La participacion emocional en la toma de decisiones7.pdf

Emotional participation in decision making. The results of recent neurophysiological and neuropsychological research make it necessary to take into account the participation of emotions in the decision processes. The amygdala, that has revealed itself as a structure capable of ascribing emotional meaning to environmental stimuli (evaluation), originates a series of reactions that include motor, autonomic, endocrine and central nervous system adaptations (emotional expression). All these changes also feed back on the brain, giving rise to what is known as emotional experience or feelings. On the other hand, neuropsychological research has demonstrated the importance of the prefrontal cortex in decision making, showing an intimate cooperation of the emotional limbic mechanisms with anticipating and planning functions of the prefrontal cortex. (The somatic-marker hypothesis of Damasio is exposed). Neurobiology is thus confirming what Pascal intuitively expressed when writing that “the heart has reasons that reason ignores”.