United Kingdom scientists shed light on the decision-making mechanisms of neurological

[/]: People decisions based on past experiences learned things, but also takes into account the recommendations of others; if they turned out to be wrong, we have learned with the adoption of the recommendations of the others. These two forms of cognitive processes are thought to have different neurological basis, however, the United Kingdom pointed out that scientists learning based on return and social learning behind all have the same neural mechanisms.

In this study, Oxford University, Timothy E. J. Behrens, let participants lay on a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner in participating in a pilot decision making. In each test, the face of the information before the test, as well as a "Companion" in test recommendations before, they must be pointed out that his view that the above two options of which one is correct. Volunteers will need to assess the results based on past behavior based on the return of learning — a specific response is correct, and based on peer information — social learning — the response is correct. It is important that both the reliability of information sources sometimes is stable, but sometimes it is a fast-changing (precarious).

In order to find out whether the return and social information through similar channels are processed in the brain, researchers analyzed the forecast error and return and social prediction error related fMRI signal, they each reflect the actual results are different from the information based on return and social networking. Researchers at the same time identified with both information sources of instability in the fMRI signal, they reflect for learning the value of information. Return forecast error and ventral striatum, ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and front ring groove (ACCs) activity, while social prediction error by the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, back in the temporal and the temporal coding on Groove. In any case, and both forecast errors related to activation of temporal patterns strikingly similar, this means that the social and return forecast errors are in different brain regions for a similar process.

The researchers found, return and social information of instability in the anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) in neighbouring regions, namely in the ACCs and ACC gyri (ACCg) encoding. Consistent with this finding is that ACCs activity has a lot to change the decision of the trial subjects more strongly influenced by the history of return, and those with great ACCg activity subjects are more affected by the impact of peer recommendations.

Finally, the researchers estimate that if just use return information or just use social information each time you make the right choices in the test. They found that the VMPFC activity with both probability, which indicates that the VMPFC may also carry out the forecast, therefore, from the two sources of information in the decision-making process in the VMPFC is integration.

This study shows that, in making a decision, the brain in the same way, to parallel channels information from social networking and return, and eventually in learning in the VMPFC convergence. This means that the region is responsible for estimating the expected value of a decision. These findings refuted the social learning mechanism different from other forms of learning, or adjust other learning form views. It looks like on social networking and information based on the experience of handling were unified into the same brain regions, but people in one or other information resources dominate their behaviour but the extent of the differences.