Bias for Action

Researchers have found that this “bias for action” trains the brain to literally bypass the prefrontal cortex during decision making under stress.

The down-regulation of the prefrontal cortex under stress creates a speedway between the emotion center and the action centers of the brain.

This is highly adaptive in that it allows the individual to rapidly jump into fight or flight mode when activated — and can therefore be the difference between life or death.

But it also makes it hard to slow down and think when stressed. Under circumstances that aren’t life or death, it can cause individuals to feel like they don’t have conscious control over their behavior