Study: How Your Brain Decides To Wait Or Give Up

Do you wait for the rain to stop, or simply make other plans? Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania discovered that the brain has an internal “calculator” to help us make these split-second decisions. Participants were asked to play a game involving coins whose value increased over time. Some “coins” became valuable faster than others. Participants with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex were less likely to wait, which suggests this part of the brain is responsible for patience. However, participants with damage to the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex didn’t seem to know when to quit. This research could help with anxiety, depression, and addiction. (Study Finds)