Neural Responses Reveal Associations Between Personal Values And Value-Based Decisions.

ABSTRACT: Personal values are thought to modulate value-based decisions, but the neural mechanisms underlying this influence remains unclear. Using a Lottery Choice Task (LCT) functional brain imaging experiment, we examined the associations between personal value for hedonism and security (based on the Schwartz Value Survey) with subjective neurocognitive processing of reward and loss probability and magnitude objectively coded in stimuli. Hedonistic individuals accepted more losing stakes and increased right dorsolateral prefrontal and striatal, and left parietal responses with increasing probability of losing. Individuals prioritizing security rejected more stakes, showed reduced right inferior frontal and amygdala responses with increasing stake magnitude, but increased precuneus responses for high magnitude high winning probability. With higher hedonism, task-related functional connectivity with the whole brain was higher in right insula and lower in bilateral habenula. For those with higher security ratings, whole-brain functional connectivity was higher in bilateral insula and supplementary motor areas, and right superior frontal gyrus and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and lower in right middle occipital gyrus. These findings highlight distinct neural engagement across brain systems involved in reward and affective processing, and cognitive control that subserves how individual differences in personal value for gaining rewards or maintaining status quo modulate value-based decisions.

SUBMITTER: Chuang YS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7745144 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature