Visual attention modulates the integration of goal-relevant evidence and not value

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>When choosing between options, such as food items presented in plain view, people tend to choose the option they spend longer looking at. The prevailing interpretation is that visual attention increases value. However, in previous studies, ‘value’ was coupled to a behavioural goal, since subjects had to choose the item they preferred. This makes it impossible to discern if visual attention has an effect on value, or, instead, if attention modulates the information most relevant for the goal of the decision-maker. Here we present the results of two independent studies—a perceptual and a value-based task—that allow us to decouple value from goal-relevant information using specific task-framing. Combining psychophysics with computational modelling, we show that, contrary to the current interpretation, attention does <jats:italic>not</jats:italic> boost value, but instead it modulates goal-relevant information. This work provides a novel and more general mechanism by which attention interacts with choice.</jats:p>

An empirical test of the role of value certainty in decision making

“…Under this explanation, there would indeed be a causal link between gaze and information processing, but in the opposite direction from that proposed by the above authors. Those authors model gaze shifts as random events (Sepulveda et al, 2020;Krajbich and Rangel, 2011;Krajbich et al, 2010). Our proposal that gaze shifts are driven away from scant information sources and towards rich information sources seems more parsimonious.…”

“…Specifically, it has been proposed that during choice deliberation, evidence accumulates at a higher rate for the option that is currently being gazed at, relative to the other option(s). This evidence might support value estimation directly (Krajbich and Rangel, 2011;Krajbich et al, 2010) or a more general goal-relevant information estimation (Sepulveda et al, 2020). However, neither of these models include value estimate certainty.…”

“…Other recent work has suggested that the evidence accumulation process illustrated by a DDM is influenced by attention (Sepulveda et al, 2020;Krajbich and Rangel, 2011;Krajbich et al, 2010).…”

An Empirical Test of the Role of Value Certainty in Decision Making

“…Specifically, it has been proposed that during choice deliberation, evidence accumulates at a higher rate for the option that is currently being gazed at, relative to the other option(s). This evidence might support value estimation directly (Krajbich et al, 2010;Krajbich and Rangel, 2011) or a more general goal-relevant information estimation (Sepulveda et al, 2020). However, neither of these models include value estimate certainty.…”

“…Other recent work has suggested that the evidence accumulation process illustrated by a DDM is influenced by attention (Krajbich et al, 2010;Krajbich and Rangel, 2011;Sepulveda et al, 2020). Specifically, it has been proposed that during choice deliberation, evidence accumulates at a higher rate for the option that is currently being gazed at, relative to the other option(s).…”