Sleep Restriction and Circadian Mismatch Effects on Differential Decision Processes

在我们这个快节奏的世界里，人们经常发现自己在昏昏欲睡的时候做出重要的决定。目前的调查表明，数以千万计的美国人被认为睡眠不足和/或从事需要轮班工作的职业。疲劳可能是由于睡眠不足或其他因素造成的。例如，有些人在早上自然比晚上更警觉。这项研究的目的是研究困倦或疲劳如何影响决策。决策过程涉及(至少)两个系统：1)一个无意识系统，它更自动地作出反应，而不需要有意识的思考；2)一个商议系统，它做出“高层”理性决策。研究人员假设，当个体昏昏欲睡，认知资源因此受到影响时，一个人所做的决定将更多地是自动过程的结果，而不是深思熟虑的过程，从而节省了脑力。研究人员将进行一项对照实验研究，以操纵个人的睡眠数量以及白天做出决定的时间。该项目将测试一种假设，即一个人在昏昏欲睡时使用的决策规则更多是自动的，而不是高层深思熟虑的产物。这也将允许调查人员评估基于自动流程的决策是否天生就比基于更复杂的审议流程的决策更糟糕。相比之下，如果更深思熟虑的深思熟虑会让人们过多地考虑决策任务，那么依赖自动流程可能会带来更好的决定。这项研究有可能显著提高我们对疲劳如何影响决策的理解，这些领域包括简单的社交互动，将新信息纳入决策，或如何制定选择的重要性。在我们的现代社会，这一点尤其重要，因为人们往往是在疲惫的时候做出决定的。在卡车驾驶、空中交通管制、医疗专业人员和紧急服务等职业中，糟糕的决策可能会导致生命损失。

In our fast-paced world, people often find themselves making important decisions while sleepy. Current surveys indicate that tens of millions of Americans are considered sleep deprived and/or have occupations requiring some shift work. Fatigue can result from insufficient sleep or other factors. For example, some people are naturally more alert in the morning as opposed to the evening. The goal of this research is to examine how sleepiness or fatigue affects decision making. The decision-making process involves (at least) two systems: 1) an unconscious system that responds more automatically and without conscious thought, and 2) a deliberative system that makes "high-level" rational decisions. The investigators hypothesize that when individuals are sleepy, and therefore cognitive resources are compromised, the decisions a person makes will be more the result of automatic processes than deliberative ones, thereby saving mental effort. The investigators will conduct a controlled experimental study that manipulates individuals' sleep quantity as well as the time during the day that decisions are made. The project will test the hypothesis that decision rules that a person uses while sleepy are more automatic and less a product of high-level deliberation. This will also allow the investigators to evaluate whether decisions based on automatic processes are inherently worse than decisions based on more complex deliberative processes. In contrast, relying on automatic processes might lead to better decisions if more thoughtful deliberation makes people overthink the decision task. This research has the potential to significantly improve our understanding of how fatigue affects decision making in areas such as simple social interactions, the incorporation of new information into decisions, or the importance of how a choice is framed. This is especially critical in our modern society where decisions are often made while one is tired. In occupations like truck driving, air traffic control, medical professionals, and emergency services, poor decision making can cost lives.[Co-funded by Perception, Action and CognitionProgram and Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Program]