I've been asked by at least five different people this week for book recommendations to learn neuroscience, especially from those working in marketing, UX, product development, and consumer research. And I totally get it, the brain IS fascinating. The idea of tapping into real reactions, getting “under the hood” of decision-making, “reading minds”, and predicting behavior is understandably appealing.

When neuroscience intersects with consumer research, it promises an enticing frontier: uncovering what truly drives human behavior, often at a subconscious level. Yet as appealing as it sounds, this approach can run into a significant methodological pitfall—reverse inference.