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Electrophysiological brain indices of risk behavior modification induced by contingent feedback.

Author
Abstract
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The main aim of this research was to study the effects of response feedback on risk behavior and the neural and cognitive mechanisms involved, as a function of the feedback contingency. Sixty drivers were randomly assigned to one of three feedback groups: contingent, non-contingent and no feedback. The participants' task consisted of braking or not when confronted with a set of risky driving situations, while their electroencephalographic activity was continuously recorded. We observed that contingent feedback, as opposed to non-contingent feedback, promoted changes in the response bias towards safer decisions. This behavioral modification implied a higher demand on cognitive control, reflected in a larger amplitude of the N400 component. Moreover, the contingent feedback, being predictable and entailing more informative value, gave rise to smaller SPN and larger FRN scores when compared with non-contingent feedback. Taken together, these findings provide a new and complex insight into the neurophysiological basis of the influence of feedback contingency on the processing of decision-making under risk. We suggest that response feedback, when contingent upon the risky behavior, appears to improve the functionality of the brain mechanism involved in decision-making and can be a powerful tool for reducing the tendency to choose risky options in risk-prone individuals.

Year of Publication
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2018
Journal
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International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology
Date Published
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2018
ISSN Number
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0167-8760
URL
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http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0167-8760(17)30341-0
DOI
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10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.01.003
Short Title
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Int J Psychophysiol
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