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Rapid electrophysiological brain responses are influenced by both valence and magnitude of monetary rewards.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Goyer, JP; Woldorff, MG; Huettel, SA
Published in: J Cogn Neurosci
November 2008

Abstract Negative outcomes, as identified from external feedback, cause a short-latency negative deflection in the event-related potential (ERP) waveform over medial frontal electrode sites. This brain response, which has been called an "error related negativity" (ERN) or "medial frontal negativity" (MFN), may reflect a coarse evaluation of performance outcomes, such as the valence of a reward within a monetary gambling task. Yet, for feedback to lead to the adaptive control of behavior, other information concerning reward outcomes besides experienced valence may also be important. Here, we used a gambling task in which subjects chose between two options that could vary in both outcome valence (gain or loss) and outcome magnitude (larger or smaller). We measured changes in brain ERP responses associated with the presentation of the outcomes. We found, as shown in prior studies, that valence of the chosen outcome has an early effect upon frontal ERPs, with maximal difference observed at approximately 250 msec. However, our results demonstrated that the early ERP responses to outcome feedback were driven not just by valence but by the combination of valence and magnitude for both chosen and unchosen options. Beginning even earlier, at around 150 msec, responses to high-consequence outcomes resulted in a greater, more centrally distributed, positive potential than those involving low-consequence outcomes, independent of valence. Furthermore, the amplitude of these early effects was significantly modulated by the sequence of outcomes in previous trials. These results indicate that early evaluation of feedback goes beyond simple identification of valence-it involves the consideration of multiple factors, including outcome magnitude, context of unchosen options, and prior history.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Cogn Neurosci

DOI

ISSN

0898-929X

Publication Date

November 2008

Volume

20

Issue

11

Start / End Page

2058 / 2069

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Time Factors
  • Reward
  • Motivation
  • Models, Biological
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Gambling
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology
 

Citation

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Goyer, J. P., Woldorff, M. G., & Huettel, S. A. (2008). Rapid electrophysiological brain responses are influenced by both valence and magnitude of monetary rewards. J Cogn Neurosci, 20(11), 2058–2069. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2008.20134
Goyer, Julia P., Marty G. Woldorff, and Scott A. Huettel. “Rapid electrophysiological brain responses are influenced by both valence and magnitude of monetary rewards.J Cogn Neurosci 20, no. 11 (November 2008): 2058–69. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2008.20134.
Goyer JP, Woldorff MG, Huettel SA. Rapid electrophysiological brain responses are influenced by both valence and magnitude of monetary rewards. J Cogn Neurosci. 2008 Nov;20(11):2058–69.
Goyer, Julia P., et al. “Rapid electrophysiological brain responses are influenced by both valence and magnitude of monetary rewards.J Cogn Neurosci, vol. 20, no. 11, Nov. 2008, pp. 2058–69. Pubmed, doi:10.1162/jocn.2008.20134.
Goyer JP, Woldorff MG, Huettel SA. Rapid electrophysiological brain responses are influenced by both valence and magnitude of monetary rewards. J Cogn Neurosci. 2008 Nov;20(11):2058–2069.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Cogn Neurosci

DOI

ISSN

0898-929X

Publication Date

November 2008

Volume

20

Issue

11

Start / End Page

2058 / 2069

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Time Factors
  • Reward
  • Motivation
  • Models, Biological
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Gambling
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology