Title : The basis of decision-making
Abstract:
Our days are assembled from thousands of small decisions: what to do, which way to go, how to respond, whether to partake, and our brain is made of many competing networks each with its own goals and desires. One neuron itself doesn't have an efficient power. Though, when many neurons connect with each other their relationship becomes unmatched, complicated, and cyclical. When we have to make a decision, in a complex network of neurons one group of neurons will represent one choice and the other will represent the second choice. When making a decision our 5 senses work together to connect the choice to a memory or an experience. One thing certain about the decision-making process are results of communication between the prefrontal cortex (working memory) and hippocampus (long-term memory). Our emotions also play a big role in our decision-making. Without considering our emotions, our decisions wouldn't be as good as others. As much as emotions our body plays a big role in decision-making. It’s easy to think about the brain commanding the body from on high – but in fact, the brain is in constant feedback with the body. “The physical signals from the body give a quick summary of what’s going on and what to do about it. To land on a choice, the body and the brain have to be in close communication.” (Brain, David Eagleman) Your physical condition is a description of the scenario that aids you in your activity and your decision-making. Your physiological profile can be compared to a low-resolution headline that says either "this is bad" or "this is not a problem." That aids your brain in making the following decision. One thing when our brain is making decisions is the power of now and the future. Values are associated with various possibilities. There is a twist that frequently prevents us from making wise decisions: we frequently place a higher value on the possibilities that are actually in front of us than those that we only simulate. The present is what gets in the way of making wise choices for the future. The brain can only ever see the future as a faint shadow of the present. The influence of the present explains why people make choices that seem good at the time but have negative outcomes later on. The seduction of “now” while we make decisions is in fact real. In order to prevent our future selves from acting inappropriately, people arrange the present. We can avoid being seduced by the moment by binding ourselves to the present. Everything we do, who we are, and how we view the world around us revolve around our decisions. We would be held captive by our most fundamental drives if we couldn't weigh our options. With no ability to plan for the future or navigate the here and now, we would be powerless. We may improve our decision-making for ourselves and for society by being more aware of how alternatives compete for attention in the brain.
Audience Take Away
- How does decision-making in the human brain work?
- How do present-time and future-based decisions happen?
- What is the invisible part of our decision-making?
- How do our emotions and body affect decision-making?
