QUEST_The Science of Making Decisions

From: KQED
Series: QUEST
Length: 05:48

Scientists use MRIs to study the neurology of shopping Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: QUEST_The Science of Making Decisions
From: KQED

Questlogo_small Have you ever looked at your credit card bill and thought you needed to have your head examined? Researchers at Stanford University are doing just that. They are using complex brain imaging to study how humans make shopping decisions, and are finding that emotions play a large role in everyday purchases.

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Piece Description

Have you ever looked at your credit card bill and thought you needed to have your head examined? Researchers at Stanford University are doing just that. They are using complex brain imaging to study how humans make shopping decisions, and are finding that emotions play a large role in everyday purchases.

Broadcast History

Aired twice morning of 6/22/07 on KQED and KQEI

Transcript

MRI/SOMMER
QUEST RADIO
6-22-07

Have you ever looked at your credit card bill and thought you needed to have your head examined? Researchers at Stanford University are doing just that. They?re using complex brain imaging to study how humans make financial decisions, (bring up ambi) and are finding that emotions play a large role in everyday purchases.

MRI pumping sound
Its late evening at the Stanford Medical Center and Dr. Brian Knutson, an assistant professor of psychology, is using one of the university?s Magnetic Resonance Imaging - or MRI machines to research brain activity.

KNUTSON: You might wonder why we use this fancy technology to look at buying things, and one reason is because we can see what?s going on in the brain on a second to second basis, which is great (fade out pumping ambi, bring up room tone) if you?re studying decision-making.

Typically, MRI mac...
Read the full transcript