>>But the research is important as scientists try to dissect how emotion interacts with analytical decision-making, he stressed.<<

"When does the amygdala trump the frontal lobes?", that's all I want to know.

>>"For a long time, sociologists and economists have not paid a lot of attention to people's feelings, especially before an event," Knutson explained. "It's almost like your mind imagines the outcome before it happens. That's a lot of what motivates behavior." <<

I'll buy that - it makes sense. Perhaps people's imaginations are different. Are some imaginations better at long term outcomes and other imaginations are better at short-term outcomes? Different imaginations would motivate "significantly different" behavior, IMHO.