Articles tagged with Social Decision Making
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found that heavy cannabis users exhibited reduced brain activity during working memory tasks, associated with worse performance. Abstaining from cannabis before cognitive tasks may help improve performance.
A new review article highlights the potential of behavioral science for public policy, focusing on developing self-control and decision-making skills. The authors argue that boosting is essential to navigate and resist manipulative forces in a highly commercialized environment.
Researchers at UTEP aim to understand how drugs impact decision-making processes and drive costly behaviors. The study will use animal models and computational neurobiology to simulate neural activity and test hypotheses about the relationship between drug use, decision-making, and brain activity.
A new study led by UCL researchers reveals that people at risk of hereditary dementia significantly impact their choices about having children and parenting. Genetic risk is viewed in the context of other factors, with concerns including practical and emotional challenges of caring for someone with familial frontotemporal dementia.
A study published in PLOS ONE investigates how early hominins selected rocks for toolmaking between 1.6-1.0 million years ago in the Ethiopian highlands. The research demonstrates that early humans made informed decisions based on factors like durability and efficiency, providing new insights into their technological behaviors.
Climate change advocate Kelley T. Lê argues that schools are crucial in mobilizing a global response to the climate crisis. Her new book provides practical tools to equip teachers with the knowledge to teach climate science and inspire students to take action.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Human Development identified five key dimensions of transformative life decisions: conflicting cues, change of self, uncertain experiential value, irreversibility, and risk. The study proposes simple decision strategies to address these dimensions, including tallying, ideal self-realization, lear...
Researchers reveal that contradictory findings on territorial self-governance and ethnic civil war risk are primarily due to variations in measurement definitions. The study highlights the importance of considering the nuances of data choice in understanding conflict resolution.
A recent study by Mizzou researchers found that nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias are more likely to experience avoidable hospital transfers due to a mismatch between care provided and personal preferences. Increasing staff support, training, and resources can help improve outcomes for these residents.
In a Weizmann Institute experiment, groups of ants demonstrated superior problem-solving skills compared to human groups and individuals. Humans struggled to improve performance when working together, relying on individual calculation rather than collective strategy.
Researchers warn that AI assistants will combine intimate psychological and behavioral data with persuasive technologies to build trust and manipulate social behavior. The 'Intention Economy' could lead to a lucrative yet troubling marketplace where human intentions are commodified.
Researchers developed a preclinical model of brain stimulation therapy that enhances the brain's ability to process conflicting evidence. This improvement in cognitive flexibility could lead to more effective treatments for conditions like depression, ADHD, and addiction.
Researchers at Waseda University found that somatosensory electrical stimulation on the wrist can bias subsequent motor decisions, increasing the likelihood of using the stimulated hand. This phenomenon highlights a connection between sensory input and motor choices, with potential implications for individuals with motor impairments.
The authors introduce advanced methodologies for integrating maintenance strategies and structural health monitoring to extend infrastructure service life. Topics include data-driven decision-making, multi-objective optimization, cost-benefit analysis, and the role of data analytics in managing uncertainties.
New research from Indiana University finds that accepting funding from family and friends can lead entrepreneurs to make more conservative venture growth decisions. This 'funding-source-induced bias' can result in anticipated guilt, prompting founders to prioritize lower-risk strategies.
A CU Anschutz study found that using a decision aid led to less personal uncertainty and distress among older adults, but not reduced depression. The online tool helped participants feel more confident in their decisions.
A new study by the University of Exeter highlights the need for more targeted mental health support for migrant children in schools. The review of 38 studies shows that stigma around mental health and stressors associated with migration are significant barriers to accessing support.
A new study from the University of Waterloo found that people's preference for simple explanations mirrors their desire for efficient actions. The study discovered that individuals are more attracted to explanations involving common and reliable causes.
A recent study published in PLOS Biology found that teenagers often make suboptimal choices due to limited cognitive resources. As they grow older, these 'noisy' decisions decrease and are replaced by more sophisticated choice behaviors. This improvement is linked to increased performance across learning tasks.
A new study led by UNLV anthropologist Brian Villmoare models thousands of generations to understand why animals, including humans, prioritize short-term benefits over long-term returns. The research suggests that organisms choose a more distant reward only if it's substantially higher and has a high degree of reliability.
A study published in PNAS found that prolonged mental fatigue can lead to a decrease in self-control, causing individuals to behave more aggressively. The researchers discovered that areas of the frontal cortex dedicated to executive functions showed sleep-like activity when subjects were subjected to demanding mental tasks.
