bonsai trees in your head how the pavlovian system sculpts goal-directed choices by pruning decision trees盆景树在你的脑海中如何巴甫洛夫系统由修剪造型有目的的选择决策树.pdfVIP

Bonsai Trees in Your Head: How the Pavlovian System Sculpts Goal-Directed Choices by Pruning Decision Trees 1,2,3. 4.¤ 4 4 1 Quentin J. M. Huys *, Neir Eshel , Elizabeth O’Nions , Luke Sheridan , Peter Dayan , Jonathan P. Roiser4 1 Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom, 2 Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom, 3 Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom, 4 UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom Abstract When planning a series of actions, it is usually infeasible to consider all potential future sequences; instead, one must prune the decision tree. Provably optimal pruning is, however, still computationally ruinous and the specific approximations humans employ remain unknown. We designed a new sequential reinforcement-based task and showed that human subjects adopted a simple pruning strategy: during mental evaluation of a sequence of choices, they curtailed any further evaluation of a sequence as soon as they encountered a large loss. This pruning strategy was Pavlovian: it was reflexively evoked by large losses and persisted even when overwhelmingly counterproductive. It was also evident above and beyond loss aversion. We found that the tendency towards Pavlovian pruning was selectively predicted by the degree to which subjects exhibited sub-clinical mood disturbance, in accordance with theories that ascribe Pavlovian behavioural inhibition, via serotonin, a role in mood disorders. We conclude that Pavlovian behavioural inhibition shapes highly flexible, goal- directed choices in a manner that may be important