scholarly journals Motor plans under uncertainty reflect a trade-off between maximizing reward and success

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron L Wong ◽  
Audrey L Green ◽  
Mitchell W Isaacs
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Study Behavior ◽  
Reward Seeking ◽  
Movement Strategies ◽  
General Response ◽  
Key Questions

When faced with multiple potential movement options, individuals either reach directly to one of the options, or initiate a reach intermediate between the options. It remains unclear why people generate these two types of behaviors. Using the go-before-you-know task (commonly used to study behavior under choice uncertainty), we examined two key questions. First, do these two types of responses reflect distinct movement strategies, or are they simply examples of a more general response to choice uncertainty? If the former, the relative desirability (i.e., weighing the likelihood of successfully hitting the target versus the attainable reward) of the two target options might be computed differently for direct versus intermediate reaches. We showed that indeed, when exogenous reward and success likelihood (i.e., endogenous reward) differ between the two options, direct reaches were more strongly biased by likelihood whereas intermediate movements were more strongly biased by reward. Second, what drives individual differences in how people respond under uncertainty? We found that risk/reward-seeking individuals generated a larger proportion of intermediate reaches and were more sensitive to trial-to-trial changes in reward, suggesting these movements reflect a strategy to maximize reward. In contrast, risk-adverse individuals tended to generate more direct reaches in an attempt to maximize success. Together, these findings suggest that when faced with choice uncertainty, individuals adopt movement strategies consistent with their risk/reward-seeking tendency, preferentially biasing behavior toward exogenous rewards or endogenous success and consequently modulating the relative desirability of the available options.

scholarly journals Individual concerns modulate Pavlovian-instrumental transfer for sexual outcomes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoann Stussi ◽  
Vanessa Sennwald ◽  
eva pool ◽  
Sylvain Delplanque ◽  
Tobias Brosch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Sexual Stimuli ◽  
Reward Seeking ◽  
Sexual Outcomes ◽  
Sexual Concerns ◽  
Instrumental Action ◽  
Current Concerns ◽  
Insight Into

Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning are fundamental processes helping organisms learn about stimuli that predict rewards in the environment and actions that lead to their obtainment. The interplay between these two forms of learning notably exerts a strong impact on reward-seeking behaviors. However, mechanisms modulating this impact are not well elucidated. Here, we examined whether the influence of Pavlovian cues on instrumental action for sexual rewards is determined by their relevance to the individual’s sexual concerns in humans. In two experiments, we manipulated the relevance of sexual outcomes in a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer paradigm by recruiting heterosexual and homosexual men and selecting sexual stimuli for each sexual orientation. Results showed that Pavlovian-instrumental transfer effects were enhanced in response to the cue that was associated with the most relevant sexual outcome to participants’ sexual orientation compared to the cue associated with the less relevant sexual outcome, thereby reflecting that inter-individual differences in sexual concerns modulated these effects. These findings suggest that motivational control of reward-related instrumental action triggered by Pavlovian stimuli in humans relies on inter-individual differences in current concerns and can extend beyond homeostatic needs such as hunger or thirst. This fosters further insight into the mechanisms underlying human reward-seeking behaviors.

scholarly journals Emotion and attention interaction: a trade-off between stimuli relevance, motivation and individual differences

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leticia Oliveira ◽  
Izabela Mocaiber ◽  
Isabel A. David ◽  
Fátima Erthal ◽  
Eliane Volchan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Trade Off

scholarly journals Individual differences in behaviour explain variation in survival: a meta-analysis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Moiron ◽  
Kate L. Laskowski ◽  
Petri Toivo Niemelä
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Animal Personality ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Behavioural Types ◽  
Risky Behaviours ◽  
First Time

