DECISIONS AND

DESIRE
Group 6 .Section A
Outline

Introduction Emotion and Reason Risk and Reward

Thrill of hunting Fear of loathing Know the brain

 Introduction

• We are not always in charge of our

decision making.
• Our decisions are spread through the
spectrum with some of them turning
out to be brilliant and some not so
much.
• So what drives these decisions?
• Let’s try to understand how we make
these decisions.
Emotions and Reason
◦ Best results are always obtained when emotions are kept out .
◦ Prefrontal Cortex –responsible for processing emotions.
It determines whether we respond positively or negatively to events and experiences

◦ The process of decision is methodical –Emotions cause hindrance or change of course

◦ Emotions processed by prefrontal cortex
“ In the end I’m going to feel great, because I worked hard to get there”
“I’m going to get a lot of credit for this”
“I fear this will fetch me losses
 Experiment 1: Depression test

Magnetic Energy Attached to Induced Hundreds of Magnetic therapy Significant relief

generating left Forehead current to patients were outperformed from depression
paddle for 10 days. brains neurons treated placebo treatment and emotional
instrument. turmoil
Experiment 2: Game of cards

Players pick Rigged up red Most could People with Couldn’t decide
Tied to a lie
cards from red deck identify that it damaged brain what was best for
detector
and blue decks was a bad bet continued them and lacked
after 80 draws picking from red judgement
deck
Risk and Rewards
Parts of the brain handling emotions:
• Hypothalamus Ancient group of brain
• Hippocampus structure, located deep
• Amygdala inside the brain
• Limbic cortex
Higher parts of the brain like Prefrontal cortex is
involved in reasoning and goal orientation

In the case of toddlers and teen agers, the risk and reward
calculating brain structure is not completely developed. Hence
the part of the brain (Primitive) that incite impulsive behavior
seem dominating in adolescents
Risk and rewards calculations happen because of the wiring that manifests as
willpower
The wiring is between the primitive brain and the modern brain (Prefrontal cortex)
is responsible for conscious calculations of risk and rewards.
These neural connections provide will power – the ability to take the long term
perspective in evaluating risks and rewards.
Thrill of hunting
◦ The human brain is coded for compassion, for guilt, for a kind of empathic pain
that causes the person inflicting harm to feel a degree of suffering that is in many
ways as intense as what the victim is experiencing
◦ The brain’s desire for reward is the main principal for source of bad judgement.
◦ The reward systems depends on a soup of chemicals to communicate, chief among
them is neurotransmitter dopamine preferred to as brain’s pleasure chemical.
◦ The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens are the two major
centres in this circuit, but it also includes several others, such as the septum, the
amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and certain parts of the thalamus
Reward Path Way in the Brain Addiction to substance
 Brain’s Site of Fear
Fear of loathing
Managerial Implication
 Decides whether a
Mirrors a deep learning model
person is risk averse or
not
Stimuli  Guides investment
decisions
Experience  Amygdala induces
feelings of discomfort Damage to the amygdala
Learning
when encountered with has known to cure Post
Response groups other than our own Traumatic Stress
(black vs white, humans Disorder (PTSD)
vs animals etc)
 Works like a deep learning model  The area’s learning model
 Amygdala dictates responses to potential can be leveraged and
biases be unlearnt through  Brain no longer
threat
 Studies have show this area’s responses positive remembers to hold fear
to be suffused with social biases exposure/experiences
 Understanding the human brain

How Quickly and powerfully our unconscious impulses work?

Flash a picture of an angry or happy face for a second and your amygdala
instantly reacts but your conscious self has no idea what you saw.

Pay close attention to feelings of excitement and

fear and ask
• When such feelings arises
• What causes that
• Where did these feelings come from
By consciously monitoring moods and related
decisions, people can understand their gut feelings When:
better • You are negotiating an acquisition
- Richard Peterson, psychiatrist • Hiring an employee
• Trusting your partner
Be aware that your brain is increasingly
predictable of situation so you better
pay attention
THANK YOU!