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

Modelling homeostatic influences on human risky choice

Steven Geysen¹, Angela M. Brands, Heidrun Schultz, Julian Koenig, Marc Tittgemeyer, Jan Peters; ¹Universität Köln

Presenter: Steven Geysen

Decision-making is often thought to be under homeostatic control. However, evidence remains mixed and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. One potential mechanism that might drive changes in decision-making may be the hunger hormone ghrelin, which interacts with the dopaminergic system. In two separate studies, we examined the effects of manipulating ghrelin levels on human risky choice in healthy male participants, either via a brief fasting period (study 1, $N=37$) or one night of total sleep deprivation (study 2, $N=40$). We found no credible effect of the experimental manipulations on the proportion of risky choices. Computational modelling did not reveal consistent effects of homeostatic manipulations on model parameters. Including manipulation-induced changes in ghrelin levels in the model reveal no robust associations. FMRI analyses did not reveal homeostatic effects on neural signatures of subjective value or choice. Our results suggest that homeostatic influences in risky decision-making may be weaker than previously thought.

Topic Area: Reward, Value & Social Decision Making

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