Behavioural and neural limits in competitive decision making: The roles of outcome, opponency and observation

•When participants experience different opponents (unexploitable, exploitable), random behaviour can be generated against unexploitable opponents.•Previous exposure with negative outcome and previous engagement with a trial for which response selection was removed promote sub-optimal performance.•Ag...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBiological psychology Vol. 149; p. 107778
Main Authors Dyson, Benjamin James, Steward, Ben Albert, Meneghetti, Tea, Forder, Lewis
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2020
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Summary:•When participants experience different opponents (unexploitable, exploitable), random behaviour can be generated against unexploitable opponents.•Previous exposure with negative outcome and previous engagement with a trial for which response selection was removed promote sub-optimal performance.•Against unexploitable opponents, N1 determines the extent to which negative and positive outcomes are perceived as distinct categories by FRN.•Against exploitable opponents, FRN determines the extent to which P3 generates neural gain for future events.•Differential activation of the N1 – FRN – P3 processing chain provides a framework for understanding competitive decision making. To understand the boundaries we set for ourselves in terms of environmental responsibility during competition, we examined a neural index of outcome valence (feedback-related negativity; FRN) in relation to an early index of visual attention (N1), a later index of motivational significance (P3), and, eventual behaviour. In Experiment 1 (n = 36), participants either were (play) or were not (observe) responsible for action selection. In Experiment 2 (n = 36), opponents additionally either could (exploitable) or could not (unexploitable) be beaten. Various failures in reinforcement learning expression were revealed including large-scale approximations of random behaviour. Against unexploitable opponents, N1 determined the extent to which negative and positive outcomes were perceived as distinct categories by FRN. Against exploitable opponents, FRN determined the extent to which P3 generated neural gain for future events. Differential activation of the N1 – FRN – P3 processing chain provides a framework for understanding the behavioural dynamism observed during competitive decision making.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
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ISSN:0301-0511
1873-6246
DOI:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107778