Theta Brainwaves Reflect Ability to Beat Built-In Bias

Brown University researchers recorded the EEG of 34 people playing a game that sometimes required them to go against instinct: holding back to win a reward, or acting to avoid a loss. Stronger frontal theta activity predicted who could override those built-in biases, and on which trials. The authors suggest the finding could help in studying conditions driven by reward-seeking or avoidance, such as addiction and OCD.