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Separate neural mechanisms underlie choices and strategic preferences in risky decision making.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Venkatraman, V; Payne, JW; Bettman, JR; Luce, MF; Huettel, SA
Published in: Neuron
May 2009

Adaptive decision making in real-world contexts often relies on strategic simplifications of decision problems. Yet, the neural mechanisms that shape these strategies and their implementation remain largely unknown. Using an economic decision-making task, we dissociate brain regions that predict specific choices from those predicting an individual's preferred strategy. Choices that maximized gains or minimized losses were predicted by functional magnetic resonance imaging activation in ventromedial prefrontal cortex or anterior insula, respectively. However, choices that followed a simplifying strategy (i.e., attending to overall probability of winning) were associated with activation in parietal and lateral prefrontal cortices. Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, through differential functional connectivity with parietal and insular cortex, predicted individual variability in strategic preferences. Finally, we demonstrate that robust decision strategies follow from neural sensitivity to rewards. We conclude that decision making reflects more than compensatory interaction of choice-related regions; in addition, specific brain systems potentiate choices depending on strategies, traits, and context.

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Published In

Neuron

DOI

EISSN

1097-4199

ISSN

0896-6273

Publication Date

May 2009

Volume

62

Issue

4

Start / End Page

593 / 602

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Risk-Taking
  • Reward
  • Probability
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Oxygen
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Nerve Net
  • Male
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Venkatraman, V., Payne, J. W., Bettman, J. R., Luce, M. F., & Huettel, S. A. (2009). Separate neural mechanisms underlie choices and strategic preferences in risky decision making. Neuron, 62(4), 593–602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2009.04.007
Venkatraman, Vinod, John W. Payne, James R. Bettman, Mary Frances Luce, and Scott A. Huettel. “Separate neural mechanisms underlie choices and strategic preferences in risky decision making.Neuron 62, no. 4 (May 2009): 593–602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2009.04.007.
Venkatraman V, Payne JW, Bettman JR, Luce MF, Huettel SA. Separate neural mechanisms underlie choices and strategic preferences in risky decision making. Neuron. 2009 May;62(4):593–602.
Venkatraman, Vinod, et al. “Separate neural mechanisms underlie choices and strategic preferences in risky decision making.Neuron, vol. 62, no. 4, May 2009, pp. 593–602. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2009.04.007.
Venkatraman V, Payne JW, Bettman JR, Luce MF, Huettel SA. Separate neural mechanisms underlie choices and strategic preferences in risky decision making. Neuron. 2009 May;62(4):593–602.
Journal cover image

Published In

Neuron

DOI

EISSN

1097-4199

ISSN

0896-6273

Publication Date

May 2009

Volume

62

Issue

4

Start / End Page

593 / 602

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Risk-Taking
  • Reward
  • Probability
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Oxygen
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Nerve Net
  • Male