Hugh: Are You Indecisive? Scientists Say You Can Blame it on Your Genes

Do you find yourself regularly struggling to make decisions? Big life choices like taking a certain job or moving understandably require a lot of thought for the majority of people, but if you find yourself in a bind when it comes to what to have for lunch or what movie to turn on, it might be because of your DNA. Through experiments with mice, scientists found that the decision making process varies based on one particular gene. Specifically, mice lacking the gene didn’t second-guess where food may be found, while those with the “Arc” gene would continue searching after appearing to make a decision. The team noticed that certain mice demonstrated the illogical behaviour of returning to empty food patches instead of committing to exploring another avenue. Further research traced the difference between those who second-guessed themselves and those who didn’t to that one specific gene. The study’s authors point out that the findings could have implications on the human decision-making process. If people are hard-wired in a similar way, I find it fitting that the decision those with the gene struggled with was where to go for food.