Summary: A longitudinal study utilizing gamified smartphone tasks has demonstrated that shifts in risky decision-making precede increases in alcohol consumption in people with mild to moderate alcohol use disorder (AUD),…
Category: risk taking
Brain Activity Predicts Risky Choices Half a Second Before They Are Made
Summary: By recording directly from electrodes implanted in the human orbitofrontal cortex, neuroscientists discovered two neighboring circuits locked in a millisecond-by-millisecond “tug-of-war” between taking a risk and playing it safe.…
How Posture Boosts Risk-Taking and Positive Mood
Summary: A new study demonstrates that a person’s physical posture subtly influences their emotional state and economic decision-making without their conscious awareness. Key Facts Implicit Posture Control: Unlike previous “power…
Unexpected Sounds Boost Dopamine, Leading to Riskier Decisions
Summary: 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…
Risk-Taking Behavior Linked to Persistence of Male Bisexuality Genes
Summary: A new study sheds light on the persistence of genes associated with male bisexuality in the human genome. The research suggests that these genes are linked to risk-taking behavior,…
The Risky Brain: Unraveling the Neural Codes of Lottery Choices
Summary: Researchers pinpointed a key brain region in rats that determines their economic decisions when facing lottery-like uncertainties. The frontal orienting field (FOF) was identified as a major player in…
