A Novel Approach-Avoidance Task to Study Decision Making Under Outcome Uncertainty.

ABSTRACT: To behave adaptively, people need to integrate information about probabilistic outcomes and balance drives to approach positive outcomes and avoid negative outcomes. However, questions remain about how uncertainty in positive and negative outcomes influence approach-avoid decision-making dynamics. To fill this gap, we developed a novel Probabilistic Approach Avoidance Task (PAAT) and characterized behavior in this task using sequential sampling models. In this task, participants (N=34, 24 females) made a series of choices between pairs of options, each consisting of variable probabilities of reaching a positive outcome (monetary reward) and of reaching a negative outcome (aversive image). Participants tended to choose options that maximized the likelihood of reward and minimized the likeli

SUBMITTER: Cheng Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12338525 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature