You have to make a choice about which of two colleges to attend. You can't really explain it, but you feel strongly that you want to choose one...

Though the brain isn't really divided into sectors dedicated to emotion, sensory perception, radical action, and rational thought, we can describe the brain's myriad functions in abstractions such as these. For this question, the emotional brain is most likely in control.

If we categorize different processes of the brain as sensory, radical, rational, and emotional, we should also consider what these terms mean. What is the motivation or functions of these different types? Hopefully by...

Though the brain isn't really divided into sectors dedicated to emotion, sensory perception, radical action, and rational thought, we can describe the brain's myriad functions in abstractions such as these. For this question, the emotional brain is most likely in control.

If we categorize different processes of the brain as sensory, radical, rational, and emotional, we should also consider what these terms mean. What is the motivation or functions of these different types? Hopefully by breaking these down, it will become clear why the emotional brain is in charge in considering the two colleges.

• Sensory- The "sensory brain" describes our processes of detecting and interpreting sensory stimulus. This includes hearing, sight, sound, taste, touch, and our ability to move through space. If I had a strong preference for one college over another based on its sensory aspects, I might be able to describe the sensory stimuli that I found pleasant about the college. As this is not the case, it cannot be the sensory brain.


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  Rational- The "rational brain" describes our ability to make good judgments. What is the best course of action towards a desired end goal? Many people base their choice of college on their hopeful career and what type of degree they would like to earn. Other factors may be cost of tuition, student services and accommodations, distance from home, proximity to leisure activities and emergency services, and graduate programs. Because potentially beneficial factors like these aren't mentioned, it cannot be the rational brain at work. 


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  Radical- The "radical brain" is quite the opposite of the rational brain. It describes random actions, unpredictability, and perhaps a desire to go against the grain or subvert what might be called "good decisions." Above I mentioned several factors which can influence someone's decision on which college to attend. If the radical brain was in charge, I might choose to attend colleges which have the least beneficial factors, or disregard such criteria entirely. The radical brain isn't so much concerned with making the best decisions for the long-term goal as making impulsive decisions contrasting with or without regard for the criteria that make a college "good."


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  Emotional- The "emotional brain" describes the processes by which we feel. "Feel" is really the key word in answering your question. Feelings can be influenced by rational, radical, and sensory criteria, but these all offer some amount of explanation. Sometimes, we just feel, and it can be hard to really pinpoint the reason why. In this question, I can't explain why I feel a preference for the college, but I do. For that reason, I believe the emotional brain is in charge here.