Why do we keep making wrong choices? It’s a question everyone has asked themselves at least once, and this time researchers at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience of the University of Bologna asked it as well. They analyzed how, during the decision-making process, the brain uses environmental signals associated with rewards, and what happens when these signals stop being reliable. The findings, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, demonstrate that certain individuals remain affected by stimuli previously linked to positive decisions, even when those signals no longer represent the optimal option. The researchers ran an experiment with sixty people and a virtual slot machine. During the first phase, participants learnt to correlate the presence of specific visuals with successful outcomes. In the second, they discovered that pressing a specific lever on a slot machine enhanced their chances of winning. The third phase was identical to the second, except for the possibility of seeing visuals previously connected with rewards, which had no effect on the chances of winning. "On one hand, there are goal-trackers, or individuals who depend primarily on knowledge acquired through direct experience", as the researchers observe, "on the other hand, there are sign-trackers, who tend to focus on and be influenced by predictive stimuli". In essence, our methods of learning are not uniform: for some, the challenge is not disregarding experience but rather staying attached to associations that the brain finds difficult to release. The researchers underline that a better knowledge of this mechanism could be critical in assisting those suffering from substance addiction or other behavioral disorders.