Oscillatory Brain Activity Correlates with Risk Perception and Predicts Social Decisions

Abstract

In social interactions, the perception of how risky our decisions are depends on how we anticipate other people's behaviors. We used electroencephalography to study the neurobiology of perception of social risk, in subjects playing the role of proposers in an iterated ultimatum game in pairs. Based on statistical modeling, we used the previous behaviors of both players to separate high-risk [HR] offers from low-risk [LR] offers. The HR offers present higher rejection probability and higher entropy (variability of possible outcome) than the LR offers. Rejections of LR offers elicited both a stronger mediofrontal negativity and a higher prefrontal theta activity than rejections of HR offers. Moreover, prior to feedback, HR offers generated a drop in alpha activity in an extended network. Interestingly, trial-by-trial variation in alpha activity in the medial prefrontal, posterior temporal, and inferior pariental cortex was specifically modulated by risk and, together with theta activity in the prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex, predicted the proposer's subsequent behavior. Our results provide evidence that alpha and theta oscillations are sensitive to social risk and underlie a fine-tuning regulation of social decisions.

Quantifying the time for accurate EEG decoding of single value-based decisions

“…Our approach differs not only from 'classic' average ERP analysis, but also from the majority of previous single-trial techniques. Indeed, most of the existing approaches for studying decision-making at the single-trial level rely mainly on preselected time-intervals, or on sliding windows, whose length and latency has to be identified beforehand (Billeke et al, 2013;Bode et al, 2012;Philiastides and Sajda, 2006;Zhang et al, 2014). Other techniques consist of model-based approaches, such as regression of single-trial EEG activity, mostly using behavioral models or subjects' responses as regressors (Boehm et al, 2014;Fischer and Ullsperger, 2013;van Vugt et al, 2012;Wyart et al, 2012).…”

“…The utility of studying single-trial activity has been highlighted by recent studies in value-based decision-making (Billeke et al, 2013;Gluth et al, 2013;Hunt et al, 2012;Philiastides et al, 2010). In particular, these studies have isolated readiness potentials in the EEG signal which reflect the emergence of value-based decisions (Gluth et al, 2013) or, in the case of MEG, have allowed tracking the information flow in brain regions linked to different stages of a decision (Hunt et al, 2012).…”

Social cognition in major depressive disorder: A new paradigm?

“…The theta activities in the medial region of the PFC and in the dlPFC are associated with the probability of receiving a negative feedback [68], and are greater in those subjects that expect a behavioral change in their partner. Thus, these activities are probably participating in the cognitive control system that enables us to both update our social expectations and adapt our behaviors concordantly.…”

“…In an EEG study, the fall in alpha activity (which likely reflects a neuronal activity increase [82]) in the TPJ is correlated with both the expectative of the other's behavior and the behavioral adaptations in the subsequent interaction [68]. Thus, the medial PFC and the TPJ play a key role in both the understanding of others' intentions and the maintaining of a social interaction.…”

“…Using electroencephalography (EEG), studies have found that the medial frontal negativity, an event-related potential associated with prediction error and generated in the dorsal ACC [66,67], can be observed when the partner in an interactive game makes an unexpected or unfair social decision [68][69][70]. The theta activities in the medial region of the PFC and in the dlPFC are associated with the probability of receiving a negative feedback [68], and are greater in those subjects that expect a behavioral change in their partner.…”