How cognition and decision-making processes shape behaviour with Justin Mahlberg

In this episode, Dr Tsen Vei Lim speaks to Dr Justin Mahlberg, a Research Fellow at Monash University, Australia. The interview covers Justin’s research article on social cognition and decision-making in people with methamphetamine use disorder.

• Why studying cognition in methamphetamine use disorder is important [01:26]
• Antisocial behaviour among those with methamphetamine use disorder [02:24]
• How Justin investigated social cognition within the study [02:55]
• Basic social cognition processes that Justin looked at in this study [04:29]
• The key findings from the study [05:41]
• How Justin examined pro-social decision making through computer games [09:31]
• How Justin examined anti-social decision making through simulations [12:09]
• How the findings effect how we understand methamphetamine use disorder [14:14]
• The implications of the findings for treatment outcomes [15:33]
• The contribution of the findings to policy and practice [18:17]

About Tsen Vei Lim: Tsen Vei is an academic fellow supported by the Society for the Study of Addiction, currently based at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. His research integrates computational modelling, experimental psychology, and neuroimaging to understand the neuropsychological basis of addictive behaviours. He holds a PhD in Psychiatry from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Bath (UK).

About Justin Mahlberg: Justin holds a PhD in Psychology and is currently a Research Fellow in the Addiction & Impulsivity Research Lab within the School of Psychological Sciences and the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University. Justin’s research is interested in uncovering how cognitive and decision-making processes shape human behaviour to help build better individualised, neuroscience-informed approaches to behavioural change. Justin is currently the clinical lead for an umbrella intervention trial focusing on developing brain-informed methods for personalising brain stimulation as a treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder.

Original article: Social cognition and decision-making in people with methamphetamine use disorder https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70108

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