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Modulating OFC Activity With tDCS Alters Regret About Human Decision-Making
Ping Yu1,2, Xinbo Lu2,3, Yuyou Chen1,2
1Center for Economic Behavior and Decision-Making (CEBD), Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|September 27, 2021
Summary
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulated the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) to reduce feelings of regret during decision-making. This neuroscientific approach offers insights into emotional regulation and cognitive processes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Decision-Making Research
Background:
- Regret is a pervasive human emotion often linked to suboptimal decision-making outcomes.
- Neuroscientific evidence implicates the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in the processing and experience of regret.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in regret using neuromodulation.
- To examine how transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects regret intensity during decision-making tasks.
Main Methods:
- Employed a two-wheel-of-fortune gambling task to elicit regret.
- Utilized transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) activity.
- Participants rated their subjective feelings of regret following outcome presentation.
Main Results:
- Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) activity modulation via tDCS significantly influenced regret.
- Left anodal/right cathodal tDCS led to significantly lower regret ratings compared to sham stimulation.
- Mean regret ratings exhibited an inverted U-shaped pattern over the course of the experiment.
Conclusions:
- Modulating orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) activity with tDCS effectively reduces the emotional intensity of regret.
- Findings support the OFC's critical role in regret processing and decision-making evaluation.
- tDCS presents a potential avenue for investigating and potentially mitigating regret-related emotional responses.
