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Related Concept Videos

Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Reason and Intuition01:37

Reason and Intuition

The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...
Decision Making: Traditional Method01:14

Decision Making: Traditional Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the traditional method includes calculating the critical value, testing the value of the test statistic using the sample data, and interpreting these values.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
Framing Effects03:26

Framing Effects

Information is everywhere and its presentation—such as how and when items are presented—can impact our perceptions and decisions surrounding the info. This broad concept umbrellas framing effects—influences that occur due to the way information is framed in its appearance, whether it’s purely the order or the specific wording of a message. Let’s take a look at numerous ways in which two versions of something can objectively say the same thing, yet we respond in different ways based on the...
The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic01:25

The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic

In order to make good decisions, we use our knowledge and our reasoning. Often, this knowledge and reasoning is sound and solid. However, sometimes, we are swayed by biases or by others manipulating a situation. For example, let’s say you and three friends wanted to rent a house and had a combined target budget of $1,600. The realtor shows you only very run-down houses for $1,600 and then shows you a very nice house for $2,000. Might you ask each person to pay more in rent to get the $2,000...
Counterfactual Thinking01:19

Counterfactual Thinking

Counterfactual thinking is a cognitive process wherein individuals mentally reconstruct alternative versions of past events, often beginning with “what if” or “if only.” This reflective mechanism plays a significant role in shaping emotional experiences and guiding future behavior. Though typically triggered by unfavorable or unexpected outcomes, counterfactual thinking can also emerge in mundane, everyday decisions and experiences, revealing its deep entrenchment in human cognition.Types of...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Online Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Dorsomedial and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Cognition Decision Making, and Cognitive Dissonance
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Published on: December 5, 2025

Ventromedial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex adopt choice and default reference frames during sequential

Erie D Boorman1, Matthew F Rushworth, Tim E Behrens

  • 1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom. erie.boorman@gmail.com

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|February 9, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study reveals distinct roles for the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in decision-making. vmPFC tracks current choice value, while dACC integrates long-term value for adaptive choices.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Decision Science

Background:

  • Medial frontal cortex damage impairs decision-making.
  • Contributions of specific subdivisions like vmPFC and dACC remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the distinct roles of human vmPFC and dACC in sequential decision-making.
  • Differentiate between current and long-term value processing during choices.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed.
  • Participants made sequential choices between multiple alternatives.
  • Options were designed to dissociate current from long-term value.

Main Results:

  • vmPFC activity correlated with the current choice value.
  • dACC activity reflected the best long-term option.
  • vmPFC, mid-cingulate, and posterior cingulate cortex encoded relative value between current and next-best options.
  • dACC encoded the relative value of adapting choices towards the long-term best option.
  • Temporally distinct feedback effects in vmPFC and dACC predicted choice repetition and adaptation, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • vmPFC and dACC exhibit functional dissociations in processing current versus long-term value during sequential choices.
  • These findings suggest competing cortical mechanisms underlie complex decision-making.