A lot of effort - great expectation
Is the effort in the right proportion? This question follow practically all living things in their decisions. "An animal must automatically follow the request, no more energy to invest in foraging to expect as booty to the value is - this is simply a principle of survival," says Associate Professor Dr. Klaus Fließbach the Center for Economics and Neuroscience (CENs) the University of Bonn, of the German center for Neurodegenerative diseases (DZNE) research now in Bonn. Man also follows Experience shows that this rule, even if it is not a matter of life or death: Who exerts himself properly in the job, usually does not exist with a warm handshake as a reward satisfied.
Subjects solve different heavy computing tasks
How run these decision-making processes in the brain, the scientists of the University of Bonn tested together with colleagues from the University of Dusseldorf total 28 subjects. In brain scanner they had to solve mathematical problems that were very different in terms of their level of difficulty. Once the task has been displayed on the video glasses covering her eyes, the subjects did their sums. Subsequently different results were displayed for selection, the test subjects were asked to select the correct within seconds. If successful, the test subjects were given a reward of between five and 35 euros.
When reward frustration is programmed
"However, the reward was not adapted to the difficulty of the calculation, but chosen by chance," says Katarina Kiss from CENs, who has assumed the first authors of the publication, together with Julien Hernandez-Lallement. Thus, the expectations of the test subjects were partially disappointed at the reward. But even those who was very well paid for a relatively easy task, could still go empty: The subjects had at least give up part of their profits in the form of an involuntary "donation" again. "The donation amount was elected at random," says lead author. "That meant the maximum case, the waiver of the entire amount that was taken at a task."
Reward centers are more active at high expectation
Scientists pursued during the computing and dispensing with functional magnetic resonance imaging the activity of the various areas in the brains of subjects. "It was found that the amount of a reward is more important, the greater the effort in the calculation was," says Dr. Fließbach. "In contrast, the size of the reward is not as critical when the effort was low before." The researchers registered in particular in the reward centers - the anterior cingulate cortex and the nucleus accumbens - an increased activity when the calculation is difficult and the reward was high. however, a large proportion of the amount purchased was peeled off in the form of forced "donations", the signal in the insular cortex was particularly large. This brain structure negative emotions and frustrations are processed.
Results are important for behavioral economics and economic life
"The results are very relevant to the behavioral economics research," says Dr. Fließbach. "Subjects behave differently when they get paid money than if they have to work for it." This should be included in test arrangements. For the economy show the experiment that with power are connected also clear reward expectations. This is possibly due to not acquired behavior. "The fact that this effect can be detected by a simple manipulation directly in the brain, suggesting that this is a basic, automated mechanism that acts without conscious thought," says the scientist.
Publication:
Effort Increases sensitivity to reward and loss magnitude in the human brain, Journal "Social Cognitive Affective Neuroscience at" DOI: 10.1093 / scan / nss147
Source: Bonn [Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität]
