Heuristic and optimal policy computations in the human brain during sequential decision-making.

ABSTRACT: Optimal decisions across extended time horizons require value calculations over multiple probabilistic future states. Humans may circumvent such complex computations by resorting to easy-to-compute heuristics that approximate optimal solutions. To probe the potential interplay between heuristic and optimal computations, we develop a novel sequential decision-making task, framed as virtual foraging in which participants have to avoid virtual starvation. Rewards depend only on final outcomes over five-trial blocks, necessitating planning over five sequential decisions and probabilistic outcomes. Here, we report model comparisons demonstrating that participants primarily rely on the best available heuristic but also use the normatively optimal policy. FMRI signals in medial prefrontal cortex

SUBMITTER: Korn CW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5780427 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature