The role of visual attention in value-based decision making

2018 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H03751
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: ローレンス ヨハン 九州大学, 基幹教育院, 教授 (80589135)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松田 哲也 玉川大学, 脳科学研究所, 教授 (30384720) ; 小林 俊輔 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (30579272) ; 高橋 宗良 玉川大学, 脳科学研究所, 特任准教授 (70407683)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: Visual attention / Gaze duration / Value / Decision making

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

In three sets of experimental studies, published in seven different journal articles, we obtained converging evidence on the role of visual attention in value-based decision making that requires a thorough revision of current theories. Previously, it had been asserted that visual attention serves to enhance the value of attended items during decision-making. Instead, we found that the gaze duration is affected primarily by the difficulty or ambiguity of information processing. In one series of studies we found that subjects tended to pay longer attention to items that received an intermediate evaluation (not clearly good or bad). In another series of studies, we found that predictive cues influenced the gaze duration in such a way as to lead to a confirmation bias. This implies that longer gaze durations are found for invalid predictions, regardless of whether this leads to a heightened or lowered evaluation. Finally, in a third set of studies, we found that negative primes affected the evaluation by interfering with the allocation of attention, whereas neutral or positive primes did not have such an effect. Taken altogether, the three lines of investigation provided firm evidence in favor of an information-integration account of the role of attention during value-based decision-making, and against a gradual approach account of attention as a precursor to choice.

Research Progress Status

平成30年度が最終年度であるため、記入しない。

Strategy for Future Research Activity

平成30年度が最終年度であるため、記入しない。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Evaluative processing of food images: Longer viewing for indecisive preference formation (2019)
  • Author(s): Wolf, A., Ounjai, K., Takahashi, M., Kobayashi, S., Matsuda, T., & Lauwereyns, J.
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Psychology Volume: 10:68 Pages: 1-11
  • DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00608
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] An acute increase in water temperature can increase free amino acid concentrations in the blood, brain, liver, and muscle in goldfish (Carassius auratus) (2019)
  • Author(s): Wang Y, Han G, Pham CV, Koyanagi K, Song Y, Sudo R, Lauwereyns J, Cockrem JF, Furuse M, Chowdhury VS
  • Journal Title: Fish Physiology and Biochemistry Volume: 45 Pages: 1343-1354
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10695-019-00642-5
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Effects of predictive information on pupil dilation during the evaluation of food images (2019)
  • Author(s): Ounjai, K., Kobayashi, S., & Lauwereyns, J.
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of the 12th Biomedical Engineering International Conference Volume: 12 Pages: 1-5
  • DOI: 10.1109/BMEiCON47515.2019.8990234
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Perspectives from cognitive science on bioethics and biomedical engineering (2019)
  • Author(s): Lauwereyns, J.
  • Organizer: Keynote talk, Life Engineering 2019, Bangkok, Thailand
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Perspectives from cognitive science on decision making for future earth (2019)
  • Author(s): Lauwereyns, J.
  • Organizer: Invited talk, Decision Science Forum, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Meta-decision making and the adaptive framing of answer space (2019)
  • Author(s): Lauwereyns, J.
  • Organizer: Invited talk, Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited