Information Processing in Decisions under Risk: Evidence for Compensatory Strategies based on Automatic Processes

Many everyday decisions have to be made under risk and can be interpreted as choices between gambles with different outcomes that are realized with specific probabilities. The underlying cognitive processes were investigated by testing six sets of hypotheses concerning choices, decision times, and information search derived from cumulative prospect theory, decision field theory, priority heuristic and parallel constraint satisfaction models. Our participants completed forty decision tasks of two gambles with two non-negative outcomes each. Information search was recorded using eye-tracking technology. Results for all dependent measures conflict with the prediction of the non-compensatory priority heuristic and indicate that individuals use compensatory strategies. Choice proportions are well predicted by a cumulative prospect theory. Process measures, however, indicate that individuals do not rely on deliberate calculations of weighted sums. Information integration processes seem to be better explained by models that partially rely on automatic processes such as decision field theory or parallel constraint satisfaction models.Risky Decisions, Cumulative Prospect Theory, Decision Field Theory, Priority Heuristic, Parallel Constraint Satisfaction, Eye Tracking, Intuition

Visual Fixation Durations and Saccade Amplitudes: Shifting Relationship in a Variety of Conditions

Is there any relationship between visual fixation durations and saccade amplitudes in free exploration of pictures and scenes? In four experiments with naturalistic stimuli, we compared eye movements during early and late phases of scene perception. Influences of repeated presentation of similar stimuli (Experiment 1), object density (Experiment 2), emotional stimuli (Experiment 3) and mood induction (Experiment 4) were examined. The results demonstrate a systematic increase in the durations of fixations and a decrease for saccadic amplitudes over the time course of scene perception. This relationship was very stable across the variety of studied conditions. It can be interpreted in terms of a shifting balance of the two modes of visual information processing

Neural and psychophysiological correlates of emotion recognition in healthy subjects and patients with brain lesions

Eine fehlerfreie Interpretation von Emotionen, die über den mimischen Ausdruck vermittelt werden, ist für eine effektive soziale Kommunikation von zentraler Bedeutung. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Untersuchung des Zusammenhangs von Augenbewegungen und korrekter Erkennung von unterschiedlichen Emotionen bei der Betrachtung von Gesichtsausdrücken. Dies erfolgte in drei Studien mittels Eyetracking und funktioneller Magnetresonanztomographie an Gesunden und Patienten vor und nach unilateraler Amygdala-Exstirpation. Als Hauptergebnis können die durchgeführten Studien ein direktes Zusammenspiel von Augenbewegungen und zerebraler Emotionsverarbeitung bei der Betrachtung emotionaler Gesichtsausdrücke im Vergleich mit neutralen nachweisen. Dieses beinhaltet zum einen eine stärkere Aktivierung von emotionsassoziierten Gehirnregionen bei der visuellen Exploration und umgekehrt, einen durch unilaterale Amygdalaläsion hervorgerufenen signifikanten Einfluss auf Augenbewegungen. Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse beschreiben zeitstabile emotionsspezifische Betrachtungsmuster von Gesichtsausdrücken bei Gesunden und weisen zum anderen auf die Möglichkeit einer therapeutischen Behandlung des Emotionserkennungs-Defizits für Patienten mit Amygdalaläsion hin. Die sich daraus eröffnenden Fragestellungen werden im Hinblick auf zukünftige Forschungen erörtert.Accurate interpretation of emotion articulated by facial expression is of central importance in effective social communication. The present work investigates the relation of eye movements and precise facial emotion recognition of basic emotions. This was carried out in three studies using eye tracking and functional magnetic resonance imaging in healthy subjects and patients before and after neurosurgical amygdala extirpation. As major contribution, the present work states a direct coincidence of eye movements and cerebral emotion processing concerning the visual perception of facial emotions. This includes both, a higher activation of emotion-related cerebral regions according to visual exploration, and — reversely — a significant impact on eye movements caused by amygdala lesion. These results reveal time stable scanpatterns for facial expressions auf basic emotions. Moreover, the findings indicate a need for developing methods of therapeutic treatment of the just described emotion recognition impairment in patients with amygdala lesions. As a concluding outlook, emerging questions are discussed with regard to possible future scientific work