Chapter 18 - Decision Making

Cognitive Flexibility

Ability to process the context and change actions as relevant for the current situation

Reversal Learning Task for Cognitive Flexibility

Go-No-Go Task

During reversal learning, OFC lesioned rats…

Are slower to switch their behavior ➡ Less flexibility

Valuation

The ability to determine the subjective value of a potential outcome

Orbitofrontal Cortex

Critical brain area thought to process current subjective value;

• Critical for comparing the values of different outcomes

Orbitofrontal Cortex Process

1. It receives input from all sensory modalities and the amygdala (assembled information)

2. Then, it projects widely throughout the brain including the amygdala, accumbens, and other cortical areas

Reinforcer Devaluation Task Result

OFC-lesioned monkeys indiscriminantly pick either object, while “normal” monkeys picked the other food they were not pre-fed on

Orbitofrontal Cortex / Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex

Appropriately assign value to different choices;

• Necessary to be sensitive to possible loss

OFC / vmPFC damaged patients show…

Normal cognitive function, HOWEVER social behavior/personality changed completely;

• Often make decisions against their best interests

Behavioral Economics

Field that studies human decision-making using empirical methods

Neuroeconomics

Study of the neural basis for behavioral economics

The Framing Effect

People can be manipulated into picking a particular option, depending on how the question is set up

The Delay Discounting Effect

Person’s willingness to wait for a “discount” can give insight on that individuals perceived impulsivity

Insula

Area that is activated when individuals use possible loss to make decisions

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex

Area that is activated when individuals use possible gains to make decisions