Evidence and Urgency Related EEG Signals during Dynamic Decision-Making in Humans
Yvonne Yau, Thomas Hinault, Madeline Taylor, Paul Cisek, Lesley K. Fellows, Alain Dagher
Abstract
Perceptual decisions are often described by a class of models that assumes that sensory evidence accumulates gradually over time until a decision threshold is reached. In the present study, we demonstrate that an additional urgency signal impacts how decisions are formed. This endogenous signal encourages one to respond as time elapses. We found that neural decision signals measured by EEG reflect the product of sensory evidence and an evidence-independent urgency signal. A nuanced understanding of human decisions, and the neural mechanisms that support it, can improve decision-making in many situations and potentially ameliorate dysfunction when it has gone awry.