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decision making

·November 3, 2025·4 min read

Brain Circuit Found to Shape Risk and Impulse Differently by Sex

Researchers exploring risky decision-making in rats found that a specific reward-related neural circuit influences impulsivity and risk-taking in complex ways that depend on timing and biological sex. Manipulating the circuit during the learning phase of a gambling task altered risky choices differently in males and females, while manipulation after learning affected motor impulsivity in both.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 9, 2025·8 min read

Brain Cells That Thrive on Uncertainty Help Us Adapt and Learn

Scientists have discovered a group of brain cells in the orbitofrontal cortex that become more active when outcomes are uncertain, revealing how the brain adapts and learns from unpredictable situations. These neurons—found in both rats and humans—help balance flexibility and precision in decision-making, particularly when rewards are inconsistent.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 22, 2025·5 min read

Most Daily Actions Run on Habit, Not Conscious Choice

New research shows that nearly two-thirds of daily behaviors are triggered by habit rather than conscious decision-making. Participants often acted automatically in familiar settings, reflecting learned associations.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 3, 2025·7 min read

New Brain Map Shows How Decisions Emerge Across the Brain

In a groundbreaking collaboration, scientists created the first complete brain-wide map of decision-making in mammals, charting the activity of more than 600,000 neurons across 279 regions in mice. Using steering wheel tasks and high-density electrode recordings, they found that decision-related signals are far more widely distributed across the brain than previously thought.

This shows a brain with the striatum highlighted.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 14, 2025·5 min read

Brain Circuit Model Reveals How Striatum Shapes Everyday Decisions

Researchers have developed a computational framework that maps how the striosomal compartment of the striatum governs everyday decision-making. By integrating biology, decision theory, and mathematical modeling, the study reveals that different levels of striosomal activity can push individuals toward impulsive, balanced, or overly complex decisions.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 18, 2025·5 min read

Tiny AI Models Reveal How We Really Make Decisions

Decision-making often involves trial and error, but conventional models assume we always act optimally based on past experience. A new study used small, interpretable artificial neural networks to uncover how humans and animals actually make choices—revealing the suboptimal strategies we often use.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 27, 2025·5 min read

How the Brain Forms Indirect Associations to Guide Complex Decisions

A new study reveals how the brain can make decisions based not only on direct experiences, but also on indirect associations between seemingly unrelated stimuli. In experiments with mice, researchers showed that a sweet taste could be rejected after it was indirectly linked to an aversive event through a shared scent.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·June 26, 2025·4 min read

Smarter Minds Predict Better: IQ Linked to Sharper Life Forecasting

New research reveals that individuals with higher IQs are significantly better at predicting future outcomes, leading to smarter decision-making. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, researchers assessed how accurately people over 50 could estimate their own life expectancy. High-IQ individuals were found to make more precise forecasts—errors were less frequent and less extreme compared to their lower-IQ counterparts.

This shows a brain behind a mountain and balls.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 25, 2025·5 min read

How Brain Cells Coordinate to Make Complex Decisions

Every decision begins subtly, as the brain weighs options long before action. Researchers have now shown that, despite individual differences in neuron activity, a shared underlying structure guides the brain toward unified decisions.

$This shows a woman and math symbols.$

Featured Neuroscience

·May 20, 2025·4 min read

Modeling Human Behavior with Math

A new study shows that mathematical models can shape human decisions more effectively than traditional psychological strategies. Researchers introduced “choice engineering,” a data-driven alternative to “choice architecture,” which relies on heuristics and intuition. In a global academic challenge, models like CATIE—designed to reflect real behavioral trends—outperformed both intuitive strategies and standard machine learning tools.

Featured Neuroethics Neuroscience

·May 6, 2025·3 min read

Bodily Awareness Guides Moral Decision-Making

New research shows that people’s sensitivity to their internal bodily signals influences how closely they align with group moral preferences in dilemmas. Participants who were more aware of their heartbeat and internal states tended to make ethical choices that matched the group consensus.

This shows a brain and a person at a cross roads.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 25, 2025·6 min read

Serotonin Neurons Challenge Old Views of Brain Function

Serotonin neurons in the brainstem are not independent, as once thought, but interact to influence decision-making. Researchers found that clusters of serotonin neurons compete and collaborate, shaping when and how serotonin is released throughout the brain.