Decision-Making in Blackjack: An Electrophysiological Analysis

Abstract

Previous studies have identified a negative potential in the event-related potential (ERP), the error-related negativity (ERN), which is claimed to be triggered by a deviation from a reward expectation. Furthermore, this negativity is related to shifts in risk taking, strategic behavioral adjustments, and inhibition. We used a computer Blackjack gambling task to further examine the process associated with the ERN. Our findings are in line with the view that the ERN process is related to the degree of reward expectation. Furthermore, increased ERN amplitude is associated with the negative evaluation of ongoing decisions, and the amplitude of the ERN is directly related to risk-taking and decision-making behavior. However, the findings suggest that an explanation exclusively based on the deviation from a reward expectation may be insufficient and that the intention of the participants and the importance of a negative event for learning and behavioral change are crucial to the understanding of ERN phenomena.

Resting state and personality component (BIS/BAS) predict the brain activity (EEG and fNIRS measure) in response to emotional cues

“…As supposed by the approach/avoidance model, the lateralized response may be associated to these two distinct attitudes (Gray, 1990). However, also contrasting results were found (Hewig et al., 2007). In the present research, a significant and consistent relationship between the attitude model and the brain response was found not only during the resting state but contemporarily also during the emotional cue processing.…”

“…In contrast, the withdrawal system is activated by aversive conditions and leads to withdrawal behavior. The neuroanatomical basis of this system is supposed to be the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the right temporal polar region, the amygdala, the basal ganglia, and the hypothalamus (Hewig et al., 2007). It was supposed that EEG asymmetry has trait components, and recent research underlines the relevance of this trait measure (BIS/BAS) to explain in deep this cortical asymmetry.…”

Delayed monitoring of accuracy errors compared to commission errors in ACC

“…Previous research already suggested a role for the ERN, and more generally the dACC, in error likelihood prediction (Brown and Braver, 2005;Potts et al, 2010) and risk prediction (Brown and Braver, 2007) as well as risk taking (Hewig et al, 2007;Hewig et al, 2009;Polezzi et al, 2009;Yu and Zhou, 2009), but see Nieuwenhuis et al (2007), Aarts et al (2008), and Yeung and Nieuwenhuis (2009), for opposite evidence regarding this errorlikelihood hypothesis. In these studies, risk is generally defined as an increased likelihood to obtain a negative compared to positive outcome.…”

Can event-related potentials serve as neural markers for wins, losses, and near-wins in a gambling task? A principal components analysis

“…While the negative deflection to unfavourable outcomes described above has been reported in a wide variety of circumstances, including simulated gambling (Hewig et al, 2007), guessing tasks Hajcak et al, 2005Hajcak et al, , 2007, time estimation tasks (Holroyd and Krigolsen, 2007;Miltner et al, 1997;Nieuwenhuis et al, 2005), and learning tasks (De Pascalis et al, 2010), the true nature of the FRN remains somewhat unclear, as this component is commonly superimposed on large amplitude P300 responses that occur immediately after it. It has been proposed that the reduced amplitude FRN observed following win outcomes may not be an actual attenuated response to these events, but is rather driven by larger P300 amplitudes following favourable outcomes (Yeung and Sanfey, 2004).…”