How our brain makes decisions and why it needs social networks: biologist Vyacheslav Dubynin explains
Miscellaneous / / July 07, 2023
Our internal neural network strives to choose the most effective action. But it needs to be controlled so as not to break firewood.
From 1 to 9 July in Muzeon Park passes media festival "Your Moscow". You can walk there, make new friends or just have a good time. And also listen to interesting lectures.
For example, on July 8 and 9, speakers will talk about artificial intelligence and the development of neural networks, as well as what the etiquette of a modern Muscovite is and why it is needed. See schedule for the current week and choose the most interesting topics.
And last weekend, in an interactive lecture hall, we talked about how we think, write and communicate. Vyacheslav Dubynin, Professor of the Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University toldhow our brain makes decisions and why we love to hang out in social networks or play games instead of doing useful things. We have prepared a summary of the lecture for you.
Vyacheslav Dubynin
Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University
There are about 90 billion neurons in the human brain that are connected to each other. They transmit and receive a variety of signals over multiple channels. The neural networks of our main body are not inferior in complexity to today's global Internet.
And in the center of mental functions, each of us has a decision-making block. He analyzes numerous streams of information and makes a choice of how we should act in a given situation in order to get the desired result. Let's see how this center works.
Needs drive us to action.
They are what motivate us to get off the couch and start doing something. There are three main groups of people needs:
- Biological, or vital. It's food and security. And also - maintaining a constant body temperature when external conditions change, saving strength, restoring resources that have been depleted.
- Social. Here, everything related to reproduction is the most basic function. In addition to it, hierarchy and the opportunity to become a leader are important to us. In the basic settings of our nervous system there is empathy, compassion and general joy - mirror neurons are responsible for this.
- Necessary for self-development. It is thanks to them that we learn, train and strive to overcome obstacles and become better than we were.
If we manage to satisfy the need, we experience positive emotions. They turn on the memory mechanism, and information is deposited in the cerebral cortex: this scheme turned out to be working, it led to success. So, you need to fix it and reproduce it when a similar situation arises.
If something went wrong, then strong negative emotions arise, and it is stored in the memory: you don’t need to do this, it will be bad. It is this information that the decision center uses when it comes time to make a choice.
In the process of evolution, three important programs have been fixed in the brain that help to satisfy all our needs. Here they are: you need to be curious and learn something new, you need to be resistant to stress, you need to be able to interact with other people. When we implement each program, neurotransmitters are produced - certain substances that are responsible for positive emotions.
Neurotransmitters help us feel like we're doing the right thing.
There are three substances that the human brain really needs: dopamine, norepinephrine and oxytocin. Our main organ is ready to reproduce the scenarios in which these neurotransmitters are produced.
Dopamine is the reward for satisfying curiosity
Evolution has taught us to be curious. This is important because the more information a person or group gathers about the world around them, the better they will be able to adapt to the conditions of life. They learn, for example, where to get food and where to hide from the rain. And they will also understand in time whether any changes that have occurred near their habitat are dangerous for them.
Therefore, we experience positive emotions when we learn at least something new. Responsible for them dopamine. This substance is produced when we move, literally walk with our feet towards some unknown object. And also - when we learn something that was previously unknown to us.
But it happens that we use the need for new information very inefficiently. For example, we scroll through the social media feed for hours.
You have entered the Web and begin to collect news, funny pictures. For half an hour you watch how someone cuts cucumbers, and at the same time they did not even try to cut these very cucumbers. Came in for five minutes, left two hours later. What was it? You were picking up cheap dopamine.
Vyacheslav Dubynin
It is better, of course, to extract it in other places - where we can learn something really important for us. And then - to apply this knowledge in practice.
Norepinephrine - the joy of overcoming obstacles
This neurotransmitter is associated with stress. Now almost everyone has only negative associations with this word. But in biology there is no negative in this concept. Stress is an increased activity and tension of the nervous system and the whole organism.
It occurs when we need to overcome a difficult obstacle. We turn on completely and spend more energy in five minutes than we usually do in an hour. But these loads allow us to win, to be on top - and experience a surge of joy.
To make such a breakthrough possible, norepinephrine is produced in the body. It raises blood pressure and makes the heart beat faster. And for the brain, it is a neurotransmitter that speeds up thinking processes, helps you work faster, learn better and memorize information.
If the stress is short, then we have a lot of positive emotions - this is the excitement, and the anticipation of victory, and the feeling of "I'm done well." Norepinephrine is responsible for all these feelings. Its amount is always individual.
