Brain Scans Can Predict Our Behavior Better Than We Can
Posted by Michael_Byrne on Wednesday, Jun 30, 2010
Future Crimes!
Think a couple of days ahead. Think about, say, what you are going to have for lunch on that day. Weigh all the options, think about your budget, and make a prediction. I’m saying a bagel with hummus and a couple of nectarines. That’s my prediction and why should I doubt it?
Well, a new study from researchers at UCLA is saying that via an MRI scan, they can likely make an even better prediction. That is, the information in that brain scan knows better about what I—or you—are going to do in the future. Think about that and what that means for just how in control of ‘you’ you actually are. The idea of human’s being crappy judges of their own future behavior isn’t new in psychology, sure—but the ability to pinpoint with this kind of accuracy that future within the brain, but outside of consciousness, is pretty weird and new. And unsettling.
The study was actually much simpler than the lunch example and had to do with predicting whether or not people would wear sunscreen in the few days. The people in the study reported what they thought they’d do, and scientists analyzed MRI scans and came up with their own predictions. The study subjects were right about half the time, while the MRI data was correct about 75-percent of the time.
I have a hard time coming up with an implication from this that isn’t creepy. I can just see mega-ad firms getting to work right now thinking of how this can exploited, how focus groups can suddenly be kicked to the curb in favor of brain imagery. Like, it won’t even make sense to appeal to consciousness at all anymore. Figure it’s a brave new world where all advertising is subliminal.
UCLA via Singularity Hub.Filed under:
About the author
Michael covers physics, climate science, the future of music, and assorted things fallen through cracks at Motherboard. A native of Colorado, Michigan, and Oregon, he currently resides in Baltimore...
