Emotion and decision-making under uncertainty: Physiological arousal predicts increased gambling during ambiguity but not risk.

ABSTRACT: Uncertainty, which is ubiquitous in decision-making, can be fractionated into known probabilities (risk) and unknown probabilities (ambiguity). Although research has illustrated that individuals more often avoid decisions associated with ambiguity compared to risk, it remains unclear why ambiguity is perceived as more aversive. Here we examine the role of arousal in shaping the representation of value and subsequent choice under risky and ambiguous decisions. To investigate the relationship between arousal and decisions of uncertainty, we measure skin conductance response-a quantifiable measure reflecting sympathetic nervous system arousal-during choices to gamble under risk and ambiguity. To quantify the discrete influences of risk and ambiguity sensitivity and the subjective value of eac

SUBMITTER: FeldmanHall O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5119758 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature