Researchers discovered that hearing an unexpected sound just before making a decision triggers the release of dopamine, leading people to make riskier choices
Researchers discovered that hearing an unexpected sound just before making a decision triggers the release of dopamine, leading people to make riskier choices
>When you make a decision, certain neurons in your brain emit short bursts of the neurotransmitter dopamine. A new Yale study shows that when other factors wholly unrelated to the decision at hand — such as an unexpected sound — trigger these dopamine bursts it can lead to riskier decision-making.
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>The findings demonstrate how sounds around us may affect our choices and could also help researchers better understand dopamine systems in the brain and how they contribute to conditions like schizophrenia and depression.
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>That’s because the sound may indicate something important, said Rutledge, like something rewarding. When we make a decision, short dopamine bursts may be involved, in part, because the brain is weighing how rewarding the options are
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>When you make a decision, certain neurons in your brain emit short bursts of the neurotransmitter dopamine. A new Yale study shows that when other factors wholly unrelated to the decision at hand — such as an unexpected sound — trigger these dopamine bursts it can lead to riskier decision-making.
>
>The findings demonstrate how sounds around us may affect our choices and could also help researchers better understand dopamine systems in the brain and how they contribute to conditions like schizophrenia and depression.
>
>That’s because the sound may indicate something important, said Rutledge, like something rewarding. When we make a decision, short dopamine bursts may be involved, in part, because the brain is weighing how rewarding the options are
Paper: [Surprising sounds influence risky decision making | Nature Communications](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51729-4)
I wonder if knowing this could aid people who are *too* hesitant to make decisions, or those that need to choose between seemingly equal choices.