A group of scientists at the University of California Los Angeles used fMRI scans on healthy participants while they were receiving information about the benefits of sunscreen. The participants were then asked if they would use sunscreen over the following week.

The team found that the fMRI data could predict sunscreen use for about three quarters of the participants, which turned out to be a better predictor then the participants own estimates (about half of the subjects correctly predicted they would use sunscreen.)

Just more evidence supporting the theory that we humans kind of suck at knowing what we think.

Tags: neuroscience, decision making, fMRI, prefrontal cortex, choice, cognition,

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