Using an algorithmic approach to shape human decision-making through attraction to patterns
Abstract Evidence suggests that people are attracted to patterns and regularity. We hypothesized that decision-makers, intending to maximize profit, may be lured by the existence of regularity, even when it does not confer any additional value. An algorithm based on this premise outperformed all oth...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59131-4 |
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| _version_ | 1850042077898866688 |
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| author | Haran Shani-Narkiss Baruch Eitam Oren Amsalem |
| author_facet | Haran Shani-Narkiss Baruch Eitam Oren Amsalem |
| author_sort | Haran Shani-Narkiss |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Evidence suggests that people are attracted to patterns and regularity. We hypothesized that decision-makers, intending to maximize profit, may be lured by the existence of regularity, even when it does not confer any additional value. An algorithm based on this premise outperformed all other contenders in an international challenge to bias individuals’ preferences. To create the bias, the algorithm allocates rewards in an evolving, yet easily trackable, pattern to one option but not the other. This leads decision-makers to prefer the regular option over the other 2:1, even though this preference proves to be relatively disadvantageous. The results support the idea that humans assign value to regularity and more generally, for the utility of qualitative approaches to human decision-making. They also suggest that models of decision making that are based solely on reward learning may be incomplete. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dbeb26ad6b4241d3b3cd27f17ea2dd00 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-dbeb26ad6b4241d3b3cd27f17ea2dd002025-08-20T02:55:38ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-59131-4Using an algorithmic approach to shape human decision-making through attraction to patternsHaran Shani-Narkiss0Baruch Eitam1Oren Amsalem2UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and BehaviourSchool of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount CarmelDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical SchoolAbstract Evidence suggests that people are attracted to patterns and regularity. We hypothesized that decision-makers, intending to maximize profit, may be lured by the existence of regularity, even when it does not confer any additional value. An algorithm based on this premise outperformed all other contenders in an international challenge to bias individuals’ preferences. To create the bias, the algorithm allocates rewards in an evolving, yet easily trackable, pattern to one option but not the other. This leads decision-makers to prefer the regular option over the other 2:1, even though this preference proves to be relatively disadvantageous. The results support the idea that humans assign value to regularity and more generally, for the utility of qualitative approaches to human decision-making. They also suggest that models of decision making that are based solely on reward learning may be incomplete.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59131-4 |
| spellingShingle | Haran Shani-Narkiss Baruch Eitam Oren Amsalem Using an algorithmic approach to shape human decision-making through attraction to patterns Nature Communications |
| title | Using an algorithmic approach to shape human decision-making through attraction to patterns |
| title_full | Using an algorithmic approach to shape human decision-making through attraction to patterns |
| title_fullStr | Using an algorithmic approach to shape human decision-making through attraction to patterns |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using an algorithmic approach to shape human decision-making through attraction to patterns |
| title_short | Using an algorithmic approach to shape human decision-making through attraction to patterns |
| title_sort | using an algorithmic approach to shape human decision making through attraction to patterns |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59131-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT haranshaninarkiss usinganalgorithmicapproachtoshapehumandecisionmakingthroughattractiontopatterns AT barucheitam usinganalgorithmicapproachtoshapehumandecisionmakingthroughattractiontopatterns AT orenamsalem usinganalgorithmicapproachtoshapehumandecisionmakingthroughattractiontopatterns |