Life often confronts us with situations that demand a quick, clear decision. Many of these decisions can be irrational, influenced by information that has nothing to do with the decision itself, even though we are of course capable of making logical decisions of our own free will.
Modern science compares the brain to a "hybrid engine" that can switch quickly back and forth between careful calculation and fast intuition.
But what makes us decide how to deal with a problem? How do we know which part of our mental store will drive the decision this time?
Two psychologists at Florida State University tried to answer these questions. If the brain is like a hybrid engine, they reasoned, why not look at the fuel system that runs it? Hard thinking is usually hungry for energy.
They wanted to know whether the brain's fuel, glucose in the blood, affects whether we make rational or irrational decisions. In the lab they ran several experiments designed to drain people's energy: the energy needed for willpower, and the glucose needed for self-control and decision-making.
Then they gave some people real energy (a drink with sugar) and others fake energy (a drink with artificial sweetener). The first group went on to make sound decisions faster and with less effort, unlike the second group, for whom some situations took a lot of time and effort to decide.
This shows how intricately the brain and the body work together to solve life's problems. Many of us can do several things at once and are happy to do so, but when willpower competes with demanding mental work, both need energy, and if the fuel is limited, the result is an irrational decision.
Like
Love
Angry
Dislike
