11 May 2026, by Uğur Turhan

How hunger shapes attention and decision-making 

In a new study by Jennifer, Chih-Chung, and Sebastian, in collaboration with Soyoung Q. Park, we explore how hunger affects cognitive processes. Using eye-tracking and computational modeling, we show that hunger operates in a remarkably targeted way: it changes how we perceive food and make decisions about it, but has no effect on intertemporal or social preference. 
Hunger does not make us more impatient or more selfish. It simply draws our attention more strongly toward tasty food. This domain-specific effect suggests that the brain processes hunger as a precise signal with limited effects beyond the food domain. 

Link to the publication