Teens, AI and the science of risky decisions, with Valerie Reyna, PhD
24 September 2025

Teens, AI and the science of risky decisions, with Valerie Reyna, PhD

Speaking of Psychology

About
You might think the best way to make decisions is to know all the facts. But psychologists’ research suggests that getting the “gist” – the core meaning behind the facts – is more important than focusing on every last detail. Valerie Reyna, PhD, talks about why gist matters; how it explains why teens make so many risky decisions; how understanding gist can help doctors communicate better with their patients; and why AI systems may be moving toward more gist-based reasoning. 



Chapters

00:00 What is Gist?

09:55 The Role of Gist in Adolescent Decision-Making

19:40 Misinformation and Gist-Based Thinking

29:53 AI Decision-Making: A New Frontier
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