I have not read this paper (gated full copy here), and I usually get nervous when it comes to brain scan interpretations, not to mention press release interpretations, but even if this has been botched it is still worth thinking about. A new paper suggests the following:
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that as participants were watching a sequence of faces, their brains were simultaneously evaluating those faces in two distinct ways: for the quality of the viewing experience and for what they would trade to see the face again.
As the authors put it, experienced value and decision value are not the same. The main test involves heterosexual men looking at the faces of women and thus one concrete implication, or so it seems to me, is that the pornography men enjoy the most is not necessarily what they are willing to pay the most for. The authors also note:
…that decision value signals are evident even in the absence of an overt choice task. We conclude that decisions are made by comparing neural representations of the value of different goods encoded in posterior VMPFC in a common, relative currency.
Hat tip goes to MoneyScience on Twitter.
So, what does this say about someone who, when he first gets up in the morning, looks at this site?
seems like too strong conclusions from too little data…..
Well, yes, duh. Exchange value is a function of supply and demand.
Gratification allows us to form demand.
Duke is one of the leading neuroeconomic schools in the country. I would have gone there for grad school if I had been a more competitive undergrad. Until I can justify my actions using the neuroecon framework, I’m going to be another working stiff. Primarily as an ethical consumption consultant. If women and men deserve to be equally empowered, than 50% of all purchases should be made from a woman owned firm. If you, on the other hand, are a radical feminist, than don’t waste any of the precious dollars purchasing goods and something owned by a man.
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