Profiling: Reading People & Understanding Persuasion | Dr. Mark T. Hofmann | TEDxGöttingen

Crime and intelligence analyst Dr. Mark T. Hofmann looks at how far behavior, speech and communication can reveal something about a person. Drawing on psychology, criminology and intelligence analysis, the talk introduces behavioral and cyber profiling as a practical skill. It also covers recognizing deception and manipulation and communicating and persuading more effectively. The talk was given at TEDxGöttingen 2026, an independently organized TEDx event.

• Behavioral and cyber profiling methods
• Recognizing deception and manipulation
• Communication and persuasion in practice
• Insights from psychology, criminology and intelligence analysis

NOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker's personal views and understanding of motivation, psychology, and behavior. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdf How much can we really learn about a person from the way they behave, speak and communicate? Crime and Intelligence Analyst Dr. Mark T. Hofmann takes us into the world of behavioral and cyber profiling, drawing on psychology, criminology and intelligence analysis. He explores how understanding human behavior can become a powerful skill, from recognizing deception and manipulation to communicating and persuading more effectively. TEDxGöttingen 2026 was initiated, organized and moderated by Patrick Bartl. The event brought together ten speakers from science, business and society to explore the theme “Unleashing Superpowers – Ideas that Transform Systems.” Dr. Mark T. Hofmann is a Crime & Intelligence Analyst and expert in behavioral and cyber profiling. He earned his Ph.D. in psychology researching the profiling of hackers. To understand how hackers, cybercriminals and manipulators think, he conducts research in the digital underground and combines insights from psychology, criminology and intelligence analysis. His work has been featured in international media including CNN, ARD, Forbes and 60 Minutes Australia. He also applies profiling methods to the business world and explores how understanding human behavior can become a powerful advantage. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx