In fact, as researchers are discovering, the psychology of risk involves far more than a simple "death wish." Studies now indicate that the inclination to take high risks may be hard-wired into the brain, intimately linked to arousal and pleasure mechanisms, and may offer such a thrill that it functions like an addiction. The tendency probably affects one in five people, mostly young males, and declines with age. It may ensure our survival, even spur our evolution as individuals and as a species. Risk taking probably bestowed a crucial evolutionary advantage, inciting the fighting and foraging of the hunter-gatherer.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Risk
In fact, as researchers are discovering, the psychology of risk involves far more than a simple "death wish." Studies now indicate that the inclination to take high risks may be hard-wired into the brain, intimately linked to arousal and pleasure mechanisms, and may offer such a thrill that it functions like an addiction. The tendency probably affects one in five people, mostly young males, and declines with age. It may ensure our survival, even spur our evolution as individuals and as a species. Risk taking probably bestowed a crucial evolutionary advantage, inciting the fighting and foraging of the hunter-gatherer.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
How learning happens in the brains of sleeping babies
Dozing in a bassinet, a newborn wears a stretchy cap fitted with more than 100 soft electrodes. A low beep sounds, and she squints. Nearby, ...
-
Neurocardiology: The Brain in the Heart While the Laceys were doing their research in psychophysiology, a small group of cardiovas...
-
Dozing in a bassinet, a newborn wears a stretchy cap fitted with more than 100 soft electrodes. A low beep sounds, and she squints. Nearby, ... -
Donald Trump has banned travel to the US from most of Europe – apart from the UK and Ireland – for 30 days in an attempt to limit the spre...
No comments:
Post a Comment