title: A common mechanism underlies changes of mind about decisions and confidence.
abstract: Decisions are accompanied by a degree of confidence that a selected option is correct. A sequential sampling framework explains the speed and accuracy of decisions and extends naturally to the confidence that the decision rendered is likely to be correct. However, discrepancies between confidence and accuracy suggest that confidence might be supported by mechanisms dissociated from the decision process. Here we show that this discrepancy can arise naturally because of simple processing delays. When participants were asked to report choice and confidence simultaneously, their confidence, reaction time and a perceptual decision about motion were explained by bounded evidence accumulation. However, we also observed revisions of the initial choice and/or confidence. These changes of mind were explained by a continuation of the mechanism that led to the initial choice. Our findings extend the sequential sampling framework to vacillation about confidence and invites caution in interpreting dissociations between confidence and accuracy.
authors.affiliation: Computational and Biological Learning Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7353-5960
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.affiliation: Computational and Biological Learning Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Kavitha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anandalingam
authors.affiliation: Kavli Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States.|Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zylberberg
authors.affiliation: Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Roozbeh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiani
authors.affiliation: Kavli Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States.|Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Michael N
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2002-2210
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Shadlen
authors.affiliation: Computational and Biological Learning Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2011-2790
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wolpert
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D008959:Models, Neurological; D011930:Reaction Time; D006801:Humans
keywords: computational neuroscience; decision making; human; motor control; neuroscience
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