Biology of Decision Making

Question 1

Fellows (2018) described decisions as a link between ________ of experiences and ______ ________

Answer 1

decisions = link between memory of past experiences and future actions

Question 2

The prediction-outcome loop first involves having a _____. From this we think of ________ about the outcome. After this, we make a ________, which eventually leads to an ______. Based on the _______ we can monitor the prediction error, which creates a _______ for our next decisions and goals.

Memory Goal Prediction Decision outcome action

Answer 2

1st step = goal
2nd = prediction
3 = decision
4 = Action
5 = outcome
6 = prediction error monitoring
7 = memory

Question 3

The 3 main goals of decision making are to avoid _____, minimize _____ _____, _____ and ______ _______, and maximize _______.

Answer 3

avoid harm
minimize time cost, effort and missed opportunities
maximize reward

Question 4

What are 4 factors to consider in the processing of decision making?

Answer 4

Difficulty of the action (effort)
probability of success or failure
Context of the reward
missed opportunities

Question 5

What are 4 biases in decision making?

Answer 5

sticking with a default option
choosing certain gain over gamble
choosing gamble over certain loss
temporal discounting

Question 6

What is temporal discounting?

Answer 6

choosing immediate (lesser) rewards over future rewards

Question 7

Decisions can be made at 2 main levels:_______________________ decisions and ________________________ decisions

Answer 7

simple perceptual decisions
Complex decisions

Question 8

In the random-dot motion task moneys will fixate on which circle?
A the circle that the dots move away from
B the circle with more dots inside
C the circle that the dots move towards
D the circle with least dots inside

Answer 8

C circle that dots move towards

Question 9

In perceptual decision tasks, when we view a stimulus, we accumulate perceptual _________, until we reach a ______ ________. Once this is reached, we make a _________.

Answer 9

accumulate perceptual evidence until detection threshold reached, then we make a decision.

Question 10

In the random dot task, the detection threshold for a _____ motion detector was reached faster.
A Left
B Right
C Empty
D None of the above

Answer 10

A left

Question 11

What are the 3 main stages of perceptual decision making?

Answer 11

detection of sensory evidence (categories)
Integration of evidence over time
checking if threshold is reached

Question 12

Evidence can be harder to accumulate if a stimulus is ______, having distracting factors.

Answer 12

noisy

Question 13

In terms of the areas involved in the accumulation of evidence in the brain, the __/___ area may be involved in feature processing, the _____ cortex and _____ ___frontal cortex may be involved, and the _____________ areas may be involved in representation of actions.

Answer 13

MT/V5 - for feature processing
dorsal pre frontal cortex and parietal cortex
sensorimotor areas for representing actions

Question 14

For decisions to be made experiences need to be organized into ________ _______ and _____ ______. New _________ help add to these pre-existing models.

Answer 14

experiences organized into internal models and mental maps
new experiences add/alter models

Question 15

In Tolman’s experiments of maze rats, the rats encoded ______ _______of different maze locations to build a mental map

Answer 15

transitive relations

Question 16

True or false, mental maps are only useful in spatial tasks for decision making.

Answer 16

False, they are also very useful in non-spatial tasks.

Question 17

As memory is involved in decision making, which brain area is associated?
A Cingulate Cyrus
B Amygdala
C Hippocampus
D All of the above

Answer 17

C Hippocampus

Question 18

Shuck et al (2015) found that participants who _______________________ were able to switch strategy in a task and adapt, whereas participants who _________________ were not able to shift strategy.

Answer 18

people who learned association able to shift strategy
people who didn’t learn association not able to shift

Question 19

In shuck et al (2015) decision making study, fMRI findings showed that ____________ activity predicted strategy shifting despite this area not being involved in ________ processing. This area is also linked to the _________ formation

Answer 19

MFC (medial frontal cortex) activated
despite no involvement in colour processing
MFC also linked to memory formation

Question 20

We have different cognitive maps for different tasks. A cognitive map for a more sepcific task is called a
A Blank state
B State space
C Space Station
D Hidden state

Answer 20

B State space

Question 21

What is the name of the point along a mental map which represents the decision we are currently making?

Answer 21

Hidden state

Question 22

State spaces seem to be represented in the ________ ________ cortex and the _________ ________ cortex in the brain.

Answer 22

orbito frontal and medial frontal cortex

Question 23

At each hidden state along the state space, possible ______ and potential _______ are evaluated, in a process called________ __________.

Answer 23

possible options and potential outcomes evaluated in process called mental exploration

Question 24

Which 5 areas are associated in evaluating the subjective value of a goal or reward?

Answer 24

Orbitofrontal cortex
MFC
VMPFC
Striatum
Thalamus

Question 25

As the striatum is associated in subjective value, which NT system is involved?
A Glutamate
B GABA
C Ach
D Dopaminergic

Answer 25

D Dopaminergic

Question 26

Lesions to what part of the brain disrupts value judgements and simple preferences/

Answer 26

Frontal lobe

Question 27

Ventromedial pre frontal cortex lesions lead to people having what to things which may affect decision making?

Answer 27

inconsistent preferences
lack of guilt

Question 28

In the trust game what is the role of person A vs Person B

Answer 28

Person A decides how much money to give to person B
Person B receives money, which triples, and can give as much as they want back to A

Question 29

In the trust game, people with VMPFC lesions will in Person A’s position, will _________________, and in person B’s position, will ____________

Answer 29

If person A they will give less to person B
If person B, they will keep nearly all the money rather than returning it

Question 30

2 other less important areas involved in decision making is the _______ __-______ cortex, which is active in decision paradigms, and the frontal ______.

Answer 30

lateral prefrontal cortex and the frontal pole

Question 31

In order to maximize reward, Carland et al (2019)suggests that we cannot do what?

Answer 31

engage in more than one activity at a time

Question 32

A huge factor in influencing the subjective value of something is the ____ _____. For example a coconut might tast nicer than grapes, but coconuts take longer to open and therefore eat.

Answer 32

time cost

Question 33

When making a decision, more ______ make it difficult to evaluate reward and choose between.
A goals
B Options
C predictions
D Outcomes

Answer 33

B Options

Question 34

If the decision is difficult or evidence accumulation is noisy or _____, we cannot _________ forever. Instead, we need an ________ _______ to reach the detection threshold quicker and maximize

Answer 34

in hard decisions and slow/noisy evidence accumulations, we cannot deliberate forever, so we need an urgency signal to reach detection threshold quicker and maximize reward

Question 35

Urgency signals are controlled by projections from the _____ ______ to other ___________ and _____________ areas.

Answer 35

basal ganglia projections to other cognitive and sensorimotor areas

Question 36

The urgency signal grows during __________ time, is modulated by _____ _____ and is different in different ____________

Answer 36

grows during deliberation time
modulated by task content
different in different individuals

Question 37

Urgency signals may be useful in animals to move from one ____ to another, in order to maximize _______

Answer 37

move from one patch to another to maximize