Understanding how people make decisions under uncertainty

Computationally modeling individual differences in probabilistic decision-making across positive and negative valence domains

NIH-funded research University of California Berkeley · NIH-10872226

This study is looking at how people make choices when they're unsure about what might happen, especially when there are rewards or risks involved, and it's designed for anyone who wants to understand how feelings like anxiety can affect their decisions.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California Berkeley NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Berkeley, United States)
Project IDNIH-10872226 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates how individuals make choices when faced with uncertain outcomes, particularly in situations involving potential rewards and threats. By modeling decision-making processes, the study aims to identify how factors like anxiety and uncertainty influence choices. The research will create experimental tasks that simulate both rewarding and threatening scenarios to better understand the underlying mechanisms of decision-making. Patients may participate in tasks that assess their responses to different probabilities of outcomes.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates include adults over 21 who experience anxiety or have difficulty making decisions under uncertainty.

Not a fit: Patients who do not experience anxiety or have no issues with decision-making may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for helping individuals make better decisions in anxiety-provoking situations.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown promise in understanding decision-making under uncertainty, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.

Where this research is happening

Berkeley, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.