Dopamine Regulates Speed and Accuracy of Decision Making

A recent study adds to our understanding of the relationship between dopamine release and decision-making processes. The researchers discovered that when dopamine is released, decisions are made faster but are less accurate. These findings support the notion that dopamine regulates decision thresholds during reinforcement learning. Dopamine has been linked to several aspects of reward learning…

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Anchoring Bias Effect – A Judgement Distorting Heuristic

The anchoring bias effect, also known as the anchoring effect, is a cognitive bias that influences decision-making and judgment. It occurs when people rely too heavily on the first piece of information they encounter, known as the anchor, and subsequently adjust their evaluations and predictions based on this reference point. This heuristics causes a distortion…

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Anxiety and Stress Can Be Lowered with Adult Colouring Books

When we think of the best ways to reduce stress, we might picture activities such as exercise or meditation. But while these pursuits certainly work for some people, they aren’t the only techniques you can use to reduce stress. Over the past couple of years, adult colouring books have also become a popular hobby for…

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What is a Self-fulfilling Prophecy?

Credit: Magic Mirror, lithograph (1946) by Maurits Cornelis Escher. Photo courtesy Pedro Ribeiro Simões CC-BY

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction or expectation that influences events in a way that directly or indirectly causes the belief or expectation to come true. Simply putting a label to someone or something can influence perception and create a self-fulfilling prophecy. A self-fulfilling prophecy can have either positive or negative consequences. One negative self-fulfilling…

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Scientists Gain Overconfidence Faster Than They Gain Knowledge

Overconfidence has long been acknowledged as a serious problem in judgment and decision-making. Overconfidence, also known as confidence bias, can even foster delusional thinking, which is common in people with schizophrenia. “Overconfidence occurs when individuals subjectively assess their aptitude to be higher than their objective accuracy [and] has long been recognized as a critical problem…

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3 Different Types of Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is a cognitive bias that occurs when individuals seek out and interpret information in a way that supports their preexisting beliefs and values. This leads to a biased perception of reality, as people will favour evidence that confirms their views while dismissing or overlooking contradictory information. Several factors contribute to confirmation bias. One…

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Irrational Beliefs are not Immune to Accurate Evidence

Rutgers researchers argue that facts matter and explain why beliefs are more reasonable than they appear, even when politics and science are at odds with the truth, conspiracy theories are on the rise, and disinformation is widespread. In the study, researchers analyzed previous research and developed a new scientific framework that, according to the researchers,…

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Female and Male Brain Cells Respond Differently to Chronic Stress

Credit: Cell Reports, 2023; 42 (8): 112874 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112874

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science have discovered in unprecedented detail how the brains of male and female mice react differently to stress. The findings may lead to a better understanding of health conditions affected by chronic stress, such as anxiety, depression, and even obesity and diabetes, and pave the way for personalized treatments…

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Synaptic Vesicle Dysfunction Triggers Parkinson’s Neurodegeneration

Degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons is widely regarded as the initial cause of Parkinson’s disease. But a new study from Northwestern Medicine researchers challenges the belief. The new research suggests that synaptic dysfunction in neurons precedes neurodegeneration by causing dopamine deficits. “Based on these findings, we hypothesize that targeting dysfunctional synapses before the neurons are degenerated…

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