Neural Dynamic Underlying Coordination Process between Habitual and Goal-Directed Behavior

Abstract

The coordination between habitual and goal-directed behaviors has significant evolutionary importance. However, the specific cognitive processes and neural mechanisms underlying this coordination process require further research. Since inducing natural habitual responses through repetitive stimuli-response training in a laboratory environment is extremely difficult in humans, well-trained sports experts with automatic perception-action features towards expertise-related stimuli serve as ideal natural samples to address this critical gap. We conducted scalp EEG recordings while sports experts performed an expertise Simon task that involved both automatic and goal-directed processes with moderate space of expertise-related stimuli congruent or incongruent with the response hand. In the congruent condition, sports experts showed larger response-locked LRP and beta band (15-25Hz) activity at the frontal-central region, indicating an enhanced automatic response tendency towards expertise-related stimuli. In the incongruent condition, a larger theta (3-8Hz) dynamic was observed in the superior frontal gyrus when sports experts needed to inhibit the automatic response tendency. The results indicated that sports experts exhibited an enhanced coordination process towards expertise-related stimuli, which was closely related to specific cognitive processes of response preparation and response inhibition in coordinating habitual and goal-directed behaviors.