Evolutionary forces shape human decision-making, leading to irrational choices.
This work explores how evolution has influenced human decision-making processes by shaping the development of mental shortcuts called heuristics. The researchers used a computer model with Artificial Neural Networks to simulate how these heuristics evolve in response to complex and changing environments. They found that these mental shortcuts work well in real-world situations but can lead to irrational choices in simplified laboratory tasks. The study showed that decision-making attitudes vary depending on the level of risk and uncertainty involved, both during training and in subsequent analyses.