The role of emotion in decision-making: A cognitive neuroeconomic approach towards understanding sexual risk behavior

Lily A. Gutnik, A. Forogh Hakimzada, Nicole A. Yoskowitz, Vimla L. Patel

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

94 Scopus citations

Abstract

Models of decision-making usually focus on cognitive, situational, and socio-cultural variables in accounting for human performance. However, the emotional component is rarely addressed within these models. This paper reviews evidence for the emotional aspect of decision-making and its role within a new framework of investigation, called neuroeconomics. The new approach aims to build a comprehensive theory of decision-making, through the unification of theories and methods from economics, psychology, and neuroscience. In this paper, we review these integrative research methods and their applications to issues of public health, with illustrative examples from our research on young adults' safe sex practices. This approach promises to be valuable as a comprehensively descriptive and possibly, better predictive model for construction and customization of decision support tools for health professionals and consumers.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)720-736
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Biomedical Informatics
Volume39
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2006
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Decision-making
  • Decision-support
  • Emotional cognition
  • Heuristics
  • Neuroeconomics
  • Public health
  • Research methods
  • Risk assessment
  • Safe sex practices

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Science Applications
  • Health Informatics

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