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Idiosyncratic choice bias naturally emerges from intrinsic stochasticity in neuronal dynamics

Nature Human Behaviour volume 3, pages 1190–1202 (2019)Cite this article

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A Publisher Correction to this article was published on 20 November 2019

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Abstract

Idiosyncratic tendency to choose one alternative over others in the absence of an identified reason is a common observation in two-alternative forced-choice experiments. Here we quantify idiosyncratic choice biases in a perceptual discrimination task and a motor task. We report substantial and significant biases in both cases that cannot be accounted for by the experimental context. Then, we present theoretical evidence that even in an idealized experiment, in which the settings are symmetric, idiosyncratic choice bias is expected to emerge from the dynamics of competing neuronal networks. We thus argue that idiosyncratic choice bias reflects the microscopic dynamics of choice and therefore is virtually inevitable in any comparison or decision task.

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Fig. 1: ICBs in the vertical bisection task.
Fig. 2: ICBs in the motor task.
Fig. 3: The Poisson network model.
Fig. 4: ICBs in the Poisson network model.
Fig. 5: The recurrent spiking network model.
Fig. 6: ICBs in the recurrent spiking network model.
Fig. 7: Conditional bias functions.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author and in the ICB repository, https://github.com/Lior-Lebovich/ICB.

Code availability

The custom codes used for simulations and analyses are in the ICB repository, https://github.com/Lior-Lebovich/ICB.

Change history

  • 20 November 2019

    An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

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Acknowledgements

We thank T. Boraud, G. Mongillo, H. Sompolinsky and T. Tron for discussions and L. Kaplan for assistance with the online experiments. This work was conducted within the scope of the France-Israel Laboratory of Neuroscience. D. H. thanks the Department of Neurobiology at the Hebrew University for its warm hospitality. This work was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (Y. LO., Grant No. 757/16), the DFG (CRC 1080 to Y. LO.), the Gatsby Charitable Foundation (Y. LO.), ANR-09-SYSC-002-01 (D. H.) and the France-Israel High Council for Science and Technology (D. H. and Y. LO.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: David Hansel and Yonatan Loewenstein.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Lior Lebovich, Ran Darshan & Yonatan Loewenstein

  2. Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA

    Ran Darshan

  3. The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Yoni Lavi & Yonatan Loewenstein

  4. Code Institute, Dublin, Ireland

    Yoni Lavi

  5. Center for Integrative and Cognitive Neuroscience, Learning and Memory Lab; CNRS-UMR8002, 45 Rue des Saints Pères, Paris, France

    David Hansel

  6. Department of Cognitive Sciences and The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Yonatan Loewenstein

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  1. Lior Lebovich
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  2. Ran Darshan
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Contributions

L. L., Y. Lavi, D. H. and Y. Loewenstein. conceived and planned the experiments; L. L., R. D., D. H. and Y. Loewenstein. developed the models; L. L., D. H. and Y. Loewenstein. wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Lior Lebovich.

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Lebovich, L., Darshan, R., Lavi, Y. et al. Idiosyncratic choice bias naturally emerges from intrinsic stochasticity in neuronal dynamics. Nat Hum Behav 3, 1190–1202 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-019-0682-7

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