Abstract. This chapter examines the biological pathways through which prenatal maternal stress, triggered by natural disasters, affects maternal and foetal health. Key mechanisms include HPA axis dysregulation and increased cortisol exposure, which may alter foetal development and long-term stress regulation. The chapter also explores epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation, as lasting markers of prenatal stress, as well as emerging evidence on immune and inflammatory responses.

Abstract. In the classic preference reversal (PR) phenomenon, individuals often choose the safer of two gambles but assign a higher monetary evaluation to the riskier one. A key distinction between choice and evaluation tasks is that the former typically require comparative processing of the two bets, while the latter can be conducted in isolation for each bet. If this task-mode difference plays a causal role in generating PRs, then the frequency of PRs across individuals should correlate with differences in comparative cognitive processes across tasks.