Goal Achievement Failure Drives Corticospinal Modulation in Promotion and Prevention Contexts.

Emanuele Lo Gerfo,Leonor J Romero Lauro,Davide Fedeli,Ferruccio Ponzano,Alberto Pisoni,Luca Zarri,Stefania Ottone,Alessandra Vergallito,Erica Varoli

doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00071

Abstract

When making decisions, people are typically differently sensitive to gains and losses according to the motivational context in which the choice is performed. As hypothesized by Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT), indeed, goals are supposed to change in relation to the set of possible outcomes. In particular, in a promotion context, the goal is achieving the maximal gain, whereas in a prevention context it turns into avoiding the greatest loss. We explored the neurophysiological counterpart of this phenomenon, by applying Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and recording the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in participants taking part in an economic game, in which they observed actions conveying different goal attainment levels, framed in different motivational contexts. More than the actual value of the economic exchange involved in the game, what affected motor cortex excitability was the goal attainment failure, corresponding to not achieving the maximal payoff in a promotion context and not avoiding the greatest snatch in a prevention context. Therefore, the results provide support for the key predictions of RFT, identifying a neural signature for the goal attainment failure.

Highlights

In humans, Motor Facilitation (MF) is an extensively studied phenomenon consisting in an increment of the primary motor cortex (M1) excitability due to the observation of an action
We expect motor evoked potentials (MEPs) to be modulated by deviations from goal attainment, i.e., when participants fail to achieve the maximum gain, when they are in a promotion motivational context, and when they obtain the maximum loss, when they are in a prevention context
Based on Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT) theory, we should expect a MEP modulation according to whether the dictator choice corresponded to the participants’ goal, which would be set on achieving the maximum gain in the promotion context and avoiding the greatest loss in the prevention context

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Motor Facilitation (MF) is an extensively studied phenomenon consisting in an increment of the primary motor cortex (M1) excitability due to the observation of an action. In economic exchanges, goal achievement assumes different meaning according to the motivational context in which the interaction occurs, i.e., aiming at avoiding the greater loss in prevention contexts and aiming at achieving the greater gain in promotion ones. We expect MEPs to be modulated by deviations from goal attainment, i.e., when participants fail to achieve the maximum gain, when they are in a promotion motivational context, and when they obtain the maximum loss, when they are in a prevention context. Based on RFT theory, we should expect a MEP modulation according to whether the dictator choice corresponded to the participants’ goal, which would be set on achieving the maximum gain in the promotion context (preferred option: gaining 40 tokens in losing) and avoiding the greatest loss in the prevention context (preferred option: 10 tokens). Predictions based on PT, instead, expected losses to produce a greater MEPs modulation, regardless of the quantities involved, including the mid-quantity options

Participants

RESULTS

DISCUSSION