Sleep Restriction and Circadian Mismatch Effects on Differential Decision Processes

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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]