Is our decision-making process influenced by our emotions and how we feel?
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The Influence of Emotions on Decision-Making
Emotions as Drivers of Decision-Making
Research over the past few decades has significantly advanced our understanding of how emotions influence decision-making. Emotions are now recognized as potent and pervasive drivers of our choices, affecting judgments in both predictable and unpredictable ways1. This shift in understanding has led to the development of models such as the emotion-imbued choice model, which integrates traditional rational choice theory with insights from emotion research1.
Incidental and Integral Emotions
Emotions can influence decision-making in two primary ways: through incidental emotions, which are unrelated to the decision at hand, and integral emotions, which are directly related to the decision2 3. Incidental emotions can carry over and affect decision-making by influencing appraisal tendencies, while integral emotions shape decisions through cognitive appraisals specific to the situation3.
Neurobiological Underpinnings
The somatic marker hypothesis provides a neurobiological framework for understanding how emotions influence decision-making. This hypothesis posits that bodily states, or "somatic markers," generated by emotions help guide decisions, especially under conditions of uncertainty4 5. Key brain regions involved in this process include the orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, and insular cortices, which work together to map emotional states and influence decision outcomes4 9.
Emotions and Consumer Behavior
In the realm of consumer decision-making, emotions play a crucial role. Specific emotions are linked to cognitive appraisals that drive purchasing decisions. Marketing stimuli often leverage these emotional responses to influence consumer behavior, demonstrating the powerful impact of both related and unrelated emotions on buying choices3.
The Role of Regret and Ethical Decisions
Emotions such as regret also significantly impact decision-making. The anticipation of regret can alter choices, leading individuals to avoid decisions that might result in negative emotional outcomes2. Additionally, emotions are integral to ethical decision-making, where feelings of guilt or moral outrage can guide individuals toward more ethical choices2.
Cognitive and Emotional Interplay
The interplay between cognitive and emotional processes is complex. While emotions can sometimes hinder normatively correct thinking, they can also promote more adaptive decision-making in certain contexts8. This dual role underscores the importance of understanding the specific conditions under which emotions either aid or impair decision-making.
Conclusion
In summary, emotions are integral to the decision-making process, influencing choices through both conscious and non-conscious mechanisms. The integration of emotional and cognitive processes provides a more comprehensive understanding of how decisions are made, highlighting the need for further research to explore the nuanced ways in which emotions shape our judgments and behaviors.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Emotion and decision making.
Emotions significantly influence decision making, sometimes negatively and sometimes positively, and the emotion-imbued choice model synthesizes traditional rational choice theory and newer emotion research.
Highly CitedAffect, emotion, and decision making
Affect, emotion, and decision making influence each other, with potential limitations in current research and promising future directions for further exploration.
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Emotions, both related and unrelated to the decision, significantly influence consumer decision-making through cognitive appraisals and carryover appraisal tendencies.
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The orbitofrontal cortex plays a critical role in decision making and emotional processing, with other brain structures also playing a role, including the amygdala and somatosensory/insular cortices.
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Emotions, in the form of bodily states, aid in decision-making by marking different behavior options as advantageous or disadvantageous, through an interplay between neural systems that elicit and map these emotions.
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Emotions influence decisions differently based on their fit with the environment, not being either rational or irrational per se.
Emotion and decision making
Emotions are a purposeful, rational decision-making system that helps make decisions appropriate for primitive and wild environments, and their role in decision-making can be better understood and controlled.
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Emotions influence higher level cognitive processes, with anxiety primarily affecting interpretive biases, mood-congruent effects in judgement, and risk perception affecting decision making and reasoning.
Literature ReviewHighly CitedThe role of emotion in decision-making: Evidence from neurological patients with orbitofrontal damage
Decision-making relies on neural substrates that regulate homeostasis, emotion, and feeling, with orbitofrontal damage impairing decision-making quality in neurological patients.
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Emotions influence decision-making and information processing through the interaction of appraisal tendencies and decision contexts.
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