Brain Scans Show We Take Risks Due to Underactive Self-control Systems

A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin correlated brain activity with how people make decisions and found that when individuals engage in risky behavior, such as drunk driving, it’s due to underactive self-control systems in the brain. The researchers used specialized software to look for patterns of activity across the entire brain that preceded a person’s risky choice, or a person’s safe choice, all while playing a video game that simulated risk taking. Past research has shown the game to correlate well with self-reported risk taking such as drug and alcohol abuse, smoking, and gambling, etc. The software accurately predicted volunteers’ choices 71 percent of the time when programmed to predict what types of choices volunteers would make during the course of the game (based solely on their brain activity). Researchers also found that when the game software analyzed smaller parts of the brain, such as those involved in executive functions — particularly self-control, working memory, and attention — those small areas were enough to predict a person’s future choices. The findings of the study have the potential to improve treatment of mental illness and addiction. To find out more about this study, click here.