Auditory-evoked potentials to changes in sound duration in urethane-anesthetized mice

Spectrotemporally complex sounds carry important information for acoustic communication. Among the important features of these sounds is the temporal duration. An event‐related potential called mismatch negativity indexes auditory change detection in humans. An analogous response (mismatch response) has been found to duration changes in speech sounds in rats but not yet in mice. We addressed whether mice show this response, and, if elicited, whether this response is functionally analogous to mismatch negativity or whether adaptation‐based models suffice to explain them. Auditory‐evoked potentials were epidurally recorded above the mice auditory cortex. The differential response to the changes in a repeated human speech sound /a/ was elicited 53–259 ms post‐change (oddball condition). The differential response was observable to the largest duration change (from 200 to 110 ms). Any smaller (from 200 to 120–180 ms at 10 ms steps) duration changes did elicit an observable response. The response to the largest duration change did not robustly differ in amplitude from the response to the change‐inducing sound presented without its repetitive background (equiprobable condition). The findings suggest that adaptation may suffice to explain responses to duration changes in spectrotemporally complex sounds in anaesthetized mice. The results pave way for development of a variety of murine models of acoustic communication.peerReviewe

Uncertain outcome presentations bias decisions: experimental evidence from Finland and Italy

Even in their everyday lives people are expected to make difficult decisions objectively and rationally, no matter how complex or uncertain the situation. In this research, we study how the format of presentation and the amount of presented information concerning risky events influence the decision-making process, and the propensity to take risk in decision makers. The results of an exploratory survey conducted in Finland and in Italy suggest that decision-making behavior changes according to the way the information is presented. We provide experimental evidence that different representations of expected outcomes create distinct cognitive biases and as a result affect the decisions made. This identified change in the perception of risk has, to the best of our knowledge, not been identified nor directly studied previously in the scientific literature. The paper thus presents novel insights into managerial decision-making that are potentially relevant for decision support theory, with implications to decision-makers and for information providers. Understanding the impact of various forms of presentation of risk is crucial in being able to convey information clearly and in a way that avoids misunderstandings. The implications of the results on being able to avoid opportunistic manipulation of decisions, are also of great concern in many application areas. Social networks are more and more frequently being used as a source of information and in this context it is crucial to acknowledge the effect that different ways of presenting and communicating risky outcomes may have on the behavior of the target group. Here presented results may, for example, be highly relevant for marketing and advertising that is conducted by using social media or social networks