how do we decide
what matters?

i’m mark, a decision neuroscientist at UCLA. i study how we figure out what our options are worth, how other people sway our choices, and how the brain builds mental maps to help us decide.

more about me

latest

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new preprint

preferences shape how the brain maps options

how do you choose something you’ve never tried, like a new café? our newest study suggests the brain uses its navigation system to help, with a map shaped by your own preferences.

try the task yourself and see what your map looks like!

try it

Orloff, Park, Blumwald, Domenech & colleagues
bioRxiv · may 2026

a big win, or a likely one?

a: 30% chance of $8 · b: 80% chance of $3

$10$110%100%chance of winningab
each dot is a possible gamble. the line connects the two offers above.

more research

2024 study

following the crowd as a shortcut

when judging the options yourself is hard, copying other people becomes a shortcut. we saw it in people with damage to brain areas that help weigh risk, and in many healthy adults too.

explore the study