Therefore, some are always looking for obstacles and strive for new fights and victories. And others live much calmer - they do not need so much norepinephrine. But in any case, it is worth remembering: this neurotransmitter brings joyful emotions only with short-term stress, and not with chronic stress.
Noradrenaline, we also sometimes get not quite legal ways. For example, instead of solving real problems, we sit for hours at computer games.
You can overcome obstacles for the sake of obstacles, collect norepinephrine - play. Yes, there are positive emotions, but what are the benefits for the brain? Of course, if you are professional esportsmen, you feed the whole family, then okay. Well, if you come home from work tired, where can you get positive emotions? Well, I'll go and play on the computer for 15 minutes. Sat down and played two hours.
Vyacheslav Dubynin
And again, we conclude that it is better to increase the content of norepinephrine, overcoming real, not virtual obstacles. Then there will be much more joy.
Oxytocin - pleasant emotions when communicating
There are many problems that we cannot solve alone. But they are not terrible if the team takes them. In order for people to strive to create communities and help each other, evolution came up with an oxytocin reward.
This neurotransmitter is produced when we are around friends, loved ones or family, when we do one thing together, or just relax in good company. The main thing is in a good one.
But in the pursuit of oxytocin, you can also quietly go to the dark side. That is, to succumb to the effect crowds. This is a state when a person does not think and does not decide anything himself, but only obeys the rest. This feeling of "where everything is - there I am." It is worth remembering this and looking for other ways to get a neurotransmitter.
Oxytocin is a molecule that was discovered as a substance that activates uterine contractions. Then it turned out that oxytocin is about the mutual adjustment of mother and child. Then - that it is love, relationships, friendship, team, common goals. Mutual touches, hugs are also associated with the release of oxytocin.
Vyacheslav Dubynin
The frontal and parietal cortex are responsible for our decisions.
We figured out which scenarios our brain remembers as successful and is not averse to repeating. Now let's see how he chooses solutions in specific situations.
The frontal cortex selects behavioral programs
At the first stage, the main, dominant need is selected. In the frontal cortex, many information flows are connected. Signals come here from various centers of need. For example, the center of hunger can report that it would be time to eat. Curiosity Center - what a nice place to go take a walkto look at something interesting. But the alarm center broadcasts: it’s better to stay at home, something scares me. The center of laziness agrees: it is better to lie down.
Several needs compete all the time in the frontal cortex. Of these, you need to choose one, the most important at the moment. After the decision is made, neural networks are activated that are associated with the satisfaction of this particular need. Each network stores one of the really working modes of action.
For example, the lecture is over and the students want to have lunch.
You can eat at the buffet - buy food. You can, for example, beg for half a sandwich from a friend. And, say, take away a sandwich from your neighbor. Here are three programs: buy, beg, take away.
Vyacheslav Dubynin
To make a decision, the frontal cortex chooses the option that used to be the most effective. The one that, according to experience, more often led to the satisfaction of the need. If it is remembered that the probability of success in the “buy” option is maximum, then the student will go to the buffet. But if he is clearly stronger than the neighbor who has a sandwich, and there is no one nearby, then the brain can offer a third option - “take it away”.
Note that the frontal cortex evaluates decisions only in terms of immediate effectiveness. The questions of whether it is possible to take food from a neighbor, whether it is legal and what long-term consequences it will lead to, are not her concern. These are the tasks of the parietal cortex of the cerebral hemispheres.
The parietal cortex is responsible for moral choice and strategic planning.
If the frontal cortex is about easy ways, standard solutions and quick pleasure, then the parietal cortex is about who we consider ourselves to be, what plans we make and what role we want to play in society. It is she who is responsible for awareness, value system, moral principles, as well as strategy and long-term planning.
For example, a person wanted to slightly adjust the diet. This decision was formed in the parietal cortex. And further events can develop so.
You think: that's it, don't eat after six. And now 8 o'clock, 10 o'clock - already the waist begins to form. While you are thinking this with your parietal cortex, the frontal cortex speaks to the hunger center, goes to the refrigerator, smears a sandwich and pops it in your mouth. The parietal notices this: “Guys, what are you doing!” Frontal: “Well, okay, from one sandwich it seems like nothing will happen. We'll go on a diet tomorrow."
Vyacheslav Dubynin
This is a very simplified picture. But the frontal cortex really needs to be controlled. And more often activate the parietal in order to turn on awareness, understand priorities and values, understand what we strive for and what we want, launch volitional control.
These are complex tasks for both psychology and neuroscience. But understanding exactly how our brains make decisions can help not only scientists, but each of us.
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