Scientists Want To Make (Some) People More Pessimistic

TL;DR

Researchers have found that our brains are wired to prioritize the upside of decisions, leading to optimism, but as we age, we become more pessimistic and consider the downsides as well. Neurological pathways and chemicals like dopamine play a role in our decision-making, and interventions can temporarily make people more pessimistic.

Transcript

This SciShow video is supported by Brilliant. As a SciShow viewer, you can keep building your STEM skills for 20% off an annual premium subscription at Brilliant.org/SciShow. Believe it or not, researchers are working on ways to make people more pessimistic, and that’s a good thing. Even though we’re always told to see the glass half-full, people w... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Researchers have developed a mathematical equation to quantify optimism and pessimism.
• 🙃 Our brains prioritize the upside of decisions, leading to optimism, but as we age, we become more pessimistic and consider the downsides.
• 🖐️ Neurological pathways, such as those between the IFG and the striatum, play a role in decision-making and reinforce optimistic or pessimistic tendencies.
• 💁 Dopamine, a reward chemical, travels along these pathways and binds to different receptors, influencing our processing of positive and negative information.
• 👯 Interventions, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, can temporarily make people more pessimistic by disrupting the functioning of the IFG.
• 💍 Predisposition to make optimistic decisions may contribute to engaging in risky behaviors.
• 🥺 Understanding these neural circuits could lead to future interventions for individuals who struggle to consider the downsides of their decisions.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do researchers define optimism and pessimism?

Researchers at University College London use a mathematical equation that compares individuals' predictions with actual data to determine their optimism or pessimism scores.

Q: What evidence suggests that younger people are more optimistic?

Younger people tend to prioritize the upside of decisions and are more optimistic about the outcome, while older people consider the downsides based on past experiences.

Q: Do brain scans show any differences in the brains of optimistic and pessimistic people?

Brain scans reveal that optimistic people have reinforced pathways between the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the striatum, while pessimistic people have less reinforcement. The thickness of the insulating layer, myelin, is also associated with optimism.

Q: Can interventions make people more pessimistic?

Yes, using transcranial magnetic stimulation, researchers temporarily disrupted the functioning of the IFG, making participants respond to test questions as pessimists. This suggests that the IFG promotes optimistic thinking and inhibits pessimistic thoughts.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Researchers at University College London have developed a mathematical equation to define optimism and pessimism.

• As we age, we become more pessimistic, considering the downsides of decisions.

• Brain scans show that optimistic people tend to ignore the bad and focus on the good, and this is influenced by neurological pathways and dopamine.