title: The Computational Complexity of Valuation and Motivational Forces in Decision-Making Processes.
abstract: The concept of value is fundamental to most theories of motivation and decision making. However, value has to be measured experimentally. Different methods of measuring value produce incompatible valuation hierarchies. Taking the agent's perspective (rather than the experimenter's), we interpret the different valuation measurement methods as accessing different decision-making systems and show how these different systems depend on different information processing algorithms. This identifies the translation from these multiple decision-making systems into a single action taken by a given agent as one of the most important open questions in decision making today. We conclude by looking at how these different valuation measures accessing different decision-making systems can be used to understand and treat decision dysfunction such as in addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. redish@umn.edu.
authors.forename: A David
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Redish
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Schultheiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA.
authors.forename: Evan C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Carter
mesh_terms: D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D003657:Decision Making; D003662:Decision Theory; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation
keywords: Decision-Making; Multiple Decision Theory; Neuroeconomonics; Valuation