Making Decisions that Involve Sacred Values
Emory university reports on a recent brain scanning study that reveals we are using different cognitive processes to make decisions involving sacred value versus those that involve cost-benefit logic. Sacred values run the deepest and involve as sense of self and culture as determined, for example, by ethical principles, national identity or belief in God.
This is important for designer involved in creating behavior change. As the authors point out:
“Our findings indicate that it’s unreasonable to think that a policy based on costs-and-benefits analysis will influence people’s behavior when it comes to their sacred personal values, because they are processed in an entirely different brain system than incentives.”
Sacred values require special handling.
