Rational decision making is commonly conceived of a involving dispassionate formulation of the options and careful computation of the best course of action. Research conducted by neuroscientists on individuals with certain types of brain damage suggests that, contrary to common view of rational decision making as dispassionate, emotions may be critical to good decision making. In this research the PI will investigate the interplay between affect and reason in decision making. Specifically, the research examines individual differences in the ability to be guided by affect when making decisions and how those differences in affect influence the quality of decisions made.
