Neuroeconomic studies conducted over the last decade suggest that addictive behaviors are far more consistent and reliable than has been widely appreciated. Addiction, craving, and risk attitudes all behave in surprisingly predictable ways in addicted populations, when examined psychophysically. This predictability is opening new avenues for intervention, making it possible to predict when relapses will occur and perhaps how to prevent them. These new psychophysical studies of addiction offer a new role for academic psychologists addressing addiction in the lab and in the clinic.

Paul Glimcher is Julius Silver Professor of Neural Science and Professor of Psychology, Economics and Psychiatry at New York University. Research by his lab examines the neural and psychological foundation of human and animal decision making. He is one of the founders of the field of Neuroeconomics. He is the author of Decisions, Uncertainty and the Brain (2001), Foundations of Neureconomic Analysis (2011), and the textbook Neuroeconomics: Decison Making and the Brain.

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