IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-32511-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Individuals with ventromedial frontal damage display unstable but transitive preferences during decision making

Author

Listed:
  • Linda Q. Yu

    (University of Pennsylvania
    Brown University)

  • Jason Dana

    (Yale University)

  • Joseph W. Kable

    (University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

The ventromedial frontal lobe (VMF) is important for decision-making, but the precise causal role of the VMF in the decision process has not been fully established. Previous studies have suggested that individuals with VMF damage violate transitivity, a hallmark axiom of rational decisions. However, these prior studies cannot properly distinguish whether individuals with VMF damage are truly prone to choosing irrationally from whether their preferences are simply more variable. We had individuals with focal VMF damage, individuals with other frontal damage, and healthy controls make repeated choices across three categories—artworks, chocolate bar brands, and gambles. Using proper tests of transitivity, we find that, in our study, individuals with VMF damage make rational decisions consistent with transitive preferences, even though they exhibit greater variability in their preferences. That is, the VMF is necessary for having strong and reliable preferences, but not for being a rational decision maker. VMF damage affects the variability with which value is assessed, but not the consistency with which value is sought.

Suggested Citation

  • Linda Q. Yu & Jason Dana & Joseph W. Kable, 2022. "Individuals with ventromedial frontal damage display unstable but transitive preferences during decision making," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-32511-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32511-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-32511-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-32511-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. McFadden, Daniel, 1980. "Econometric Models for Probabilistic Choice among Products," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(3), pages 13-29, July.
    2. Camillo Padoa-Schioppa & John A. Assad, 2006. "Neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex encode economic value," Nature, Nature, vol. 441(7090), pages 223-226, May.
    3. Rubinstein, Ariel, 1990. "New Directions in Economic Theory - Bounded Rationality," Foerder Institute for Economic Research Working Papers 275481, Tel-Aviv University > Foerder Institute for Economic Research.
    4. Sébastien Ballesta & Weikang Shi & Katherine E. Conen & Camillo Padoa-Schioppa, 2020. "Values encoded in orbitofrontal cortex are causally related to economic choices," Nature, Nature, vol. 588(7838), pages 450-453, December.
    5. Rafael Polanía & Marius Moisa & Alexander Opitz & Marcus Grueschow & Christian C. Ruff, 2015. "The precision of value-based choices depends causally on fronto-parietal phase coupling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-10, November.
    6. Ryan Webb, 2019. "The (Neural) Dynamics of Stochastic Choice," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(1), pages 230-255, January.
    7. Vered Kurtz-David & Dotan Persitz & Ryan Webb & Dino J. Levy, 2019. "The neural computation of inconsistent choice behavior," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Paul A. Samuelson, 1937. "A Note on Measurement of Utility," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 4(2), pages 155-161.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ryan Webb & Paul W. Glimcher & Kenway Louie, 2021. "The Normalization of Consumer Valuations: Context-Dependent Preferences from Neurobiological Constraints," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(1), pages 93-125, January.
    2. Wenyi Zhang & Yang Xie & Tianming Yang, 2022. "Reward salience but not spatial attention dominates the value representation in the orbitofrontal cortex," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Demetrio Ferro & Tyler Cash-Padgett & Maya Zhe Wang & Benjamin Y. Hayden & Rubén Moreno-Bote, 2024. "Gaze-centered gating, reactivation, and reevaluation of economic value in orbitofrontal cortex," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Carlos Alós-Ferrer & Michele Garagnani, 2022. "Strength of preference and decisions under risk," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 64(3), pages 309-329, June.
    5. Leo Chi U Seak & Simone Ferrari-Toniolo & Ritesh Jain & Kirby Nielsen & Wolfram Schultz, 2023. "Systematic comparison of risky choices in humans and monkeys," Working Papers 202316, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    6. Yukalov, V.I., 2021. "A resolution of St. Petersburg paradox," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    7. Sacha Bourgeois-Gironde & Itzhak Gingi Aharon, 2011. "From Neuroeconomics to Genetics: The Intertemporal Choices Case as an Example," Post-Print ijn_00713466, HAL.
    8. Sébastien Ballesta & Weikang Shi & Camillo Padoa-Schioppa, 2022. "Orbitofrontal cortex contributes to the comparison of values underlying economic choices," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    9. Nir Moneta & Mona M. Garvert & Hauke R. Heekeren & Nicolas W. Schuck, 2023. "Task state representations in vmPFC mediate relevant and irrelevant value signals and their behavioral influence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    10. Carlos Alós-Ferrer & Maximilian Mihm, 2021. "Updating stochastic choice," ECON - Working Papers 381, Department of Economics - University of Zurich.
    11. Mononen, Lasse, 2024. "Dynamically Consistent Intergenerational Welfare," Center for Mathematical Economics Working Papers 687, Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University.
    12. Paleti, Rajesh, 2018. "Generalized multinomial probit Model: Accommodating constrained random parameters," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 248-262.
    13. Nguyen-Phuoc, Duy Q. & Currie, Graham & De Gruyter, Chris & Young, William, 2018. "Transit user reactions to major service withdrawal – A behavioural study," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 29-37.
    14. Hansen, Anders Chr., 2006. "Do declining discount rates lead to time inconsistent economic advice?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 138-144, November.
    15. Luigi Mittone & Lucia Savadori, 2008. "Influence of time delay on choice between gambles: Savoring the emotion," CEEL Working Papers 0802, Cognitive and Experimental Economics Laboratory, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Italia.
    16. Giles W Story & Ivaylo Vlaev & Ben Seymour & Joel S Winston & Ara Darzi & Raymond J Dolan, 2013. "Dread and the Disvalue of Future Pain," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(11), pages 1-18, November.
    17. Philip Streich & Jack S. Levy, 2007. "Time Horizons, Discounting, and Intertemporal Choice," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 51(2), pages 199-226, April.
    18. Pier-André Bouchard St-Amant & Jean-Denis Garon, 2015. "Optimal redistributive pensions and the cost of self-control," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 22(5), pages 723-740, October.
    19. Kanchanaroek, Yingluk & Termansen, Mette & Quinn, Claire, 2013. "Property rights regimes in complex fishery management systems: A choice experiment application," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 363-373.
    20. Haewon Yoon, 2020. "Impatience and Time Inconsistency in Discounting Models," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(12), pages 5850-5860, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-32511-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.