Neural substrates of intrinsically motivated perseverance in adolescents and adults
Perseverance decisions rely on the ability to motivate behavior despite failure. Although perseverance is widely recognized to confer psychological and achievement benefits, there is a dearth of understanding regarding neural systems underpinning intrinsically motivated perseverance. This study elicited perseverance decisions in 99 human participants ages 13-30 (61 females) using a new task and fMRI. Perseverers (versus non-perseverers) evinced increased neural response in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to goal-relevant information (performance feedback versus monetary reward) and positively valenced information (positive versus negative performance feedback). Multivariate pattern analysis revealed representation of positive and negative feedback were more similar for perseverers, but representation of positive feedback and money did not distinguish the groups. Younger participants were less likely to persevere and recruited the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) to a greater extent after negative feedback. These findings suggest perseverance targets motivational and value systems important for propelling action in the face of failure.