How to Make Better Decisions | Dr. Michael Platt

Andrew Huberman

Feb 17, 2025

Episode description

My guest is Dr. Michael Platt, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. We discuss how our hormones and social status influence what we value and how we make decisions across various areas, from whom and what we find attractive to our political affiliations. We also explore how humans evaluate and exchange power in relationships and how our perceived place in a hierarchy impacts decision-making. Dr. Platt also shares new science-based tools for improving focus, creativity, and attention.

Read the full show notes for this episode: https://go.hubermanlab.com/CxJNlhA

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*Dr. Michael Platt*
Lab website: https://plattlabs.rocks
Website: https://www.drmichaelplatt.com
University of Pennsylvania academic profile: https://psychology.sas.upenn.edu/people/michael-l-platt
"The Leader’s Brain" (book): https://amzlink.to/az0C15in1FqOX
Cogwear: https://cogweartech.com
X: https://x.com/michaellouispl1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-platt-21767539
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaellouisplatt

*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Dr. Michael Platt
00:02:12 Humans, Old World Primates & Decision-Making; Swiss Army Knife Analogy
00:07:52 Sponsors: Our Place & Wealthfront
00:11:01 Attention Allocation, Resource Foraging
00:16:40 Social Media; Marginal Value Theorem, Distraction
00:22:22 Tool: Remove Phone from Room; Attention & Urgency
00:25:23 Tool: Self Conversation; Visual Input, Attention as a Skill
00:29:29 Warming-Up Focus, Tool: Visual Aperture & Attention
00:38:57 Sponsor: AG1
00:40:13 Control of Attention, Tool: Changing Environment
00:44:07 Attention Continuum, Professions, Measuring Business Skill with Neuroscience
00:53:06 Theory of Mind, Covert Attention, Attentional Spotlights
01:00:05 Primates, Hormone Status, Brain Size, Monogamy
01:09:31 Monkeys, Neuronal Multiplexing & Context; Equitable Relationships
01:20:05 Sponsor: BetterHelp
01:21:11 Relationships, Power Dynamics, Neuroethology
01:29:34 Humans, Females & Hormone Status; Monkeys, Social Images, Hormones
01:38:03 Humans, Attractiveness, Value-Based Decision Making
01:44:32 Altruism, Group Selection & Cooperation, Selflessness
01:49:08 Males, Testosterone, Behavior Changes
01:55:46 Sponsor: Function
01:57:34 Oxytocin, Pro-Social Behaviors, Behavioral Synchrony
02:08:13 MDMA, Oxytocin, Anxiety; Social Touch, Despair & Isolation
02:17:12 Isolation, Social Connections & Strangers, Tool: Deep Conversation Questions
02:21:17 Bridging the Divide, Tribes & Superficial Biases
02:26:58 Testosterone, Risk-Taking Behavior
02:30:52 Decision-Making, Tool: Accurate or Fast?
02:38:31 Decision-Making, Impact of Time & Fatigue
02:45:23 Advertising, Status, Celebrity, Monkeys
02:52:19 Hierarchy; Abundance & Scarcity, Money & Happiness, Loss Aversion
03:02:47 Meme Coins, Celebrity Endorsement, Social Sensitivity
03:12:22 Decisions & Urgency; Bounded & Ecological Rationality
03:18:09 Longevity Movement; Mortality & Motivation
03:24:48 Retirement?, Serial Pursuits & Pivoting
03:30:17 Apple or Samsung?, Brand Loyalty, Empathy
03:38:15 Political Affiliation, Empathy
03:46:22 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

#HubermanLab #Science

Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Use visual focus to enhance cognitive performance

Visually focusing on a small, constrained area can prime your brain for focused cognitive work, whereas panoramic viewing can prime it for creativity.

#cognition

#focus

Unite against Apple: Samsung users bond through shared dislike

Brain imaging shows Apple users have a familial empathy for their brand, while Samsung users are primarily motivated by a shared dislike of Apple.

#community

#emotion

Shift focus to potential gains to overcome loss aversion

We are averse to loss because we focus our attention on what we might lose, a bias that can be eliminated by simply making potential gains visually more prominent.

#attention

#decision-making

Measure connection through synchrony in brain activity and heart rates

When people form a strong connection, their brain activity and even heart rates begin to synchronize, a measurable biomarker of relationship quality and teamwork.

#heart

#relationships

Leverage oxytocin to flatten social hierarchies

The hormone oxytocin can make dominant individuals more friendly and subordinate ones bolder, effectively reducing the steepness of social power dynamics.

#oxytocin

#relationships

Understand your brain's social ledger for better relationships

Specific neural circuits track the give-and-take in social relationships, creating a precise mental account of who owes whom what, from grooming to text messages.

#neurology

#relationships

Minimize phone presence to boost working memory

Your working memory is significantly impaired if your phone is in the same room, even if turned off, because your brain subconsciously tracks it as an available resource.