Unexpected Sounds Boost Dopamine, Leading to Riskier Decisions
Summary: A new study shows that unexpected sounds can cause dopamine bursts in the brain, which may lead to riskier decision-making. Researchers found that participants were 4% more likely to choose risky options after hearing a surprising tone.
These findings highlight how unrelated sensory events, like sounds, can influence choices, shedding light on the role dopamine plays in decision-making. The study also opens doors to better understanding dopamine’s impact on mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and depression.
A new Yale study shows that when other factors wholly unrelated to the decision at hand — such as an unexpected sound — trigger these dopamine bursts it can lead to riskier decision-making.
The findings demonstrate how sounds around us may affect our choices and could also help researchers better understand dopamine systems in the brain and how they contribute to conditions like schizophrenia and depression.
“Many of us might have the intuition that hearing an unexpected sound would be distracting, that it might lead to errors or a loss of focus,” said Robb Rutledge, an assistant professor of psychology in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences and senior author of the study.
