Decisions bias future choices by modifying hippocampal associative memories.

ABSTRACT: Decision-making is guided by memories of option values. However, retrieving items from memory renders them malleable. Here, we show that merely retrieving values from memory and making a choice between options is sufficient both to induce changes to stimulus-reward associations in the hippocampus and to bias future decision-making. After allowing participants to make repeated choices between reward-conditioned stimuli, in the absence of any outcome, we observe that participants prefer stimuli they have previously chosen, and neglect previously unchosen stimuli, over otherwise identical-valued options. Using functional brain imaging, we show that decisions induce changes to hippocampal representations of stimulus-outcome associations. These changes are correlated with future decision biases

SUBMITTER: Luettgau L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7335207 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature