PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Current theories of decision-making propose that decisions arise through competition between choice options. Computational models of the decision process estimate how quickly information about choice options is integrated and how much information is needed to trigger a choice. Experiments using this approach typically report data from well-trained participants. As such, we do not know how the decision process evolves as a decision-making task is learned for the first time. To address this gap, we used a behavioral design separating learning the value of choice options from learning to make choices. We trained male rats to respond to single visual stimuli with different reward values. Then, we trained them to make choices between pairs of stimuli. Initially, the rats responded more slowly when presented with choices. However, as they gained experience in making choices, this slowing reduced. Response slowing on choice trials persisted throughout the testing period. We found that it was specifically associated with increased exponential variability when the rats chose the higher value stimulus. Additionally, our analysis using drift diffusion modeling revealed that the rats required less information to make choices over time. These reductions in the decision threshold occurred after just a single session of choice learning. These findings provide new insights into the learning process of decision-making tasks. They suggest that the value of choice options and the ability to make choices are learned separately and that experience plays a crucial role in improving decision-making performance.
摘要：
当前的决策理论认为，决策是通过选择选项之间的竞争而产生的。决策过程的计算模型估计有关选择选项的信息集成的速度以及触发选择所需的信息。使用这种方法的实验通常报告来自训练有素的参与者的数据。因此，我们不知道决策过程是如何演变的，因为决策任务是第一次学习的。为了解决这个差距，我们使用了一种行为设计，将学习选择选项的价值与学习做出选择分开。我们训练雄性大鼠以不同的奖励值对单个视觉刺激做出反应。然后，我们训练他们在成对的刺激之间做出选择。最初，当出现选择时，老鼠的反应更慢。然而,随着他们获得了做出选择的经验，这种放缓减少了。在整个测试期间，选择试验的反应缓慢持续。我们发现，当大鼠选择较高值的刺激时，它与增加的指数变异性特别相关。此外,我们使用漂移扩散模型进行的分析显示,随着时间的推移,大鼠做出选择所需的信息较少.决策阈值的这些降低仅在一次选择学习之后发生。这些发现为决策任务的学习过程提供了新的见解。他们建议，选择选项的价值和做出选择的能力是分开学习的，这种经验在提高决策绩效方面起着至关重要的作用。重要性陈述我们研究了大鼠最初学会在与不同奖励相关的视觉刺激之间进行选择时的决策动态。与之前专注于训练有素的参与者的研究不同，我们探索了学习决策的初始阶段。我们使用了一种行为设计，将价值学习与选择学习分开。最初，大鼠在做出选择时表现出较慢的反应，但是这种放缓随着经验而减弱。在整个早期选择学习期间，反应缓慢持续存在。漂移扩散建模发现，在早期学习期间，对做出选择的信息需求减少的证据减少，只需一次选择学习课程后，决策阈值就会降低。这些研究表明，经验显着提高决策，并阐明了决策任务背后的学习机制。
