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Instrumental learning of traits versus rewards: dissociable neural correlates and effects on choice

Nature Neuroscience volume 18, pages 1233–1235 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

Humans learn about people and objects through positive and negative experiences, yet they can also look beyond the immediate reward of an interaction to encode trait-level attributes. We found that perceivers encoded both reward and trait-level information through feedback in an instrumental learning task, but relied more heavily on trait representations in cross-context decisions. Both learning types implicated ventral striatum, but trait learning also recruited a network associated with social impression formation.

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Figure 1: Statistical parametric maps showing neural regions where activity correlated with prediction errors during feedback (n = 30).
Figure 2: Test phase of task.
Figure 3: Post-task preferences for a future cooperative interaction featuring no economic rewards.

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  • 06 August 2015

    In the HTML version of this article initially published, the first item was missing in the list of six GLM parametric regressors for the fMRI data analysis in the Online Methods. The error has been corrected in the HTML version of the article.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Rosenthal for assistance with data collection, and members of the New York University Social Neuroscience Laboratory and P. Mende-Siedlecki for comments on the manuscript. This work was funded by the New York University Center for Brain Imaging and by the US National Science Foundation (grant BCS 0847350).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York, USA

    Leor M Hackel & David M Amodio

  2. Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, USA

    Bradley B Doll & David M Amodio

  3. Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA

    Bradley B Doll

Authors
  1. Leor M Hackel
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  2. Bradley B Doll
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  3. David M Amodio
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Contributions

L.M.H., B.B.D. and D.M.A. designed the research; L.M.H. collected the data; L.M.H. and B.B.D. analyzed the data; L.M.H., B.B.D. and D.M.A. wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Leor M Hackel or David M Amodio.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Integrated supplementary information

Supplementary Figure 1 Experimental task, in which participants viewed target pairs and chose with which to interact.

(A) Human faces and slot machines were associated with different levels of generosity (.2 or.4) and reward value (10 or 20 points). (B) Training phase: participants received feedback indicating the reward obtained and the target’s generosity. (C) Test phase: participants chose a target while viewing the point pool available for human deciders to share or slots to pay out. No feedback was provided.

Supplementary Figure 2 Group-level activation associated with average prior reward value during the test phase.

Statistical parametric map showing neural regions where activity correlated with the average prior reward value of chosen and non-chosen options in the test phase (pFWE <.05, whole-brain corrected). A cluster of activation extended across (A) hippocampus (HC), (B) posterior putamen, and (C) insula.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Text and Figures

Supplementary Figures 1 and 2 and Supplementary Tables 1–8 (PDF 1764 kb)

Supplementary Methods Checklist (PDF 483 kb)

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Hackel, L., Doll, B. & Amodio, D. Instrumental learning of traits versus rewards: dissociable neural correlates and effects on choice. Nat Neurosci 18, 1233–1235 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4080

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