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Changes of mind in decision-making

Author

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  • Arbora Resulaj

    (Computational and Biological Learning Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA)

  • Roozbeh Kiani

    (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA)

  • Daniel M. Wolpert

    (Computational and Biological Learning Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK)

  • Michael N. Shadlen

    (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA)

Abstract

Decisions, decisions How do we change our minds? Theoretical neuroscientists have developed plausible models for how the brain comes to a decision based on 'noisy' and often ambiguous information, but these assume that once that decision is made, it is made for good. Now a series of experiments on subjects who were asked to move a handle to one of two positions dependent on a noisy visual stimulus has been used to develop a new model that accounts for how and when we change our mind after we make a decision. Analysis of the rare occasions where subjects changed their mind half way through selecting their answer shows that even after making a decision the brain continues to process the information it had gathered — information still in the processing pipeline— to either reverse or reaffirm its initial decision. The new theory introduces the acts of vacillation and self correction into the decision-making process.

Suggested Citation

  • Arbora Resulaj & Roozbeh Kiani & Daniel M. Wolpert & Michael N. Shadlen, 2009. "Changes of mind in decision-making," Nature, Nature, vol. 461(7261), pages 263-266, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:461:y:2009:i:7261:d:10.1038_nature08275
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08275
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    Cited by:

    1. Marina Martinez-Garcia & Andrea Insabato & Mario Pannunzi & Jose L Pardo-Vazquez & Carlos Acuña & Gustavo Deco, 2015. "The Encoding of Decision Difficulty and Movement Time in the Primate Premotor Cortex," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(11), pages 1-25, November.
    2. Diana Burk & James N Ingram & David W Franklin & Michael N Shadlen & Daniel M Wolpert, 2014. "Motor Effort Alters Changes of Mind in Sensorimotor Decision Making," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(3), pages 1-10, March.
    3. Andrea Insabato & Mario Pannunzi & Gustavo Deco, 2017. "Multiple Choice Neurodynamical Model of the Uncertain Option Task," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(1), pages 1-29, January.
    4. Shariq N Iqbal & Lun Yin & Caroline B Drucker & Qian Kuang & Jean-François Gariépy & Michael L Platt & John M Pearson, 2019. "Latent goal models for dynamic strategic interaction," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-21, March.
    5. Nathan F Lepora & Giovanni Pezzulo, 2015. "Embodied Choice: How Action Influences Perceptual Decision Making," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(4), pages 1-22, April.
    6. Zohar Z Bronfman & Noam Brezis & Marius Usher, 2016. "Non-monotonic Temporal-Weighting Indicates a Dynamically Modulated Evidence-Integration Mechanism," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21, February.
    7. Kobe Desender & Luc Vermeylen & Tom Verguts, 2022. "Dynamic influences on static measures of metacognition," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    8. 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.
    9. Cook, Jeffrey J. & Cruce, Jesse & O'Shaughnessy, Eric & Ardani, Kristen & Margolis, Robert, 2021. "Exploring the link between project delays and cancelation rates in the U.S. rooftop solar industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    10. repec:cup:judgdm:v:8:y:2013:i:5:p:527-539 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Santiago Alonso-Diaz & Jessica F Cantlon & Steven T Piantadosi, 2018. "A threshold-free model of numerosity comparisons," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(4), pages 1-22, April.
    12. Stefan Scherbaum & Maja Dshemuchadse & Susanne Leiberg & Thomas Goschke, 2013. "Harder than Expected: Increased Conflict in Clearly Disadvantageous Delayed Choices in a Computer Game," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(11), pages 1-7, November.
    13. Charles-Cadogan, G., 2021. "Market Instability, Investor Sentiment, And Probability Judgment Error in Index Option Prices," CRETA Online Discussion Paper Series 71, Centre for Research in Economic Theory and its Applications CRETA.
    14. Sebastian Bitzer & Jelle Bruineberg & Stefan J Kiebel, 2015. "A Bayesian Attractor Model for Perceptual Decision Making," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(8), pages 1-35, August.
    15. J. Tyler Boyd-Meredith & Alex T. Piet & Emily Jane Dennis & Ahmed El Hady & Carlos D. Brody, 2022. "Stable choice coding in rat frontal orienting fields across model-predicted changes of mind," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    16. Gregory J. Koop, 2013. "An assessment of the temporal dynamics of moral decisions," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 8(5), pages 527-539, September.
    17. Lirong Qiu & Jie Su & Yinmei Ni & Yang Bai & Xuesong Zhang & Xiaoli Li & Xiaohong Wan, 2018. "The neural system of metacognition accompanying decision-making in the prefrontal cortex," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(4), pages 1-27, April.
    18. Brocas, Isabelle, 2012. "Information processing and decision-making: Evidence from the brain sciences and implications for economics," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 83(3), pages 292-310.
    19. Lluís Hernández-Navarro & Ainhoa Hermoso-Mendizabal & Daniel Duque & Jaime de la Rocha & Alexandre Hyafil, 2021. "Proactive and reactive accumulation-to-bound processes compete during perceptual decisions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, December.
    20. Adrian M Haith & David M Huberdeau & John W Krakauer, 2015. "Hedging Your Bets: Intermediate Movements as Optimal Behavior in the Context of an Incomplete Decision," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, March.

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