Researchers developed ERTool, an open-source Python package, to simplify the Evidential Reasoning (ER) approach for multi-source evidence fusion. The tool automates complex algorithms, enabling researchers and professionals to integrate multi-source data for evidence-based decision-making.
Researchers warn that inadequate funding for climate adaptation measures disproportionately harms vulnerable populations. Maladaptation occurs when strategies backfire and worsen living conditions. Effective funding is crucial to ensure progress in adaptation.
The book uses a 'history from below' approach to center the voices of petitioners, revealing how they framed their demands using language like justice, rights, and equity. Through over 4,000 petitions, Dr. Bright Alozie shows the significance of this genre in shaping colonial society and influencing decision-making.
Clinicians should avoid using 'never words' that can scare, offend, or diminish agency in patients and families dealing with serious illness. Researchers recommend alternative language and methods for clinicians to identify their own never words.
Hoda Eldardiry receives $349,360 grant from NSF to develop practical competencies for students to apply ethical principles in AI system design. Her team aims to engage industry professionals to translate AI ethics into concrete decision-making.
Researchers used a virtual cow game to study human movement and navigation, developing a model that can simulate human behavior and predict choices. The study found that humans make decisions based on angular distance and previous choices, and the developed model could accurately mimic these patterns.
The University of Missouri's College of Education and Human Development is giving free online training and coaching to 110 middle school teachers in rural Missouri. The goal is to create a safe learning environment, with the potential to reduce stressors for teachers and improve student engagement.
A study found that people's choices between safe and risky options are influenced by their perception of an observer's opinion. After initial biases, participants learned to correctly predict their partners' choices and adjusted their behavior accordingly.
A new study reveals that magicians are willing to share their own trick techniques, but not those invented by others or deceased individuals. They believe it's acceptable to reveal secrets for good causes, such as enhancing wellbeing or scientific research, and that mass online tutorials have reduced the need for traditional secrecy.
A new grant will investigate the role of social media in teen e-cigarette and cigarette use. Researchers will analyze social influences, particularly through online networks, to understand how teens are influenced to smoke and use e-cigarettes. The study aims to develop effective interventions to reduce nicotine product use among teens.
A new study from UT Arlington found that setting reminders can significantly reduce age-related declines in memory, particularly in prospective memory. The study suggests that reminders help counteract cognitive strain by making memory retrieval less reliant on internal processes.
A cross-sectional study of 14,000 insured adults found that individual-level social determinants of health are strongly linked to healthcare spending by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers. This association can inform health insurers and policymakers to incorporate social determinants into decision-making practices.
Using Clinical Design Support Systems (CDSS) can help make maternity services safer for pregnant women, with a meta-analysis of 35 studies showing a 1.69 times higher odds of improved outcomes. The findings support the use of AI and related software tools to improve pregnancy care.
A recent study by the University of New Hampshire found that political affiliation plays a significant role in gift-giving decisions, with participants favoring politically aligned items for others over themselves. This suggests that individuals often consider how their target's politics may affect them when making purchasing choices.
A new study by Penn State researchers suggests that making AI training data diversity information available can shape users' expectations of algorithmic fairness and trust. Displaying racial diversity cues in AI interfaces can enhance users' perceptions of algorithmic fairness and trust, according to the study's findings.
Researchers investigated how young people decide whether to intervene in a potentially dangerous situation, such as sexual harassment. They found that prosocial motivations and emotional reactions, including anger, were strong motivators for intervention, while concerns about safety and moral considerations played a role. The study sug...
Researchers analyzed crime statistics before and after sweep sites to find no change in most crimes, with only minor decreases in auto theft and public disorder. The study suggests that encampments cannot be linked to a rise in crime, challenging the effectiveness of sweeps in improving public safety.
A new five-year NIH-funded study will investigate the impact of stress, illness, and inflammation on bias in healthcare workers, particularly towards patients from racial minority groups. The research aims to identify situations that increase bias and develop effective anti-bias strategies.
A new study found that people naturally assume they have all the necessary information to make a decision or support their position, even when they don't. Researchers call this phenomenon the 'illusion of information adequacy,' which leads people to be more confident in their decisions despite lacking full knowledge.