Research focusing on among-individual differences in behaviour (“animal personality”) has been blooming for over a decade. One of the central theories explaining the maintenance of behavioural variation posits a trade-off between behaviour and survival with individuals expressing greater “risky” behaviours suffering higher mortality. Here, for the first time, we synthesize the existing empirical evidence for this key prediction. Our results did not support this prediction as there was no directional relationship between riskier behaviour and greater mortality; however there was a significant absolute relationship between behaviour and survival. In total, behaviour explained a significant, but small, portion (4.4%) of the variance in survival. We also found that risky (versus “shy”) behavioural types live longer in the wild, but not in the laboratory. This suggests that individuals expressing risky behaviours might be of overall higher quality but the lack of predation pressure and resource restrictions mask this effect in laboratory environments. Our work implies that individual differences in behaviour explain important differences in survival but not in the direction predicted by theory. Importantly, this suggests that the models predicting survival trade-offs may need revision and/or empiricists may need to reconsider their proxies of risky behaviours when testing such theory.

scholarly journals Dopaminergic genes are associated with both directed and random exploration

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel J. Gershman ◽  
Bastian Greshake Tzovaras
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Dopaminergic Genes ◽  
High Uncertainty

AbstractIn order to maximize long-term rewards, agents must balance exploitation (choosing the option with the highest payoff) and exploration (gathering information about options that might have higher payoffs). Although the optimal solution to this trade-off is intractable, humans make use of two effective strategies: selectively exploring options with high uncertainty (directed exploration), and increasing the randomness of their choices when they are more uncertain (random exploration). Using a task that independently manipulates these two forms of exploration, we show that single nucleotide polymorphisms related to dopamine are associated with individual differences in exploration strategies. Variation in a gene linked to prefrontal dopamine (COMT) predicted the degree of directed exploration, as well as the overall randomness of responding. Variation in a gene linked to striatal dopamine (DARPP-32) predicted the degree of both directed and random exploration. These findings suggest that dopamine makes multiple contributions to exploration, depending on its afferent target.

scholarly journals The trade-off between pulse duration and power in optical excitation of midbrain dopamine neurons approximates Bloch’s law

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasilios Pallikaras ◽  
Francis Carter ◽  
David Natanael Velázquez Martínez ◽  
Andreas Arvanitogiannis ◽  
Peter Shizgal
Keyword(s):  
Pulse Duration ◽  
Optical Power ◽  
Human Vision ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
List Type ◽  
Energy Principle ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Neuronal Excitation ◽  
Equal Energy ◽  
Reward Seeking

AbstractBackgroundOptogenetic experiments reveal functional roles of specific neurons. However, such inferences have been restricted by widespread adoption of a fixed set of stimulation parameters. Broader exploration of the parameter space can deepen insight into the mapping between selective neural activity and behavior. In this way, characteristics of the activated neurons, such as temporal integration, can be inferred.ObjectiveTo determine whether an equal-energy principle accounts for the interaction of pulse duration and optical power in optogenetic excitation.MethodsSix male TH::Cre rats worked for optogenetic (ChannelRhodopsin-2) stimulation of Ventral Tegmental Area dopamine neurons. We used a within-subject design to describe the trade-off between pulse duration and optical power in determining reward seeking. Parameters were customized for each subject on the basis of behavioral effectiveness.ResultsWithin a useful range of powers (~12.6-31.6 mW) the product of optical power and pulse duration required to produce a given level of reward seeking was roughly constant. Such reciprocity is consistent with Bloch’s law, which posits an equal-energy principle of temporal summation over short durations in human vision. The trade-off between pulse duration and power broke down at higher powers.ConclusionsOptical power can be substituted for pulse duration to scale the region of neuronal excitation in behavioral optogenetic experiments. Power and duration can be adjusted reciprocally for brief durations and lower powers. The findings demonstrate the utility of within-subject and trade-off designs in optogenetics and of parameter adjustment based on functional endpoints instead of physical properties of the stimulation.HighlightsWe provide behaviorally derived intensity-duration curves for ChannelRhodopsin-2.Duration trades off almost perfectly with power within useful ranges.This trade-off breaks down at high optical powers.Pulse duration and optical power scale the area of neuronal excitation equivalently.Behaviorally derived trade-offs can reveal optogenetic excitation mechanisms.

