DECISIONS, DECISIONS

BY RIYA KANSARA – I should go for a walk today. Better yet, I should go for a run! But, it’s so cold outside… maybe I’ll do it later. Should I still go out when I have four exams tomorrow? Maybe I’ll go for the deep, dark chocolate cheesecake instead of the blueberry muffin. It’s fairly easy to make your own decisions since everyone has their own. But, are you really the one making your own choices, or is it possible that other forces are  influencing you behind the scenes?

Neuroscientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have recently uncovered how the concept of free will and self-decision making play a role in bodily movements. Their research has led them to question: do our innate actions, let alone our innermost thoughts, truly result from conscious activity?

The frontal lobe, which is the decision-making part of our brain, allows us to make rationalized conclusions rather than impulsive choices. The frontal lobe is associated with judgment, problem solving, and memorization, as well as how we think, act, and learn. With its multi-faceted approach towards directing our actions and behavior, many people assume that this unique cerebral feature plays the primary role in whether we decide to participate in adrenaline-influenced activities, such as sky diving or bungee jumping. Surprisingly, the frontal lobe may not be the only part of the brain involved in risk-taking and decision-making. An MRI scan performed by the California Institute of Technology demonstrated how the parts of the brain located underneath and behind the frontal lobe may also influence how we think. If the “precise pattern” of how the brain functions can be predicted, can this pattern also be manipulated to influence our decisions?

By analyzing a group of students at Georgia State University, a group of researchers conducted several experiments, which involved linking outside influences and emotional states to physical actions and thought-out decisions. The first experiment involved determining whether a person’s neural state would influence their beliefs. Researchers described a scenario in which an advanced neuro-imaging method was possible. This enabled scientists to either predict the decisions of the participant through the concept of neuro-imaging or attempt to attempt to influence the behavior of the person making the decision. Students were then asked: whether a hypothetical participant was truly making their own choices or were they possibly being manipulated by some unseen force into making those decisions? The study found that most students believed that the participant was making their evaluations without the influence of others, even when scientists were predicting the decisions of the subject. However, the presence of possible manipulation, where the scientists were said to possibly be influencing the participant’s behavior, caused students to lean towards the idea that the subject was not able to make their own decisions. This meant that when the “threat of manipulation” was present, students were more likely to state that the participant was not able to make their own choice.  

These researchers found that the majority of the students were more likely to assume that neural activity was linked to thought and action rather than thinking that their emotional or mental was encouraging decision making. This concept is known as neuro-prediction, which describes the notion of being aware of another’s mindset and actions before they themselves are through the use of neuroimaging. This concept is often paired with the idea of mind reading, in which an assumption is made where another person’s inner thoughts are known without the use of diagnostic technology such as neuroimaging. This demonstrates how before a decision is even made, an underlying sense of manipulation has the ability to possibly influence your brain and whether a decision you made was really yours.

As the researchers later point out, it is difficult to pinpoint whether decisions we make are truly ours or whether the different regions of our brain work to influence how our decisions are made without the presence of neuro-prediction. Even with the prior knowledge of manipulation, brain activity cannot be manipulated when the “mental states have an effect on [their] actions”, meaning a decision cannot be influenced when the brain itself is not yet aware of said decision. So next time you decide to go to that restaurant you saw on TV or hold off on studying for an exam, think about whether you are truly following your heart, or rather, your head.