Motivation, reward and decision makingPart 3: Motivation, reward and
decision making
Learning Objectives:
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Recognize why decisions tend to be irrational and that
decision making may rely on executive functions
Describe the key factors that can influence decision making
Identify several characteristics of pathological gambling
Recognize addiction and pathological gambling as disorders
of the brain in association with VMPFC, ventral striatum, dopamine (D2)
Describe the two circuits implicated in reward processing
Discuss which aspects of reward information are processed
by dopaminergic neurons in the VTA, substantia nigra, and
ventral striatum
Refer to the Leung lecture video
(and other online materials)
A. What factors influence decision making?
B. Addiction to gambling
C. Reward-related neural systems
D. Neuroeconomics
COKE or PEPSI?
Chocolate or Banana?
Computer games or Study for 355?
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University enrolled
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
Defining Decision Making
A. What factors influence decision making?
Key factors: Expected value, novelty/saliency,
degree of risk
Decisions are defined by three conditions:
i. At least two possible choices
ii. Expectations can be formed about the
potential outcomes of each choice
iii. The values of the potential outcomes
can be assessed at some level
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This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
Clicker 1: Opinion Poll
A. What factors influence decision making?
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Decisions tend to be irrational and grounded on
a foundation of incomplete information
– Effect of expectation, framing, placebo,
price
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Depending on the level of certainty, decision
may involve various forms of executive
control
Frans de Waal: Moral behavior in animals
A
Watch youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
reload=9&v=meiU6TxysCg
B
Expected Utility (i.e., Subjective Value)
$9250
$15,001
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
capuchin monkeys who were given treats
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
B. Addiction to Gambling
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3-4 % of the US population meet the criteria for
problem gambling
Cocaine
Pathological gambling
– fMRI studies revealed a potential dysfunction
of ventromedial PFC and ventral striatum
Meth
– Related to some medications – chronic
Alcohol
dopamine replacement therapy in
Parkinson’s disease (Dodd et al., 2005)
Heroin
http://www.drugabuse.gov/
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
C. Reward-related neural systems con’t
C. Reward-related neural systems
How does the brain make behavioral choices and
processes rewards that motivate choices?
1. The midbrain dopamine (DA) system has been
implicated as the underlying mechanism
a) Dopaminergic projections: SNr and VTA
b) Dopaminergic pathways:
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Mesolimbic
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Mesocortical
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
C. Reward-related neural systems (cont.)
C. Reward-related neural systems (cont.)
2. Pharmacological studies further implicated DA
as a central player (Robbins et al.)
a) Effects of cocaine and amphetamine
3. Neurophysiology studies showed that activity of
DA neurons reflects (Schultz et al. Kutlu et al.)
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a) the reward value of task stimuli; probability
and magnitude of reinforcement
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b) DA neuron activity seems to provide an index
of reward prediction error
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c) Recently findings suggested DA tracks
perceived saliency in all conditions
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
• c) VTA neurons respond to:
unexpected reward, reward
cues, omitted rewards
• d) Nucleus accumbens activity
reflects: unpredictable/
predictable rewards, reward
magnitude, perceived saliency
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
C. Reward-related neural systems (cont.)
4. Does that mean DA mediates the hedonic
impact of rewarding stimuli?
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Studies of self-administered electrical
stimulation: Animals repeatedly pressed the
lever to receive VTA/SNr stimulation, but no
increase in DA level
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In contrast, random unexpected stimulation led
to dopamine release
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Thus, DA neuron activity is associated with info
about the motivational properties of the rewards
(wanting) but not the pleasurable aspects of the
rewards (liking)
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
Summary
1. Many studies focused on the reward system in
the midbrain, particularly the mesolimbic and
mesocortical dopaminergic pathways.
2. Activity of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA and
SNr seems to contain information about the value,
expectancy and saliency of rewards.
3. Ventral striatum (Nucleus Accumbens) and
ventromedical prefrontal cortex are also involved in
processing various aspects about rewards.
4. Such information is utilized in executive control
of behavior
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
Copyright © 2019 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
C. Reward-related neural systems (cont.)
Figure 14.4 Dopamine neurons are necessary for
wanting, not liking
This material was produced for the sole use of students at Stony Brook University currently
Copyright © 2020 Hoi-Chung Leung. All rights reserved.
enrolled in PSY355 as per the TEACH Act
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