March 1, 2009

Decisionmaking, Measured

A new interdisciplinary decision-science lab will host experiments from psychology, economics, and beyond.

From The March-April 2009 Issue

Photograph courtesy of Harvard Kennedy School

The new Decision Science Lab, which opened in January, allows researchers to measure physiological markers of emotion—blood pressure, heart rate, facial muscle activation—to study subjects’ mental states at the moment of making a decision. The lab belongs to the Kennedy School, but is open to all Harvard faculty members and their students. Read more online at www.harvardmag.com/breaking-news/where-decisionmaking-is-measured.

Published in the March-April 2009 print issue in the John Harvard's Journal section.

You might also like

Smiling woman stands beside a large skull in a display cabinet.

Don’t Call Stephanie Pierce A Paleontologist

From competing in youth gymnastics to studying tetrapods, the Harvard curator has always chased her curiosity.

A digital tablet displaying text, with two magnifying glasses overlapping it.

What Makes a Fact, According to a Harvard Social Scientist

Sheila Jasanoff has spent her career studying how societies produce knowledge, evaluate expertise, and make decisions about technology.

An image of a doctor writing set against a background of code, representing AI

How to Care for Patients in AI-Driven Medicine

Harvard’s Arthur Kleinman reflects on what’s lost when healthcare systems prioritize efficiency.

Most popular

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

In Searing New Memoir, Emilee Hackney Struggles to Find Home

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.

White House and Harvard University buildings split diagonally with contrasting colors.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Three Harvard Alumni and a Former Postdoc Named MacArthur Fellows

A labor economist, an organic chemist, a physicist, and a memory researcher were honored with 2026 “genius” grants.

Explore More From Current Issue

A smiling elderly man in glasses sits comfortably in a striped armchair.

Harvard Administration

Plus, veteran higher education leader Thomas Ehrlich reflects on university curricula for his 70th reunion

Colorful cartoon animals, including dogs, cows, rabbits, and a fence, on a pink background.

Letters to the Editor

Inseparable cows, big dogs fostering a tiny kitten, and a show beagle’s second act

Decorative wrought iron gate framed by leafy branches, captured in sepia tones.

Former Indiana University president Thomas Ehrlich looks back on curriculum, co-education, and other major trends.