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Models of decision-making assume we predict forward from an action to its potential outcomes. In six studies, Sharp and Eldar show that humans also predict backward from a desired outcome to its preceding actions, particularly in divergent environments.
Koren and Bukari use geolocated data on zoonotic diseases in Africa (1997–2019) to examine their impact on conflict. They find that zoonotic diseases are linked to a decrease in state-initiated civil wars but an increase in social conflicts involving identity militias.
The authors develop a neural network, RTNet, that generates stochastic decisions and human-like response time distributions. RTNet reproduces foundational features of human responses and predicts human behaviour on novel images better than current alternatives.
Berger et al. use detailed credit data from the USA to examine the trade-off between government welfare support and consumer reliance on high-cost credit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lifestyle improvements can achieve greater benefits in preventing early-onset cardiovascular disease in young adults at high genetic risk (as determined by polygenic risk score) than in other genetic risk groups.
Although poverty and mental illness are strongly correlated, it is unclear whether they are causally linked. Using UK Biobank and Psychiatric Genomic Consortium data, Marchi et al. provide evidence of a causal relationship between poverty and some mental illnesses.
Using a data-driven proteomics design and a high-throughput platform, this study highlights the value of CSF YWHAG for Alzheimer’s diagnosis and prediction, with implications for clinical trials targeting different pathomechanisms.
Carey and colleagues reveal 35 major latent constructs (factors) in the phenotype data of unrelated individuals with predominantly estimated European genetic ancestry from UK Biobank.
This study reveals 246 behaviour-related and 200 physiological factors associated with genetic predisposition to suicide attempts. Mendelian randomization further indicates causal links for 58 factors.
Australian archaeological finds of 12,000-year-old fireplaces and artefacts match nineteenth-century GunaiKurnai ritual practices. They represent approximately 500 generations of cultural transmission of this ritual.
Using propensity score matching, Kim et al. find evidence of higher short- and long-term risk of adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes in Korean and Japanese cohorts of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 than in the general population.
In this randomized controlled trial, Gennetian et al. evaluated the impacts of cash transfers on family investments. Families with low income were randomized to receive monthly unconditional cash starting at childbirth. Households spent more money and time on child-specific goods and learning activities.
Majlesi et al. show that Asian workers in occupations with a higher likelihood of face-to-face interactions were more likely to become unemployed after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic due to shifts in public opinion. People who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 had more negative shifts in perceived favourability of Asians.
Ye et al. find a positive causal effect of mental well-being on healthy aging, independent of socioeconomic status. This work underscores the imperative to prioritize mental well-being in health policies geared to fostering healthy aging.
Anlló et al. show that context effects on reward value encoding are found across 11 diverse countries, suggesting that this may be a basic feature of human decision-making.
When people make a decision, the actions they take might look similar regardless of how they arrived at that decision. In this Article, Hagura et al. show that the brain learns and remembers actions differently on the basis of the level of uncertainty associated with its context.
Does self-administered mindfulness effectively reduce stress? In a study across 37 sites involving 2,239 participants, four mindfulness exercises significantly reduced short-term, self-reported stress.
This study reveals that current interventions against misinformation erode belief in accurate information. The authors argue that future strategies should shift their focus from only fighting falsehoods to also nurturing trust in reliable news.
Kranzler et al. examine the association between adverse childhood events and mood and anxiety disorders and substance dependence. The results show that adverse childhood events are associated with risk of substance dependence, with this effect mediated by mood and anxiety disorders. Similar associations were found for the risk of mood and anxiety disorders with substance dependence as a mediator.