Research on how people make decisions. Covers workplace food choices, medication risk trade-offs, and treatment selection in mental health.
A Canadian multicenter survey of over 1,200 hospital-based clinicians identified key barriers to end-of-life care discussions with seriously ill patients and their families. The study found that factors such as difficulty accepting a poor prognosis, limited understanding of life-sustaining treatments, and disagreements among family mem...
Carnegie Mellon researchers highlight the challenges of navigating complex tradeoffs in privacy decision-making, citing context dependence and malleability of privacy concerns. Effective policies must focus on achieving a greater balance of power between individuals and data holders to protect privacy.
Researchers found that individuals carrying a single copy of the KLOTHO allele, associated with better cognition and longevity, have larger volumes in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This brain region is vulnerable to atrophy as people age, impacting planning and decision-making abilities.
A recent study by Robert Mai and Stefan Hoffmann found that healthy food is often perceived as tasting bad, leading to overconsumption of unhealthy options. Despite education on ingredients, consumers prioritize taste over healthiness, making it challenging to combat obesity rates.
A new study in the Journal of Marketing shows that the scent surrounding a store atmosphere can influence consumer choices. Researchers found that warm fragrances make consumers perceive crowded spaces, leading them to compensate by buying prestigious items and increasing their purchases overall.
A new algorithm is a useful tool for measuring chronic kidney disease patients' readiness to make decisions about initiating dialysis. Patients with knowledge and fewer lifestyle barriers to home dialysis are more likely to be ready to make decisions, while clinicians who explain treatment options can increase readiness.
A new study from Columbia Business School found that 'crystallized intelligence,' gained through experience and accumulated knowledge, is more important than 'fluid intelligence' in making sound financial decisions. The research suggests guidelines for policymakers to help older adults with complex financial decisions.
Researchers recommend increasing documentation of racial disparities in policing and trial outcomes to prevent inequality. They also suggest implementing bias training and promoting institutional diversity to reduce racial biases in legal decision-making.
A new study reveals that hospital case managers rarely provide patients with quality data on at-home care providers, despite state and federal reports being available online. The researchers found that only a few case managers were aware of these reports, and even fewer shared this information with patients.
A study by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston found that patients in the highest risk category were less likely to receive gallbladder removal surgery. Despite this, only 22% of those in high-risk group had their gallbladders removed. The researchers used a predictive model to identify low-, moderate-, and high-risk ca...
A new study published in PLOS Computational Biology suggests that animals can make efficient decisions by controlling the amount of effort invested within each unit of time, rather than just speed and accuracy. This ability allows them to adapt to changing environments and gain a fitness advantage over those with limited flexibility.
A team of neuroscientists has found that our brains use elapsed time as a proxy for task difficulty to calculate how confident we should be when faced with making choices but lacking sufficient evidence. This association helps untangle the different factors that contribute to the decision-making process.
A study published in Psychological Science found that people with extreme political beliefs are less influenced by outside information and more resistant to the anchor bias, suggesting they make more confident judgments. The results suggest that political extremists' strong belief in the superiority of their ideology may be a key factor.
A recent study published in the Royal Society journal Interface suggests that humans have evolved to rely too heavily on social information, leading to a decrease in responsiveness to changes in their environment. This phenomenon, known as herd mentality, can result in groups becoming less effective at making decisions.
A new study in the Journal of International Marketing reveals that subsidiary desire for autonomy is driven by psychology, leading to dysfunctional business relationships. Subsidiaries strive for independence to influence local markets, which can backfire if not managed carefully.
A new online tool, Cities Impact Assessment Tool (CIAT), helps cities in the Great Lakes region anticipate and prepare for climate-related challenges. The tool provides climate histories, projections, and adaptation strategies to support informed policy and infrastructure decisions.
A new Duke University study finds that older adults recruit an additional brain area to remember competing consumer products and choose the better one. The study suggests that this brain activity, involving the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, allows them to perform at a higher level.
A recent study found that feelings of disgust can increase behaviors like lying and cheating, while cleanliness can help people return to ethical behavior. The researchers used three randomized experiments to test the impact of emotions on decision-making.
