Neuroeconomics Sheds Light on Decision Making
The field of neuroeconomics seeks, in short, to look at the brain to try to understand why people do a wide variety of things, from saving for retirement to speaking in tongues. Using fMRI, researchers are finding plenty of interesting results.
For one thing, rational ideas like winning and losing aren't so simple when you factor in people's concepts of fairness. One study found that subjects would rather get no reward at all than one they feel is unfair.
More research is finding specific parts of the brain that respond to fear of the unknown, or a desire for a smaller immediate benefit over a larger one that's far in the future.
Gender and age differences are becoming apparent too. One study looked at the brain activity of healthy younger and older adults while they anticipated monetary gains and losses. Age didn't play a role in reactions when subjects considered potential gains, but older participants displayed a considerably reduced negative reaction toward losses than did their younger counterparts.