Abstract
Throughout our lives, we face the ongoing challenge of discovering which actions are beneficial and which are not. In order to maximize reward and minimize punishment across diverse environments, individuals must learn to flexibly take actions that are likely to yield a desired outcome. This type of “goal-directed” action selection is distinguished from a “habitual” tendency to simply repeat actions that have been rewarded in the past. In this chapter, we adopt a theoretical framework stemming from animal learning theory that distinguishes goal-directed from habitual instrumental action to discuss the development of goal-directed decision-making and the neurocognitive processes that support its use. We begin by describing experimental assays of goal-directed behavior and studies employing these paradigms to examine developmental changes in goal-directed action. We then review the neural circuitry implicated in goal-directed evaluation and action selection and discuss the changes within this circuitry across development. Finally, we discuss how changes in the ability to construct and use cognitive models of one’s environment contribute to developmental improvements in goal-directed decision-making.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Goal-Directed Decision Making |
Subtitle of host publication | Computations and Neural Circuits |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Pages | 279-308 |
Number of pages | 30 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9780128120989 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780128120996 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2018 |
Keywords
- Decision-making
- Development
- Goal-directed behavior
- Habit
- Instrumental learning
- Neuroscience
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience