The unconscious in economic decision-making: Convergent voices

Mainstream economics assumes that decision-making is a conscious cost-benefit process, ignoring the pervasive role of unconscious thought processes. Recent research in neuroimaging, genomics, and psychoanalysis exposes the role of unconscious and “nonconscious” processes, providing tools for analyzing economic decision-making. Neuroimaging reveals examples of brain function that modulate decision-making, but are not under conscious control. Psychoanalytic research provides evidence of the role of emotions and the unconscious in human behavior and decision-making. We advance the case for integrating psychoanalysis and neuroscience for a new perspective on the role of the mind in decision-making and economic behavior.