Identity-specific reward expectations in orbitofrontal cortex guide goal-directed choices

Phillip P Witkowski, Noelle Henein, Nicole Moussa, Geoffrey Schoenbaum and Thorsten Kahnt

PLOS Biology, 2026, vol. 24, issue 7, 1-22

Abstract: Real-life decisions are typically directed toward specific types of rewards (e.g., a slice of pizza or a bowl of pasta), but reward identity is often neglected in neuroeconomic theories of decision-making. Previous research has shown that the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) represents the specific rewards predicted by environmental cues. However, whether and how these expectations influence decision-making remains an open question. To address these questions in humans, we developed a novel behavioral task in which Pavlovian cues associated with specific rewards are presented before participants can make decisions to forage these rewards. Using pattern-based analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data, we show that cues predicting distinct reward types evoke identity-specific expectations in lOFC, which in turn predict subsequent choices. This effect is amplified by activity in the nucleus accumbens, which enhances the influence of lOFC reward expectations on action representations in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. These results connect representational and motivational accounts of decision-making, highlighting the neural mechanism by which expectations about reward identity guide goal-directed behavior.How reward identity representations influence choice remains unclear in neuroeconomic decision-making models. This fMRI study shows that identity-specific expectations in the human lateral orbitofrontal cortex predict choices, with nucleus accumbens amplifying their impact on action representations in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, linking reward identity to goal-directed decision processes.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pbio00:3003829

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003829

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