When faced with a choice between several things, the answer often seems to appear out of thin air, as our minds remarkably know what feels right. Both good and bad decisions are predominantly determined by past experiences and its consequences afterward. Whether it be a simple preference between different ice cream flavors or a difficult aspiration to move to another country, our brains undergo a multitude of neural processes to then make a final choice.
If two people are faced with the same dilemma, it is not uncommon that they would choose differently. The brain’s prefrontal cortex of the neocortex is what makes people uniquely distinct from each other. Despite its maturation finalizing at around 25 years old, it holds a large responsibility for personality and reasoning even during adolescence, influencing what choices align with personal goals. Emotions often override rationality in decision-making. Due to this common occurrence, the limbic system plays a crucial role as it controls behavior and emotions. The neocortex and limbic system simultaneously work together to manage everyday decisions.
Primary Neural Components
- Working Memory: Located in the prefrontal cortex, working memory allows day-to-day experiences to be held for when pros and cons need to be weighed. Our brains cannot hold every single experience that has ever happened, but the most relevant ones stay prominent, encouraging thoughtful choices. The working memory incorporates central executive and recent memories; the situation’s information is first processed and later works with the limbic system as well as the rest of the brain to compile what seems like the best fit.
- Amygdala: Part of the limbic system, the amygdala is responsible for gauging emotions and ultimately how to outwardly respond. Decision-making is often effective when it is led by logic; however, this is usually not the case, as the brain focuses more on current emotional states and foundational biases. The amygdala also stores emotional memories, recollecting what type of choices led to either positive or negative experiences. Our brains utilize these outcomes and eventually learn to avoid the things that led to negative responses.
- Mesolimbic System: Commonly referred to as the reward system, the mesolimbic system is a brain circuit that is involved in learning development as well as dopamine firing. The ventral tegmental area, located in the midbrain, releases dopamine that travels to the nucleus accumbens – the brain’s pleasure center – and the amygdala that regulates emotions. The combination of whether a reward was received and if it felt pleasant is later assessed. As similar experiences occur, the ventral tegmental area will often cease to fire dopamine due to the anticipated reward. This message alerts the brain to choose what seemed to work in the past.
Music’s Impact on Decisions
In 2023, people spent an average of 20.7 hours each week listening to music. With countless genres and subgenres, everyone is able to find songs that can be appreciated. The interpretation of a song being happy is widely subjective. Regardless, the mood that is subsequently created influences how information is processed in the brain. This sensitivity significantly impacts the exaggeration of what the details of a memory were. Inaccurate recollections can create biases that would not have previously existed. Ultimately, the perceived mood that music creates can impair the effectiveness of the decision-making process and allocated focus on the matter.
Heavy reliance on past experiences couple with emotional states and sway the preference of available options. The interaction between different neural parts and external influences gives insight on how decisions, whether simple or complex. Awareness of these interactions guide the actions for the betterment of individuals in society.
- Isabella Ouyang
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8992377/#:~:text=At%20its%20core%2C%20the
%20reward,of%20one%20stimulus%20over%20another. - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/decision-making
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3898679/#:~:text=Working%20memory%20is%2C
%20essentially%2C%20what,Imagine%20planning%20a%20simple%20errand. - https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/limbic-system
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7149951/#:~:text=It%20is%20well%20known%
20that,of%20action%20still%20are%20unknown. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3621648/#:~:text=The%20development%20and%
20maturation%20of%20the%20prefrontal%20cortex%20occurs%20primarily,helps%20accomplish
%20executive%20brain%20functions. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4050437/#:~:text=Several%20studies%20on
%20logical%20reasoning,Harmon%2DJones%2C%202013). - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499919/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20last%20places
,and%20then%20react%20to%20them. - https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~pstone/Papers/bib2html-links/ISMIR2016-eladlieb.slides.pdf
*Disclaimer: This article has also been posted to our Medium. NernstNaK is the rightful owner of this work on both our website and Medium, and thus stresses that there has been no plagiarism or copying on either account.*