Monkeys are natural risk-takers, but when scientists implanted chips into their brains, they became much more careful, according to a new study.
A team of researchers at Kyoto University in Japan used flashes of light from implanted chips to activate two different sections of the macaque monkeys’ brains.
Switching one on encouraged them to take bigger risks with the hope of a bigger payoff, while switching the other section on led the animals to settle for a smaller but more certain reward.
This research offers insight into the neural roots of gambling addiction, said the researchers behind the study.
But before digging into the brain, scientists began by figuring out whether their six monkeys liked to gamble.
They trained the macaques to look at different colored spots on a screen to receive a water reward.
Some spots would give the monkey a small reward 90 percent of the time – low risk, low reward.
Others gave a reward that was 10 times larger, but it only paid out 10 percent of the time – high risk, high reward.
Overwhelmingly, the monkeys went for the high-risk, high-reward spots. Like a gambler at a slot machine, even though they may lose more often than they win, they gambled with their eye on a big payout.
Next the team tried to figure out which brain areas were in control of this risk-reward calculation.
Hellbound and Down 