The Value of Beliefs

Ethan S Bromberg-Martin; Tali Sharot

doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.001

The Value of Beliefs

Neuron. 2020 May 20;106(4):561-565. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.001.

Authors

Ethan S Bromberg-Martin¹, Tali Sharot²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. Electronic address: neuroethan@gmail.com.
² Affective Brain Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK. Electronic address: t.sharot@ucl.ac.uk.

PMID: 32437655
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.001

Abstract

We construct our beliefs to meet two sometimes conflicting goals: forming accurate beliefs to inform our decisions and forming desirable beliefs that we value for their own sake. In this NeuroView, we consider emerging neuroscience evidence on how the brain motivates itself to form particular beliefs and why it does so.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain / physiology*
Culture*
Humans

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding