Emotions are a fundamental driver of behavior

By Nirit Pisano, Ph.D.

Just yesterday, on November 2nd, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced its recommendation of the pediatric Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky’s decisive endorsement was summarized with a quote on the CDC website.

How did it land? Did it energize the nation and inspire individuals toward action? Or did it fall short of its potential impact by remaining factual and composed?

The below comparison on Cognovi’s Psychological AI highlights the absence of emotion in Dr. Walensky’s words, and ways she might have transformed this pivotal quote by infusing it with emotion.

The takeaway? Emotions are a fundamental driver of behavior, but engaging others on an emotional level requires, first and foremost, that the person demonstrate emotion herself.

Take a look and see what you think.