Feb. 13, 2013 When faced with a difficult decision, it is often
suggested to "sleep on it" or take a break from thinking about
the decision in order to gain clarity. But new brain imaging
research from Carnegie Mellon University, published in the
journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, finds that
the brain regions responsible for making decisions continue to
be active even when the conscious brain is distracted with a
different task. The research provides some of the first evidence
showing how the brain unconsciously processes decision
information in ways that lead to improved decision-making. "This
research begins to chip away at the mystery of our unconscious
brains and decision-making," said J. David Creswell, assistant
professor of psychology in CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities
and Social Sciences and director of the Health and Human
Performance Laboratory. "It shows that brain regions important
for decision-making remain active even while our brains may be
simultaneously engaged in unrel