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Published on: August 29, 2018
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Sequential sampling from memory underlies perceptual decisions unyoked from actions.
Prayshita Sharma1, Michael N Shadlen1,2,3, S Shushruth4,5
1Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 612 West 130th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|March 23, 2026
Summary
Human subjects strategically delay perceptual decisions until response options are revealed, showing working memory retains information based on future utility. This impacts how memory and decision-making interact.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Decision Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Perceptual decision-making conventionally assumes decisions precede actions.
- Recent studies suggest nonhuman primates postpone decisions until response options are known.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if humans also strategically postpone perceptual decisions.
- To explore the role of working memory in decision-making under uncertainty.
Main Methods:
- Human subjects performed a random-dot motion (RDM) task with delayed target presentation.
- Decision accuracy and response times were analyzed in relation to stimulus difficulty and individual differences.
- A bounded diffusion model was used to account for decision patterns.
Main Results:
- Decision accuracy varied, with higher accuracy linked to prolonged deliberation.
- Response times depended on the strength of sensory evidence.
- A bounded diffusion model explained the observed accuracy and timing patterns.
Conclusions:
- Humans, like primates, strategically postpone decisions until response options are available.
- Working memory retains sensory information based on its future utility.
- This highlights a dynamic interaction between memory and decision-making processes.
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