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.

Related topics

Social Sciences

You might also like

Six red star-like objects against a dark background, each with labels and coordinates.

Are ‘Little Red Dots’ Keys to Understanding the Early Universe?

Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist Fabio Pacucci explains one of cosmology’s newest mysteries.

Purple violet flower with vibrant petals surrounded by green foliage.

Bees and Flowers Are Falling Out of Sync

Scientists are revisiting an old way of thinking about extinction.

Modern campus collage: Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center, One Milestone labs, Verra apartment, and co-working space.

The Enterprise Research Campus in Allston Nears Completion

A hotel, restaurants, and other retail establishments are open or on the way.

Most popular

View of a building door labeled "University Hall" through a circular black railing frame.

FAS Plans Administrative Overhaul

Facing financial pressures, Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences seeks ways to streamline

Martin Nowak in a suit attentively listens during a conference, seated among an audience.

Martin Nowak Placed on Leave a Second Time

Further links to Jeffrey Epstein surface in newly released files.

Three speech bubbles with lettered choices on a red background with numbers.

Faculty Postpone Vote on Grade Inflation Reforms

A decision on an amended proposal to cap A’s will likely come at next month’s meeting.

Explore More From Current Issue

A lively street scene at night with people in colorful costumes dancing joyfully.

Rabbi, Drag Queen, Film Star

Sabbath Queen, a new documentary, follows one man’s quest to make Judaism more expansive.

A woman in a black blazer holds a bottle of beer.

Introductions: Mallika Monteiro

A conversation with a beer industry executive

Cozy nook with a patterned rug and various colorful pillows against wooden walls.

Harvard History

At Harvard’s Beck-Warren House, Ghosts Speak Many Languages

The quirky 1833 home now hosts Celtic scholars.