Every day, we face a range of decisions, from picking a shirt for work to choosing a job. Some of these decisions have far-reaching consequences that may impact the rest of our lives. These choices can be difficult, and we aren't often aware of the reasons behind why we make certain choices. A new study explores how we make decisions when it comes to short and long-term rewards (回报). It found that we were more impulsive (冲动) with decisions that may bring about an immediate reward than those that have longer-term consequences.
The study was conducted by Professor Pleger from Ruhr University Bochm. The team wanted to know how we make decisions about what to eat and how to make a profit. They asked subjects to choose between smaller immediate rewards and larger rewards that they had to wait for. The longer they waited, the bigger the reward. Brain activity was observed using functional MRI, which shows which parts of the brain are active during decision-making.
The brain observation revealed interesting differences when it came to each type of reward. When people made decisions about money, brain areas responsible for thinking about the future and self-control were more active. When deciding about food, the areas that are linked to immediate satisfaction were more involved. This means that our decision-making pattern depends on the type of reward that we are presented with.
By understanding how our brains respond to different types of rewards, we may develop better tools that control how we make those decisions that may have serious consequences in our lives. Professor Pleger believes that understanding these differences can lead to new treatments for impulsive behaviors and addictions. For example, Neurofeedback (神经反馈) can observe real-time brain activity to help individuals manage their brain functions, which can help them make particularly difficult decisions, specifically surrounding unhealthy or addictive choices.
