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Pupil-linked arousal is driven by decision uncertainty and alters serial choice bias

Author

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  • Anne E. Urai

    (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
    University of Amsterdam)

  • Anke Braun

    (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf)

  • Tobias H. Donner

    (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
    University of Amsterdam
    Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam)

Abstract

While judging their sensory environments, decision-makers seem to use the uncertainty about their choices to guide adjustments of their subsequent behaviour. One possible source of these behavioural adjustments is arousal: decision uncertainty might drive the brain’s arousal systems, which control global brain state and might thereby shape subsequent decision-making. Here, we measure pupil diameter, a proxy for central arousal state, in human observers performing a perceptual choice task of varying difficulty. Pupil dilation, after choice but before external feedback, reflects three hallmark signatures of decision uncertainty derived from a computational model. This increase in pupil-linked arousal boosts observers’ tendency to alternate their choice on the subsequent trial. We conclude that decision uncertainty drives rapid changes in pupil-linked arousal state, which shape the serial correlation structure of ongoing choice behaviour.

Suggested Citation

  • Anne E. Urai & Anke Braun & Tobias H. Donner, 2017. "Pupil-linked arousal is driven by decision uncertainty and alters serial choice bias," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms14637
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14637
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    Cited by:

    1. Dobromir Rahnev & Kobe Desender & Alan L. F. Lee & William T. Adler & David Aguilar-Lleyda & Başak Akdoğan & Polina Arbuzova & Lauren Y. Atlas & Fuat Balcı & Ji Won Bang & Indrit Bègue & Damian P. Bir, 2020. "The Confidence Database," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(3), pages 317-325, March.
    2. Manuel Rausch & Michael Zehetleitner, 2019. "The folded X-pattern is not necessarily a statistical signature of decision confidence," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Marc T. P. Adam & Jan Krämer, 2022. "Evaluating the emotional bidding framework: new evidence from a decade of neurophysiology," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(3), pages 1529-1540, September.
    4. Anne E. Urai & Tobias H. Donner, 2022. "Persistent activity in human parietal cortex mediates perceptual choice repetition bias," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Matthias Fritsche & Antara Majumdar & Lauren Strickland & Samuel Liebana Garcia & Rafal Bogacz & Armin Lak, 2024. "Temporal regularities shape perceptual decisions and striatal dopamine signals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Purcell, Zoe & J. Roberts, Andrew & J. Handley, Simon & Howarth, Stephanie, 2022. "Eye movements, pupil dilation, and conflict detection in reasoning: Exploring the evidence for intuitive logic," IAST Working Papers 22-147, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST).
    7. Filip-Mihai Toma & Cosmin-Octavian Cepoi & Matei Nicolae Kubinschi & Makoto Miyakoshi, 2023. "Gazing through the bubble: an experimental investigation into financial risk-taking using eye-tracking," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-27, December.
    8. I. Hachen & S. Reinartz & R. Brasselet & A. Stroligo & M. E. Diamond, 2021. "Dynamics of history-dependent perceptual judgment," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, December.

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