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Smarter than humans: rationality reflected in primate neuronal reward signals

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Stauffer, WR 
Lak, A 
Pastor-Bernier, A 

Abstract

Rational choice, in all its definitions by various disciplines, allows agents to maximize utility. Formal axioms and simple choice designs are suitable for assessing rationality in monkeys. Their economic preferences are complete and transitive; the dopamine signal follows transitivity. Dopamine signals also satisfy first-order stochastic dominance that unequivocally defines the better option. Neurons in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) reflect the unchanged preferences when an irrelevant option is removed from the option set, thus satisfying Arrow’s Weak Axiom of Revealed Preference (WARP) concerning the Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA). While monkeys, with their reward neurons, may not be more rational than humans, the constraints of controlled experiments seem to allow them to behave rationally within their informational, cognitive and temporal bounds.

Description

Keywords

5202 Biological Psychology, 52 Psychology, Neurosciences, Neurological

Journal Title

Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2352-1546
2352-1546

Volume Title

41

Publisher

Elsevier BV
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (204811/Z/16/Z)
Wellcome Trust (095495/Z/11/Z)
European Research Council (293549)