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Selectively altering belief formation in the human brain
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 14:32 authored by Tali Sharot, Ryota Kanai, David Marston, Christoph W Korn, Geraint Rees, Raymond J DolanHumans form beliefs asymmetrically; we tend to discount bad news but embrace good news. This reduced impact of unfavorable information on belief updating may have important societal implications, including the generation of financial market bubbles, ill preparedness in the face of natural disasters, and overly aggressive medical decisions. Here, we selectively improved people's tendency to incorporate bad news into their beliefs by disrupting the function of the left (but not right) inferior frontal gyrus using transcranial magnetic stimulation, thereby eliminating the engrained "good news/bad news effect." Our results provide an instance of how selective disruption of regional human brain function paradoxically enhances the ability to incorporate unfavorable information into beliefs of vulnerability.
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesISSN
1091-6490Publisher
National Academy of SciencesExternal DOI
Issue
42Volume
109Page range
17058-62Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes