A quantitative relationship between signal detection in attention and approach/avoidance behavior

Vijay Viswanathan, John P. Sheppard, Byoung W. Kim, Christopher L. Plantz, Hao Ying, Myung J. Lee, Kalyan Raman, Frank J. Mulhern, Martin P. Block, Bobby Calder, Sang Lee, Dale T. Mortensen, Anne J. Blood, Hans C. Breiter*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examines how the domains of reward and attention, which are often studied as independent processes, in fact interact at a systems level. We operationalize divided attention with a continuous performance task and variables from signal detection theory (SDT), and reward/aversion with a keypress task measuring approach/avoidance in the framework of relative preference theory (RPT). Independent experiments with the same subjects showed a significant association between one SDT and two RPT variables, visualized as a three-dimensional structure. Holding one of these three variables constant, further showed a significant relationship between a loss aversion-like metric from the approach/avoidance task, and the response bias observed during the divided attention task. These results indicate that a more liberal response bias under signal detection (i.e., a higher tolerance for noise, resulting in a greater proportion of false alarms) is associated with higher "loss aversion." Furthermore, our functional model suggests a mechanism for processing constraints with divided attention and reward/aversion. Together, our results argue for a systematic relationship between divided attention and reward/aversion processing in humans.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number122
JournalFrontiers in Psychology
Volume8
Issue numberFEB
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 21 2017

Funding

Support for this work was provided by grants to HB (#14118, 026002, 026104, 027804) from NIDA, and grants (DABK39-03-0098 & DABK39-03-C-0098; The Phenotype Genotype Project in Addiction and Mood Disorder) from the ONDCP-CTAC, Washington, DC. Further support was provided by a grant to AB (#052368) from NINDS. Additional support for this work was provided by the Warren Wright Adolescent Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. We thank Daniel Stern for his research around Cobb-Douglas functions, Dr. James Reilly for his general suggestions informing data analysis and responses to reviewers, along with Dr. Mark Reinecke regarding responses to reviewers. We also wish to thank the Reviewers, whose work substantially improved this manuscript, and by our understanding of authorship guidelines, would qualify them for authorship. Lastly, DM had a fundamental impact on this work (being a dominant force interpreting results), and the authors accordingly dedicate this manuscript to his memory.

Keywords

  • Attention
  • Iterative modeling
  • Neuroeconomics
  • Psychophysics
  • Relative preference
  • Reward
  • Signal detection theory

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Psychology

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