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The construction and use of cognitive maps in model-based control
Ata B Karagoz1, Zachariah M Reagh1, Wouter Kool1
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|December 7, 2023
Summary
People build cognitive maps by actively encoding relationships between choices. Motivation influences how these maps guide goal-directed planning and decision-making for better performance.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Decision Science
Background:
- Decision-making involves a trade-off between habitual responses and goal-directed planning.
- Effective planning necessitates the formation and utilization of internal environmental representations, known as cognitive maps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms underlying cognitive map construction.
- To understand how cognitive maps guide goal-directed decisions.
- To examine how relationships between choice options evolve during cognitive map formation.
Main Methods:
- A sequential decision-making task was employed.
- Behavioral representational similarity analysis was used to assess changes in perceived relationships between choice options.
- Participant performance and planning abilities were measured.
Main Results:
- Encoding stronger higher-order relationships among choice options correlated with enhanced planning and improved task performance.
- Higher-order relationships were more robustly encoded in contexts associated with high rewards, suggesting a motivational influence.
- Simple co-occurrence of objects (lower-order relationships) did not predict goal-directed planning.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive map construction is an active, not passive, process.
- Motivation plays a critical role in determining the extent to which higher-order relationships are encoded and leveraged for planning.
- Understanding cognitive map dynamics offers insights into goal-directed behavior and decision-making strategies.
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