Different representations of relative and absolute value in the human brain

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Different representations of relative and absolute value in the human brain Fabian Grabenhorst1* and E. T. Rolls1 1 Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom The affective context in which a stimulus or event is presented influences the subjective hedonic value of the stimulus. Understanding how absolute and relative affective value is processed and represented is important not only for understanding affective value representations in the brain, but also in relation to economic choice and preference decisions. Using fMRI, we investigated how the subjective pleasantness of an odour is influenced by whether the odour is presented in the context of a relatively more pleasant or less pleasant odour. We delivered two odours from a set of four (citral, vanillin, hexanoic acid and isovaleric acid) separated by a delay of 6 s, with the instruction to rate the pleasantness and intensity of the second odour. On trials where the first odour was relatively unpleasant, the second odour was rated as more pleasant than on trials where the first odour was relatively pleasant, and vice versa. An antero-lateral region of the orbitofrontal cortex where activations were positively correlated with the pleasantness ratings responded more strongly to the second odour when it was preceded by an odour that was relatively more unpleasant. Thus relative pleasantness may be represented in this region. In contrast, in a part of the anterior insular cortex where activations were negatively correlated with the pleasantness ratings, responses were stronger to the second odour if it was preceded by an odour that was relatively more pleasant. Thus relative unpleasantness may be represented in this region. In other parts of the orbitofrontal cortex (mid and medial, where activations were positively correlated with the pleasantness ratings), the responses to the second odour were not influenced by the pleasantness of the first odour. These regions thus represent the absolute and not relative pleasantness of an odour. An interesting implication of these findings is that the brain represents simultaneously and separately the relative and absolute value of affective stimuli. Both types of representation may provide important inputs to a decision-making process about whether or not to choose a stimulus. Conference: 10th International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience, Bodrum, Türkiye, 1 Sep - 5 Sep, 2008. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Emotional Processing Citation: Grabenhorst F and Rolls ET (2008). Different representations of relative and absolute value in the human brain. Conference Abstract: 10th International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.09.2009.01.201 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 08 Dec 2008; Published Online: 08 Dec 2008. * Correspondence: Fabian Grabenhorst, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, fabian.grabenhorst@psy.ox.ac.uk Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Fabian Grabenhorst E. T Rolls Google Fabian Grabenhorst E. T Rolls Google Scholar Fabian Grabenhorst E. T Rolls PubMed Fabian Grabenhorst E. T Rolls Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.