Cargando…

Of goals and habits: age-related and individual differences in goal-directed decision-making

In this study we investigated age-related and individual differences in habitual (model-free) and goal-directed (model-based) decision-making. Specifically, we were interested in three questions. First, does age affect the balance between model-based and model-free decision mechanisms? Second, are t...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Eppinger, Ben, Walter, Maik, Heekeren, Hauke R., Li, Shu-Chen
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2013
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3871973/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24399925
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00253
_version_ 1782296906980917248
author Eppinger, Ben
Walter, Maik
Heekeren, Hauke R.
Li, Shu-Chen
author_facet Eppinger, Ben
Walter, Maik
Heekeren, Hauke R.
Li, Shu-Chen
author_sort Eppinger, Ben
collection PubMed
description In this study we investigated age-related and individual differences in habitual (model-free) and goal-directed (model-based) decision-making. Specifically, we were interested in three questions. First, does age affect the balance between model-based and model-free decision mechanisms? Second, are these age-related changes due to age differences in working memory (WM) capacity? Third, can model-based behavior be affected by manipulating the distinctiveness of the reward value of choice options? To answer these questions we used a two-stage Markov decision task in in combination with computational modeling to dissociate model-based and model-free decision mechanisms. To affect model-based behavior in this task we manipulated the distinctiveness of reward probabilities of choice options. The results show age-related deficits in model-based decision-making, which are particularly pronounced if unexpected reward indicates the need for a shift in decision strategy. In this situation younger adults explore the task structure, whereas older adults show perseverative behavior. Consistent with previous findings, these results indicate that older adults have deficits in the representation and updating of expected reward value. We also observed substantial individual differences in model-based behavior. In younger adults high WM capacity is associated with greater model-based behavior and this effect is further elevated when reward probabilities are more distinct. However, in older adults we found no effect of WM capacity. Moreover, age differences in model-based behavior remained statistically significant, even after controlling for WM capacity. Thus, factors other than decline in WM, such as deficits in the in the integration of expected reward value into strategic decisions may contribute to the observed impairments in model-based behavior in older adults.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-3871973
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2013
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-38719732014-01-07 Of goals and habits: age-related and individual differences in goal-directed decision-making Eppinger, Ben Walter, Maik Heekeren, Hauke R. Li, Shu-Chen Front Neurosci Neuroscience In this study we investigated age-related and individual differences in habitual (model-free) and goal-directed (model-based) decision-making. Specifically, we were interested in three questions. First, does age affect the balance between model-based and model-free decision mechanisms? Second, are these age-related changes due to age differences in working memory (WM) capacity? Third, can model-based behavior be affected by manipulating the distinctiveness of the reward value of choice options? To answer these questions we used a two-stage Markov decision task in in combination with computational modeling to dissociate model-based and model-free decision mechanisms. To affect model-based behavior in this task we manipulated the distinctiveness of reward probabilities of choice options. The results show age-related deficits in model-based decision-making, which are particularly pronounced if unexpected reward indicates the need for a shift in decision strategy. In this situation younger adults explore the task structure, whereas older adults show perseverative behavior. Consistent with previous findings, these results indicate that older adults have deficits in the representation and updating of expected reward value. We also observed substantial individual differences in model-based behavior. In younger adults high WM capacity is associated with greater model-based behavior and this effect is further elevated when reward probabilities are more distinct. However, in older adults we found no effect of WM capacity. Moreover, age differences in model-based behavior remained statistically significant, even after controlling for WM capacity. Thus, factors other than decline in WM, such as deficits in the in the integration of expected reward value into strategic decisions may contribute to the observed impairments in model-based behavior in older adults. Frontiers Media S.A. 2013-12-24 /pmc/articles/PMC3871973/ /pubmed/24399925 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00253 Text en Copyright © 2013 Eppinger, Walter, Heekeren and Li. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Neuroscience
Eppinger, Ben
Walter, Maik
Heekeren, Hauke R.
Li, Shu-Chen
Of goals and habits: age-related and individual differences in goal-directed decision-making
title Of goals and habits: age-related and individual differences in goal-directed decision-making
title_full Of goals and habits: age-related and individual differences in goal-directed decision-making
title_fullStr Of goals and habits: age-related and individual differences in goal-directed decision-making
title_full_unstemmed Of goals and habits: age-related and individual differences in goal-directed decision-making
title_short Of goals and habits: age-related and individual differences in goal-directed decision-making
title_sort of goals and habits: age-related and individual differences in goal-directed decision-making
topic Neuroscience
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3871973/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24399925
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00253
work_keys_str_mv AT eppingerben ofgoalsandhabitsagerelatedandindividualdifferencesingoaldirecteddecisionmaking
AT waltermaik ofgoalsandhabitsagerelatedandindividualdifferencesingoaldirecteddecisionmaking
AT heekerenhauker ofgoalsandhabitsagerelatedandindividualdifferencesingoaldirecteddecisionmaking
AT lishuchen ofgoalsandhabitsagerelatedandindividualdifferencesingoaldirecteddecisionmaking