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Taking a different perspective: mindset influences neural regions that represent value and choice
Jamil P Bhanji1, Jennifer S Beer
1Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, University Station A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA. bhanji@mail.utexas.edu
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
|October 6, 2011
Summary
Mindset significantly impacts brain activity during decision-making. Focusing on health or taste alters how neural regions process value and choice, revealing flexible neural mechanisms for complex choices.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Decision-making involves complex factors like taste and health.
- Previous research explored neural systems for value and choice.
- The influence of mindset on these neural systems is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how mindset (Health vs. Taste) influences neural activity during snack food choices.
- To identify neural regions consistently associated with value and choice across different mindsets.
- To determine how specific mindsets modulate neural responses related to value and choice.
Main Methods:
- Participants were primed with either a Health or Taste mindset.
- Neural activity was recorded using fMRI while participants made snack food decisions.
- Analysis focused on identifying brain regions tracking value (taste/health) and choice.
Main Results:
- Medial orbitofrontal cortex (MOFC) tracked taste value; left lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) tracked health value, irrespective of mindset.
- MOFC and dorsal anterior cingulate were consistently associated with choice.
- Mindset modulated activity: Taste priming activated rostral anterior cingulate (taste value) and left amygdala/putamen (choice).
- Health priming activated right LPFC and posterior MOFC (health value).
Conclusions:
- Neural activity related to value and choice is not fixed but can be modulated by cognitive perspective or mindset.
- Specific brain regions (e.g., MOFC, LPFC) show consistent roles, while others (e.g., amygdala, ACC) are dynamically recruited based on mindset.
- Findings enhance understanding of the neural basis of flexible decision-making and value representation.
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