Early versus late noise differentially enhances or degrades context-dependent choice
Abstract Noise is a fundamental problem for information processing in neural systems. In decision-making, noise is thought to cause stochastic errors in choice. However, little is known about how noise arising from different sources may contribute differently to value coding and choice behaviors. He...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59140-3 |
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| _version_ | 1850170801095966720 |
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| author | Bo Shen Duc Nguyen Jailyn Wilson Paul W. Glimcher Kenway Louie |
| author_facet | Bo Shen Duc Nguyen Jailyn Wilson Paul W. Glimcher Kenway Louie |
| author_sort | Bo Shen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Noise is a fundamental problem for information processing in neural systems. In decision-making, noise is thought to cause stochastic errors in choice. However, little is known about how noise arising from different sources may contribute differently to value coding and choice behaviors. Here, we examine how noise arising early versus late in the decision process differentially impacts context-dependent choice behavior. We find in model simulations that under early noise, contextual information enhances choice accuracy, while under late noise, context degrades choice accuracy. Furthermore, we verify these opposing predictions in experimental human choice behavior. Manipulating early and late noise – by inducing uncertainty in option values and controlling time pressure – produces dissociable positive and negative context effects. These findings reconcile controversial experimental findings in the literature, suggesting a unified mechanism for context-dependent choice. More broadly, these findings highlight how different sources of noise can interact with neural computations to differentially modulate behavior. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6242581114cb40d8b345ef5edb8a6a30 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-6242581114cb40d8b345ef5edb8a6a302025-08-20T02:20:25ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-04-0116111510.1038/s41467-025-59140-3Early versus late noise differentially enhances or degrades context-dependent choiceBo Shen0Duc Nguyen1Jailyn Wilson2Paul W. Glimcher3Kenway Louie4New York University, Grossman School of MedicineNew York University, Center for Neural ScienceDepartment of Psychology, Cornell UniversityNew York University, Grossman School of MedicineNew York University, Grossman School of MedicineAbstract Noise is a fundamental problem for information processing in neural systems. In decision-making, noise is thought to cause stochastic errors in choice. However, little is known about how noise arising from different sources may contribute differently to value coding and choice behaviors. Here, we examine how noise arising early versus late in the decision process differentially impacts context-dependent choice behavior. We find in model simulations that under early noise, contextual information enhances choice accuracy, while under late noise, context degrades choice accuracy. Furthermore, we verify these opposing predictions in experimental human choice behavior. Manipulating early and late noise – by inducing uncertainty in option values and controlling time pressure – produces dissociable positive and negative context effects. These findings reconcile controversial experimental findings in the literature, suggesting a unified mechanism for context-dependent choice. More broadly, these findings highlight how different sources of noise can interact with neural computations to differentially modulate behavior.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59140-3 |
| spellingShingle | Bo Shen Duc Nguyen Jailyn Wilson Paul W. Glimcher Kenway Louie Early versus late noise differentially enhances or degrades context-dependent choice Nature Communications |
| title | Early versus late noise differentially enhances or degrades context-dependent choice |
| title_full | Early versus late noise differentially enhances or degrades context-dependent choice |
| title_fullStr | Early versus late noise differentially enhances or degrades context-dependent choice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early versus late noise differentially enhances or degrades context-dependent choice |
| title_short | Early versus late noise differentially enhances or degrades context-dependent choice |
| title_sort | early versus late noise differentially enhances or degrades context dependent choice |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59140-3 |
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