 week stillbirth. Miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is a fetal demise in utero…
- Uncomfortable Conversations Save Lives: The Surgeon General Weighs In On The Risks of Social Media · 34 minIn this episode, Brad and Gabe delve into the US Surgeon General's proposal to introduce warning labels on social media platforms, aimed at highlighting their impact on young…
- This is not a Drill: Cervical Cancer is Curable, but Treatment is Often Too Painful to Survive · 48 minIn this episode, we’re joined by Eve McDavid and Dr. Onyinye Balogun, founders of Mission Driven Tech, a Cervical Cancer innovation company. Their story is an inspirational…
