Inhibition and pleasure: economic risk-taking in the brain

David Polezzi, Davide Rigoni, Lorella Lotto, Rino Rumiati and Giuseppe Sartori ()
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David Polezzi: University of Padova - Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization
Davide Rigoni: University of Padova - Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization
Lorella Lotto: University of Padova - Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization
Rino Rumiati: University of Padova - Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization
Giuseppe Sartori: University of Padova - Department of General Psychology

History of Economic Ideas, 2010, vol. 18, issue 1, 191-206

Abstract: When making decisions, people show different attitudes in risk-taking. Classically, individual differences have been investigated using personality tests but, recently, neuroscience methods are providing a novel point of view through which this aspect can be better understood. Here, we present a study in which participants play a gambling task by choosing between a first option that constantly yielded a small gain and a second option that provided either a larger gain or a loss. While participants performed the task, event-related potentials (erps) were recorded in order to investigate brain activity during the gambling task. Two groups were analysed post hoc: The first group was more risk-prone, while the second group was more risk-averse. The Feedback Related Negativity (frn) occurring between 250 and 450 millisecond after decision outcomes, was differentially affected in the two groups. In addition, source analyses indicated that distinct brain areas are responsible for such a difference: Anterior Cingulate Cortex (acc) is more activated in risk-prone group, while Dorso- Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (dlpfc) is more activated in risk-averse group. Our results show that risk-taking behaviour is related to differential activations in the brain. How the brain works may be used to predict the participants risk-attitude.

Date: 2010
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