Synaesthesia as a Model System for Understanding Variation in the Human Mind and Brain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Ward
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Model System ◽  
Mind And Brain ◽  
Way Of Thinking ◽  
Key Questions

The aim of this article is to reposition synaesthesia as model system for understanding variation in the construction of the human mind and brain. People with synaesthesia inhabit a remarkable mental world in which numbers can be coloured, words can have tastes, and music is a visual spectacle. Synaesthesia has now been documented for over two hundred years but key questions remain unanswered about why it exists, and what such conditions might mean for theories of the human mind. This article argues we need to rethink synaesthesia as not just representing exceptional experiences, but as a product of an unusual neurodevelopmental cascade from genes to brain to cognition of which synaesthesia is only one outcome. Specifically, differences in the brains of synaesthetes support a distinctive way of thinking (enhanced memory, imagery etc.) and may also predispose towards particular clinical vulnerabilities. In effect, synaesthesia can act as a paradigmatic example of a neuropsychological approach to individual differences.

Phylogeny and Ontogeny of Mathematical and Numerical Understanding

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Brannon ◽  
Joonkoo Park
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Numerical Cognition ◽  
Mathematical Mind ◽  
Key Questions

This navigator chapter situates the chapters that comprise the section on the phylogeny and ontogeny of mathematical and numerical understanding. How is number represented in the absence of language? What are the key questions that arise as we map out the continuities and discontinuities between non-human and human numerical cognition? What can we learn from studying individual differences in numerical cognition? How do the initial representations of quantity in the infant give rise to the uniquely human mathematical mind? Can we use the knowledge we are gaining about how the preverbal mind represents and manipulate quantity to improve mathematics education?

scholarly journals The Structure and Behavioral Effects of Revealed Social Identity Preferences*

2020 ◽  
Vol 130 (632) ◽  
pp. 2569-2595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Hett ◽  
Mario Mechtel ◽  
Markus Kröll
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Behavioral Effects ◽  
Individual Heterogeneity ◽  
Substantial Variation ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Behavioural Effects

Abstract A large body of evidence shows that social identity affects behaviour. However, our understanding of the substantial variation of these behavioural effects is still limited. We use a novel laboratory experiment to measure differences in preferences for social identities as a potential source of behavioural heterogeneity. Facing a trade-off between monetary payments and belonging to different groups, individuals are willing to forego significant earnings to avoid belonging to certain groups. We then show that individual differences in these foregone earnings correspond to the differences in discriminatory behaviour towards these groups. Our results illustrate the importance of considering individual heterogeneity to fully understand the behavioural effects of social identity.

scholarly journals Repeatability of decision-making behaviour in male threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus: Effects of dummy vs. live stimuli

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa L. Dzieweczynski ◽  
Lindsay M. Forrette
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Threespine Stickleback ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Consistent Manner ◽  
Males And Females

Abstract Individuals select from a number of behaviours when responding to various situations and the decisions they make may affect their fitness. The costs and benefits of these responses vary among individuals causing them to differ even in identical situations. One example of this type of situation is when territorial males encounter both a male and female simultaneously, generating a trade-off that likely leads to individual differences due to differing costs of various actions among males. This situation commonly occurs in threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. However, for selection to act effectively, individuals must behave in a consistent manner and measuring repeatability can aid in understanding how selection may shape such trade-offs. Males of this species exhibit consistent individual differences in their response to dummy males and females but it is unknown if patterns are similar when feedback from the stimuli is present. To assess this, male threespine stickleback were tested with dummy and live male and female conspecifics, presented separately and simultaneously. While the same trends were found regardless of stimulus type, males were more aggressive towards the live conspecifics than to the dummies. Repeatability values were similar within a treatment regardless of whether live or dummy conspecifics were used, suggesting that individuals show the same level of consistency. This study adds to our understanding of consistent individual differences by demonstrating that feedback may not affect responses to conflicting stimuli and that male threespine stickleback respond in a consistent manner to both dummy and live stimuli.

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