From behavioural economics to neuroeconomics to decision neuroscience: the ascent of biology in research on human decision making

•Neuroeconomics aims at providing a neural foundation for economic models of choice.•It has helped discriminating between different candidate theories (model selection).•Recently choice heterogeneity has emerged that existing theories cannot explain.•Many aspects of choice heterogeneity have clear biological markers.•Decision neuroscience aims at developing a biology-centred theory of choice.

Here, we briefly review the evolution of research on human decision-making over the past few decades. We discern a trend whereby biology moves from subserving economics (neuroeconomics), to providing the data that advance our knowledge of the nature of human decision-making (decision neuroscience). Examples illustrate that the integration of behavioural and biological models is fruitful especially for understanding heterogeneity of choice in humans.