Latest

decision making

·October 3, 2024·5 min read

How Previous Food Choices Influence Future Decisions

Research shows that when rating food for appeal or calorie content, judgments are influenced by the food choices we’ve made just before. This effect, known as serial dependence, causes people to rate the next food similarly to the previous one, whether it’s more appealing or less.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 27, 2024·5 min read

Unexpected Sounds Boost Dopamine, Leading to Riskier Decisions

A new study shows that unexpected sounds can cause dopamine bursts in the brain, which may lead to riskier decision-making. Researchers found that participants were 4% more likely to choose risky options after hearing a surprising tone. These findings highlight how unrelated sensory events, like sounds, can influence choices, shedding light on the role dopamine plays in decision-making.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 24, 2024·5 min read

Parkinson’s Drug Linked to Impaired Decision-Making

Pramipexole, a Parkinson’s disease (PD) drug, impairs decision-making by hyperactivating the brain’s external globus pallidus (GPe) region. This research uncovers how the medication, while effective for PD symptoms, can lead to risky behaviors like gambling.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 23, 2024·6 min read

“Sleeping on It” Helps With Rational Decision Making

A new study reveals that while snap judgments heavily influence decisions made immediately, "sleeping on it" helps people make more rational choices. Researchers found that participants who made instant decisions about valuable items overestimated their worth based on first impressions.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 16, 2024·4 min read

People Prefer AI in Fairness-Related Decisions

A new study reveals that over 60% of participants prefer AI over humans for redistributive decisions, despite finding AI decisions less satisfying and fair. Researchers conducted an online experiment with over 200 participants from the UK and Germany.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 15, 2024·5 min read

AI Mimics Human Decision-Making for Better Accuracy

Researchers developed a neural network that mimics human decision-making by incorporating elements of uncertainty and evidence accumulation. This model, trained on handwritten digits, produces more human-like decisions compared to traditional neural networks.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·June 20, 2024·4 min read

Decision Speed Reveals Hidden Social Preferences

People can infer hidden social preferences by observing how quickly others make decisions. The study used the Dictator Game to show that decision speed, even without knowing the actual choices, can predict preferences. This finding challenges the notion that only choices reveal social preferences. Incorporating response times into predictive models offers a more nuanced understanding of human behavior.

This shows a woman looking at a model of a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 7, 2024·4 min read

Brains’ Decision-Making Mechanism Revealed

A new study uncovered neural mechanisms used in planning, revealing an interplay between the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The study shows how the brain imagines future outcomes to guide decisions. This research sheds light on the cognitive processes behind planning, with potential implications for treating disorders affecting decision-making.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 29, 2024·4 min read

Rethinking Conflict: Emotional Context’s Role in Decision Making

A new study challenges Kurt Lewin's theory on conflict resolution, showing that the difficulty in resolving conflicts depends on the emotional context. Their experiments reveal that avoidance-avoidance conflicts are harder to resolve in positive contexts but are similar to approach-approach conflicts in negative contexts.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 17, 2024·4 min read

Gut Bacteria Influence Fairness Perception

A new study finds that manipulating gut bacteria through probiotic and prebiotic supplements can increase altruistic punishment behavior in humans. Participants receiving supplements were more likely to reject unfair offers in a money-sharing game, suggesting a link between gut microbiota composition and social decision-making.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 28, 2024·5 min read

Impulsivity Influences Choices Between Food and Money

Impulsivity affects decision-making between primary rewards like food and secondary rewards like money. The team found that individuals are more likely to choose immediate food rewards over delayed ones, while they prefer to wait for a larger sum of money.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 16, 2024·4 min read

How We Optimize Decisions for Mutual Benefit

Researchers shed light on how human brains handle decisions that impact others, particularly when options conflict. In their study, participants engaged in tasks designed to assess their preference integration and decision-making processes for both personal and others' benefits.