Imitating the actions of those around us has been linked to brain damage.

Risky behavior is characteristic of teenagers as well as individuals with certain neurological conditions and disorders. Specifically, in classical studies on risky behavior, researchers have repeatedly identified two areas in the brain that activate when assessing the likelihood of winning/losing: the insular lobe (lobus insularis) and the dorsal part of the anterior cingulate cortex (cingularis anterior). The first is believed to be responsible for the sensation of emotions and a range of other functions. The second is involved in cognitive functions such as decision-making, empathy, and impulsivity.

To understand whether damage to these brain areas affects the ability to assess risks and consider the opinions of others, the authors of a new study, published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, asked participants to choose between two lotteries—one safer and one riskier. The experiment involved 44 individuals: 28 without brain damage (control group), 10 with damage to the insular lobe, and six with damage to the dorsal part of the anterior cingulate cortex.

In the first part of the experiment, participants made their choices independently without seeing others' responses, while in the second part, they were shown what two “other players” had supposedly chosen. These players could lean towards either the safe or risky option, or differ in their opinions (one for safe, the other for risky). This approach allowed researchers to understand how individuals combine their own risk preferences with social cues (the choices of those around them).

The authors of the study, led by Mark A. Orloff from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (USA), developed a mathematical model that simultaneously considers both the “rational” assessment of winning/losing and the “automatic” imitation of others' choices.

The results indicated that individuals with brain damage were more likely to copy the decisions of others, while participants from the control group integrated their own preferences with the observed choices of the “others.” Those with damage to the insular lobe and the dorsal part of the anterior cingulate cortex were less likely to adhere to standard economic logic, which involves calculating expected value and the probability of winning.

Moreover, when participants saw that the “other players” had chosen, for example, the safer option, they simply copied that decision instead of analyzing the risks. Researchers refer to this behavior as “quick cognitive prompting”: when one's own risk assessment mechanisms are seriously impaired, it is easier to “blindly” follow others.

The researchers also noted that their findings are relevant not only to neurological patients: similar “failures” in risk assessment and strong dependence on others' opinions can occur in a variety of situations. For instance, teenagers often act impulsively and are more susceptible to group pressure, while individuals with certain psychoneurological conditions or disorders related to cognitive impairments find it more challenging to contemplate the consequences, leading them to act “like everyone else.”

This means that in uncertain situations (when faced with unfamiliar, “new” choices where past experiences do not apply), the likelihood of relying on the opinions of others increases.

The results of this new study will help improve rehabilitation methods for individuals with brain injuries and develop more effective prevention programs for risky behavior that are focused on the social environment.