How the brain decides when outcomes are unclear
Cognitive and reward signals for choices under ambiguity
Researchers are looking at how reward signals and thinking processes in the brain guide people's choices when odds are unknown, including in people with neurological or psychiatric conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11250071 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would take part in tasks where you choose between options with known chances and options with unknown chances, like everyday decisions that aren't clear-cut. While you make those choices, the team will record your decisions and may measure brain activity or neural signals linked to reward and prefrontal function using brain recording or imaging tools. The study compares healthy people and people with prefrontal or psychiatric problems to see how ambiguity affects behavior. Results aim to link how beliefs drive choices with specific brain signals to point toward better tests or treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who can follow instructions and perform decision-making tasks, including healthy volunteers and people with neurological or psychiatric conditions that affect decision-making.
Not a fit: Children, people unable to perform the tasks or tolerate brain recordings, or those whose conditions do not affect decision-making are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help develop tests or treatments to improve decision-making in people with brain injuries or psychiatric disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Behavioral studies have long shown ambiguity aversion, and growing brain-imaging work links decision-making to reward signals, but this work seeks to clarify those links further.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stauffer, William Richard — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Stauffer, William Richard
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.