Psychology

I’m a doormat when it comes to peer pressure. Jump off a 32-foot (10 meter) diving board without any experience? Sure! Propel off a cliff my first time outdoor climbing? I’ll try!

Those were obviously terrible decisions for someone afraid of heights, and each ended with “I really should’ve known better.” But it illustrates a point: it’s obvious that our decisions don’t solely come from our own experiences. From what career you choose to what sandwich you want for lunch, we care about what our friends, families, and complete strangers think—otherwise, Yelp wouldn’t exist.

In academic speak, observing and learning from other people is called “social influence,” a term that’s obviously crossed into pop culture lexicon. Yet neuroscientists have struggled to understand why this happens. How do our brains process others’ decisions? And how does it weigh those decisions against our (potentially saner) judgment?