Intelligence moderates reinforcement learning: a mini-review of the neural evidence

Our understanding of the neural basis of reinforcement learning and intelligence, two key factors contributing to human strivings, has progressed significantly recently. However, the overlap of these two lines of research, namely, how intelligence affects neural responses during reinforcement learning, remains uninvestigated. A mini-review of three existing studies suggests that higher IQ (especially fluid IQ) may enhance the neural signal of positive prediction error in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and striatum, several brain substrates of reinforcement learning or intelligence.