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Poster Session B: Wednesday, August 13, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, de Brug & E‑Hall

Neural dynamics of predicting others’ decisions

Erik Stuchlý¹, Sebastian Gluth¹; ¹Universität Hamburg

Presenter: Erik Stuchlý

Although previous work has found that the same valuation mechanisms are used when making choices for oneself and when predicting the choices of others, other brain signals distinguishing these two types of decisions were also identified. What remains less clear is how these two processes interact and when exactly they emerge. In this study, we used EEG to investigate the dynamics of when these two processes emerge within the course of a decision. Specifically, we compared the event-related potentials (ERPs) of participants when making risky choices for themselves and when predicting the choices of two artificial agents (one with a similar, one with a dissimilar risk preference). We fitted the ERP data with a linear regression model which included the predictors of decision type ($self / similar / dissimilar$), trial-level option value difference and the interaction between the two. We found evidence for a valuation signal occurring in the frontal, central and parietal channels about 0.8-1s post-stimulus presentation, which did not change across the three decision types. Additionally, centro-parietal activity about 0.6s post-stimulus distinguished choice for a dissimilar agent from choices for self. Our findings suggest that the brain may first encode the perceived self-other similarity of the decision recipient, followed by a domain-general value computation.

Topic Area: Reward, Value & Social Decision Making

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