A new study from UCSF has found that ChatGPT overprescribes in emergency care situations, providing unnecessary x-rays and antibiotics. The AI model was less accurate than resident physicians, with a tendency to err on the side of caution. Researchers emphasize the need for better frameworks to evaluate clinical information before AI c...
A study published in Strategic Management Journal found that high-tech firms with powerful, experienced boards experience a 113% increase in breakthrough innovations. The research team highlights the importance of balancing CEO overconfidence with board expertise and power.
A UT Arlington study suggests that speaking up is key to ethical decision-making in research groups. The researchers found that fostering an environment where everyone feels empowered to voice concerns can help prevent unethical behavior. An 'ethical champion' who steps up to speak out against potential issues was a common finding.
The study found that adherence to cultural myths about rape was the strongest predictor of assaultive behavior, even controlling for other factors. Men's personalities, such as rigid adherence to traditional gender roles and low empathy, were also linked to an increased risk of committing sexual assault.
Researchers from Penn and Princeton developed a method of judging behavior that sustains cooperation, called 'look twice, forgive once.' This approach looks at multiple actions and forgives some bad actions to maintain consensus, confirming the original hypothesis that public institutions are not necessary for reputation-based cooperat...
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General found that people are strongly biased by first impressions, but 'sleeping on it' can lead to more rational choices. Participants who didn't make a decision immediately were less likely to fall into these traps and made more rational decisions.
A study of mostly climate science believers found that even the strongest believers felt skeptical claims were more true when encountered a second time. This effect, known as 'truthiness,' can lead people to perceive false claims as valid if repeated enough times.
A new study published in Communications Psychology found that older adults (60+ years) are more susceptible to social influence when making impulsive financial decisions. In contrast, younger adults tend to stick to their original preference even after seeing others opt for the impulsive option.
Research from the University of Notre Dame found that companies that withdrew from Russian operations saw a notable increase in net brand buzz and enhanced brand consideration and purchase intent, especially those with robust ESG profiles. This suggests that socially responsible actions during geopolitical crises can magnify benefits f...
The article discusses the potential benefits and risks of large language models (LLMs) on collective intelligence and proposes recommendations for action. LLMs can increase accessibility and accelerate idea generation, but also pose risks such as undermining motivation to contribute to collective knowledge commons.
The study highlights the importance of improving working conditions in A&E departments to retain doctors. Strategies such as education, community building, and mentorship can help reduce turnover rates.
The superior colliculus, a brain region traditionally thought to control eye movements, also plays a crucial role in complex cognitive tasks like visual categorization and decision making. Research from UChicago shows that activity in this region is more involved than previously thought in guiding cognitive processes.
Laura Cabrera's research aims to develop a patient-centered decision aid to help guide patients, providers, and caregivers navigate neurotechnology treatments like deep brain stimulation. The project seeks to enhance shared decision-making processes, ensuring that treatments align with individual values and preferences.
Neuroscientists have discovered a global process across the brain that coordinates sensory input with motor action through learning. In trained mice, neurons link sensory evidence to action initiation, integrating information across multiple brain regions.
A new UBC Okanagan study emphasizes the importance of identifying and managing neuropathic pain in high-performance athletes with spinal cord injuries. The research stresses the need for sports medicine clinicians and trainers to use standardized assessment tools, including symptom-based questionnaires, to better understand and communi...
Researchers call for a rethink of environmental decision-making to consider foreseeable harm and integrate key scientific and ecological evidence, including local community knowledge. The update aims to address biodiversity loss as a human rights issue and align with advances in international human rights law.
Researchers identify two key factors driving consumer participation in community-supported agriculture: the socio-cultural environment and weighing of expected gains against losses. These factors shape individuals' knowledge, attitudes, and decisions, highlighting the importance of considering lifestyles and values when promoting CSA.
A new study by The Pennsylvania State University and the University of Birmingham found that organizational support policies do not reduce retaliation intentions among 'stuck' employees. Stuck employees, who want to leave their jobs but cannot due to barriers, are more likely to retaliate against perceived organizational injustice.
A new study by Bayes Business School found that different atmospheres influence people's behavior and decision-making in strategic settings. The researchers discovered that various moods led to distinct interactions and strategies, with pensive atmospheres causing caution and curious ones fostering exploration.
A new study using mathematical models found that individuals with strong biases are more likely to make quick decisions, while those with smaller biases take longer to deliberate. The researchers suggest that understanding these patterns can help reveal the mathematics behind human decision-making in complex situations.