Abstract
Prospective decision making considers the future consequences of actions and therefore requires agents to represent their present subjective preferences reliably across time. Here, we test the link of frontopolar theta oscillations to both metacognitive ability and prospective choice behavior. We target these oscillations with transcranial alternating current stimulation while participants make decisions between smaller-sooner and larger-later monetary rewards and rate their choice confidence after each decision. Stimulation designed to enhance frontopolar theta oscillations increases metacognitive accuracy in reports of subjective uncertainty in intertemporal decisions. Moreover, the stimulation also enhances the willingness of participants to restrict their future access to short-term gratification by strengthening the awareness of potential preference reversals. Our results suggest a mechanistic link between frontopolar theta oscillations and metacognitive knowledge about the stability of subjective value representations, providing a potential explanation for why frontopolar cortex also shields prospective decision making against future temptation.
Highlights
Prospective decision making considers the future consequences of actions and requires agents to represent their present subjective preferences reliably across time
Because frontopolar cortex (FPC) stimulation enhanced the metacognitive link between confidence and preference strength rather than affecting confidence in isolation, theta oscillations in the FPC may process a readout of confidence signals from brain regions that encode decision-related information such as VMPFC5,25
Our study provides evidence that frontopolar theta oscillations constitute a neural substrate for metacognition, informing the debate on whether metacognition can be considered as a natural kind at the neural level
Summary
Prospective decision making considers the future consequences of actions and requires agents to represent their present subjective preferences reliably across time. Previous brain stimulation studies on perceptual decision making have yielded the puzzling finding that FPC disruption improves rather than disrupts metacognitive readout of confidence[10,11], challenging theoretical accounts associating FPC activation with better metacognition. It remains a matter of controversial debate what role FPC activity plays for representing metacognitive judgments and using them to guide behavior. It is unclear how exactly prospective decision making —choices that concern future outcomes—relies on metacognitive awareness of preferences as encoded by the FPC. The demand for precommitment arises from the possibility of preference reversals, i.e., cases where an individual prefers a more beneficial long-term goal at time t0 (e.g., reducing weight) but switches later at time t1 to preferring a shortterm temptation (e.g., eating chocolate) over the long-term goal
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
