Journal article
Feedback information and the reward positivity
International journal of psychophysiology, Vol.132(Pt B), pp.243-251
10/01/2018
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.11.017
PMID: 29208491
Abstract
The reward positivity is a component of the event-related brain potential (ERP) sensitive to neural mechanisms of reward processing. Multiple studies have demonstrated that reward positivity amplitude indices a reward prediction error signal that is fundamental to theories of reinforcement learning. However, whether this ERP component is also sensitive to richer forms of performance information important for supervised learning is less clear. To investigate this question, we recorded the electroencephalogram from participants engaged in a time estimation task in which the type of error information conveyed by feedback stimuli was systematically varied across conditions. Consistent with our predictions, we found that reward positivity amplitude decreased in relation to increasing information content of the feedback, and that reward positivity amplitude was unrelated to trial-to-trial behavioral adjustments in task performance. By contrast, a series of exploratory analyses revealed frontal-central and posterior ERP components immediately following the reward positivity that related to these processes. Taken in the context of the wider literature, these results suggest that the reward positivity is produced by a neural mechanism that motivates task performance, whereas the later ERP components apply the feedback information according to principles of supervised learning.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Feedback information and the reward positivity
- Creators
- Jeffrey Cockburn - California Institute of TechnologyClay B. Holroyd - University of Victoria
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- International journal of psychophysiology, Vol.132(Pt B), pp.243-251
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.11.017
- PMID
- 29208491
- ISSN
- 0167-8760
- eISSN
- 1872-7697
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- RGPIN 312409-05 / Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); CGIAR
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/01/2018
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9984696653802771
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