Dwarf mongooses show real-time behavioral plasticity in response to threat indicators, altering their behavior based on environmental conditions and social signals. This flexible decision-making allows them to optimize foraging time versus vigilance, ensuring survival in a vulnerable predator-rich environment.
A Michigan State University study explores how attitudes about knowledge and power drive the wolf debate, identifying four themes: mistrust among decision-makers, special interest groups disenfranchising voters, political influencers overriding science, and local sources of information being ignored.
Most organizations prioritize analytics maturity, but few have a plan to assess their analytics best practices. INFORMS' survey reveals that only 18% of respondents have an analytics maturity model in place, with many citing lack of resources or affordability as barriers.
A study of the volunteer advocate program found that it provided comprehensive care to incapacitated patients, including end-of-life decisions and Medicaid applications. The program's success demonstrates a viable alternative to overwhelmed state agencies and provides hope for vulnerable individuals without surrogates.
A new report from The Gerontological Society of America highlights the importance of advance directives in securing appropriate advanced illness care. It presents new models and tools that family members and providers can use to provide person- and family-centered care, which may be cost-effective.
Researchers at MIT have created a new visualization system that projects a robot's intentions in real-time, enabling engineers to better understand and optimize their decisions. This technology has the potential to significantly improve the development of self-driving cars, package-delivering drones, and other autonomous vehicles.
The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recommends against using the PSA test to screen for prostate cancer in most men, citing an increased risk of false positives and overdiagnosis. The guideline aims to balance potential benefits with substantial harms.
A flexible approach to managing disease outbreaks, called adaptive management, allows for real-time updates to contain outbreaks more quickly and efficiently. This approach could lead to significant savings in livestock losses and improved outcomes in cases like foot-and-mouth disease.
Research shows that people associate specific facial traits with personality traits, leading to biased decisions. Studies have found that faces associated with competence, dominance, and friendliness influence social outcomes, such as election results and military rank attainment.
A new adaptive management approach could improve outcomes in disease outbreaks by allowing for quick updates to interventions based on real-time information. This flexible approach has been proposed as a way to contain outbreaks more efficiently and effectively, saving lives and millions of dollars.
Research from Oregon State University found that children's poor decision-making skills at age 10-11 can lead to behavioral difficulties and high-risk health behavior in their teen years. Early intervention may help improve outcomes by teaching decision-making skills.
A new study found that consumers who feel guilty focus on concrete details, while those feeling ashamed consider the bigger picture. This insight can help companies tailor their ads to avoid negative effects.
The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) has launched a free menopause mobile app, MenoPro, that uses an algorithm to help clinicians and patients make personalized treatment decisions. The app offers two modes, including one for healthcare providers and one for patients, and provides access to NAMS resources and a cardiovascular di...
A new study by Michigan State University researchers found that men tend to focus on an artist's background and authenticity when evaluating art, while women prioritize the artwork itself. This finding has implications for the $64 billion art market and other industries where creativity is involved.
A study reveals that female fruit flies use a small number of excitatory neurons and neurotransmitters like acetylcholine to decide whether to accept or reject male courtship. The decision-making process is found to be generated in three brain regions, suggesting a complex circuit involving sensory inputs and neural signaling.
Research at Royal Holloway University found that individuals with delusions tend to make hasty choices in daily life. They gather less information before making decisions, leading to potentially less successful outcomes.
Scientists discovered a new type of brain activity that forecasts when a spontaneous decision occurs more than a second in advance. The premotor cortex neurons can predict the rat's actions with remarkable accuracy.
A new supplement published in Health Policy and Planning presents the latest research on people-centred health systems, emphasizing the importance of patient and community involvement. The studies reveal four key themes: ensuring people have a voice, putting people first in healthcare design, recognizing social relationships within hea...
CWRU researchers are investigating how patients make end-of-life decisions, with a focus on improving the quality of life for patients and their loved ones. The four-year study aims to better understand the complex interactions between healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients in making these decisions.
Researchers used neural recordings to predict when a rat would give up waiting for a delayed tone. The findings suggest that individual brain cells cast votes for actions, but the outcome is not predetermined.
Researchers at the University of Manchester argue that environmental scientists should provide more practical solutions to climate change, but recognize the need for a broader skill-set. They suggest integrating social science and humanities to enrich public debates about responding to environmental change.
Women facing breast cancer diagnosis can use decision analysis to evaluate alternatives for breast reconstruction, incorporating patient preferences and values. The process creates a 'decision tree' with options, outcomes, and values assigned to each outcome.
In unpredictable situations, rats abandon past experience for random choices, controlled by the anterior cingulate cortex. This finding may have implications for human disorders like depression, where ordinary decision-making is ineffective.
Researchers at Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus found that the brain can temporarily disconnect past experiences from decision-making circuits, triggering random behavior. The team manipulated a stress hormone called norepinephrine to switch between random and strategic modes.
A study of pregnant women receiving computerized decision-support guides found significantly less invasive diagnostic testing compared to those without. The intervention resulted in more women choosing no or screening-only testing strategies.
A new study published in PLOS Computational Biology found that pupil size can predict the reliability of decisions. Researchers measured pupil size before participants made decisions and found that larger pupils were associated with poorer performance.
A Sam Houston State University study examines the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in policing, identifying key uses and limitations. The review found that while GIS is widely used for crime mapping and profiling, there is a lack of independent evaluations on its effectiveness in curbing crime.
A Baylor University study reveals that states with stricter lobbying regulations promote more equal political representation, narrowing the gap between rich and poor citizens' opinions. States with more restrictions on professional lobbyists tend to score higher in terms of equality of representation.
The American Gastroenterological Association has released a new clinical decision tool to guide gastroenterologists in assessing and treating patients with Crohn's disease. The tool synthesizes current literature to create a practical algorithm for clinicians, providing a pathway for better quality care.
Researchers found that people in a 'calculative mindset' are more likely to analyze non-numerical problems mathematically and overlook social and moral factors. Participants displayed significantly more selfish behavior when given lessons on calculative economics concepts.
A University of Iowa study found that teenagers' brains are more sensitive to immediate rewards, leading to impulsive behavior. The researchers suggest limiting distractions to help teens develop impulse-control skills.
Research from University of British Columbia suggests dopamine plays a key role in guiding risky decisions. The study found that altering dopamine signals can impact decision-making, leading to more or less conservative choices.
A new study by Henry Ford Hospital found that over 95% of patients treated in an Emergency Department incorrectly assume their emergency contact is their designated medical decision maker for end-of-life care. This misunderstanding can lead to invasive treatments and unnecessary suffering. The study emphasizes the importance of educati...
A new University of Michigan study found significant variation in hospital admissions for ER patients with common non-life-threatening conditions, resulting in estimated annual costs of $5 billion and $266 billion. The study analyzed data from 961 hospitals and 28.5 million emergency visits, revealing that some conditions had high rate...
A new study found that residency training in locations with less intensive practice patterns is associated with better clinical decision-making. Physicians trained in these environments consistently scored higher on a management exam subscale, indicating their ability to make conservative decisions without sacrificing patient outcomes.
Experts argue that OEF is essential for reducing earthquake risk by providing authoritative information to policymakers and the public. Key findings include the potential for significant changes in earthquake probabilities over time, influenced by local seismic activity.
Research found that human gamblers and pigeons are 35% more likely to take risks for high-value rewards due to past experiences. The study suggests a shared psychology driving risk-taking behavior across species.
MIT researchers have created an algorithm that enables a drone to monitor its health in real-time, allowing it to take proactive measures during delivery missions. The approach simplifies planning by separating vehicle-level and mission-level tasks, resulting in more efficient and reliable deliveries.
Researchers found that ADHD children use less differentiated learning patterns, leading to suboptimal decisions. The study used mathematical models and multimodal imaging to examine brain activity in participants with and without ADHD.
Researchers at UTSA have identified key factors limiting veterans' ability to secure jobs and offer strategies for organizations and veterans to enhance their access. The study highlights the importance of addressing stereotypes, educating decision-makers about military skills transfer, and creating a culture that values hiring veterans.
Habits emerge through associative learning, involving automatic behaviors in stable contexts. Changing habits requires derailing existing habits, repetition, and stable context cues.
A study found that declines in visual perception speed are strongly related to declines in intelligence in old age. The researchers tested 600 healthy older people on a simple task of visual perception and found that the brain's ability to make correct decisions based on brief visual impressions limits complex mental functions.