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This paper reviews the cognitive neuroscience of decision making and summarizes a talk given by the author at a SOL-UK workshop entitled 'Improving the Decision-Taking Process in Institutions' and held at the London School of Economics on 23rd June, 2006.\n\nAn operational definition of decision making is discussed as it relates to neuroscientific research and application. Neuroanatomical and cortico- subcortical as well as cortico-cortical connections between brain structures are then reviewed as they relate to the decision making process. Finally, while biased toward the individual level of analysis, extrapolations to the larger group environment are also discussed.

By combining the models and tasks of Game Theory with modern psychological and neuroscientific methods, the neuroeconomic approach to the study of social decision-making has the potential to extend our knowledge of brain mechanisms involved in social decisions and to advance theoretical models of how we make decisions in a rich, interactive environment. Research has already begun to illustrate how social exchange can act directly on the brain's reward system, how affective factors play an important role in bargaining and competitive games, and how the ability to assess another's intentions is related to strategic play. These findings provide a fruitful starting point for improved models of social decision-making, informed by the formal mathematical approach of economics and constrained by known neural mechanisms. -- Sanfey 318 (5850): 598 -- Science

The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative review of the area of Neuroscience and its relationship to Behavioral Decision Making. I will start by discussing Prospect theory and the role that neuroscience can play in understanding human behavior under risky situations. I will then discuss the Somatic Marker Hypothesis and its application in decision making. Further, I will highlight some techniques that are used to measure neural responses. Finally, I will end with future avenues of research where Neuroscience techniques can be applied in studying different Marketing phenomena.

Koenigs, M., Young, L., Adolphs, R., Tranel, D., Cushman, F., Hauser, M., & Damasion, A. (2007). Damage to the prefrontal cortex increases utilitarian moral judgements. Nature.

No matter which public topic you discuss or which personal aspect you worry about - you need reasons for your opinion and argumentation. Moreover, the ability of reasoning is responsible for your cognitive features of decision making and choosing among alternatives.

What makes people behave honestly when confronted with opportunities for dishonest gain? Research on the interplay between controlled and automatic processes in decision making suggests 2 hypotheses: According to the "Will" hypothesis, honesty results from the active resistance of temptation, comparable to the controlled cognitive processes that enable the delay of reward. According to the "Grace" hypothesis, honesty results from the absence of temptation, consistent with research emphasizing the determination of behavior by the presence or absence of automatic processes. (Deric Bownds' MindBlog) Abstract: http://is.gd/2mKtF

Don't think too much before purchasing that new car or television. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, people who deliberate about decisions make less accurate judgments than people who trust their instincts.

Furlong and Opfer do a nice set of experiments showing that we can be lured into making decisions by numbers that seem bigger than they really are. (Deric Bownds' MindBlog)

Fellows 3 (3): 159 -- Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews

Harvard course syllabus

A major focus of our research is to examine the neurobiological underpinnings of category learning and attentional processes. We achieve this goal through a blending of empirical data collection, cognitive neuroscience, and mathematical modeling.

The level of activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex correlated with the level of responsibility that the volunteers assigned to the defendant, whereas activity in the amygdala, the medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex predicted punishment magnitude, indicating that distinct neural systems underlie the two processes in legal decision making. (Deric Bownds' MindBlog)

An overview of neuroethics and neurolaw that covers a lot of ground, from Phineas Gage to comas. Ways that the brain controls behaviour, issues of responsibility and accountability in the legal system, decision making, recidivism and rehabilitation, predicting violence, the hype and reality of fMRI lie detectors and the implicit association test (IAT), and more. Mentions a clinical trial that's testing neurofeedback for controlling cravings.

a biased mind can handle uncertainty more efficiently and robustly than an unbiased mind relying on more resource-intensive and general-purpose processing strategies (Deric Bownds' MindBlog)