News

When Does Waiting Stop Being Worth It?

Human brain in white room with chaotic arrows drawn on wall. The concept of different choices.

In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Penn psychologist Joseph Kable—Jean-Marie Kneeley President’s Distinguished Professor of Psychology—explores how different regions of the brain help us decide whether to stick with something or walk away. By examining patients with specific prefrontal cortex lesions, Kable and his collaborators uncovered how the brain weighs uncertainty and reward in real time. The findings have implications for decision-making, mental health, and our understanding of persistence—not as simple grit, but as a dynamic, context-driven process.…Read More

A New Study Shows How the Brain Processes Partisan Information

human brain 1920 blue

In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Penn psychologist Joseph Kable—Jean-Marie Kneeley President’s Distinguished Professor of Psychology—explores how different regions of the brain help us decide whether to stick with something or walk away. By examining patients with specific prefrontal cortex lesions, Kable and his collaborators uncovered how the brain weighs uncertainty and reward in real time. The findings have implications for decision-making, mental health, and our understanding of persistence—not as simple grit, but as a dynamic, context-driven process.…Read More

Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested – Now What?

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The episode of Freakonomics Radio examines the potential risks and rewards of celebrity endorsements, focusing on the scandal involving Jared Fogle and Subway, and analyzes whether such endorsements significantly impact consumer behavior. Despite Fogle’s arrest for repugnant crimes, Subway sales showed no significant decline, questioning the actual influence of celebrity endorsements on brand success as opposed to conventional beliefs held by marketing departments.…Read More

Hurricane Maria Changed ‘Rules or the Game’ in Monkey Society

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In a new study published in Science, Michael Platt, Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor and Faculty Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, shows how Hurricane Maria reshaped social behavior among rhesus macaques on Puerto Rico’s Cayo Santiago.

Alongside collaborators Professor Lauren Brent, University of Exeter, and Camille Testard, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Pennsylvania, Platt found that in the aftermath of environmental devastation, monkeys became more socially tolerant as a strategy to survive extreme heat and limited shade. The findings offer striking parallels to human resilience, showing how social connection can serve as a vital survival mechanism under climate stress.…Read More

Fertility Rates are Declining. Is Tech to Blame?

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Neuroscientists Michael Platt and Peter Sterling highlight that the declining global fertility rate is attributed to increasing social isolation and anxiety, fundamentally altering economic and social landscapes. They emphasize that traditional government interventions have been ineffective, suggesting deeper societal and lifestyle restructuring to counteract negative mental health trends influenced by digital culture.…Read More

Do We Make Better Group Decisions When Our Hearts Synchronize

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Neuroscientist Michael Platt and his team explored heart rate synchrony as a biomarker to improve decision-making dynamics within groups, facilitating better communication and cooperation. Their findings suggest that heart rate synchrony can serve as a reliable indicator of group effectiveness, surpassing traditional survey-based measures in predicting successful outcomes during collaborative tasks.…Read More

AI on the Mind: Analytics at Wharton’s Neuroscientists Weigh in on AI’s Future with our Brains

The article discusses the implications of advancements in AI, particularly large language models like ChatGPT, on various fields, exploring the interplay between artificial intelligence and neuroscience as well as the ethical considerations and potential societal impacts, such as displacement of jobs, the integration in education, and the biases in data training. Experts Michael Platt and Elizabeth “Zab” Johnson from the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative highlight current projects that leverage AI for brain science and underscore the intersections of technological advancements with human creativity and societal application, predicting rapid changes and the need for thoughtful governance.…Read More