title: A Quantitative Relationship between Signal Detection in Attention and Approach/Avoidance Behavior.
abstract: This study examines how the domains of reward and attention, which are often studied as independent processes, in fact interact at a systems level. We operationalize divided attention with a continuous performance task and variables from signal detection theory (SDT), and reward/aversion with a keypress task measuring approach/avoidance in the framework of relative preference theory (RPT). Independent experiments with the same subjects showed a significant association between one SDT and two RPT variables, visualized as a three-dimensional structure. Holding one of these three variables constant, further showed a significant relationship between a loss aversion-like metric from the approach/avoidance task, and the response bias observed during the divided attention task. These results indicate that a more liberal response bias under signal detection (i.e., a higher tolerance for noise, resulting in a greater proportion of false alarms) is associated with higher "loss aversion." Furthermore, our functional model suggests a mechanism for processing constraints with divided attention and reward/aversion. Together, our results argue for a systematic relationship between divided attention and reward/aversion processing in humans.
authors.affiliation: Medill Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
authors.affiliation: Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Warren Wright Adolescent Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sheppard
authors.affiliation: Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Warren Wright Adolescent Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL, USA; Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, and Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; MGH Center for Translational Research in Prescription Drug Abuse, Department of Anesthesia, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; Northwestern University and Massachusetts General Hospital Phenotype Genotype Project in Addiction and Mood DisordersChicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Byoung W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Plantz
authors.affiliation: Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.affiliation: Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Warren Wright Adolescent Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL, USA; Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, and Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; MGH Center for Translational Research in Prescription Drug Abuse, Department of Anesthesia, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; Northwestern University and Massachusetts General Hospital Phenotype Genotype Project in Addiction and Mood DisordersChicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Myung J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Medill Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Kalyan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.affiliation: Medill Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Mulhern
authors.affiliation: Medill Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Martin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Block
authors.affiliation: Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Department of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Bobby
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Calder
authors.affiliation: Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, and Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; MGH Center for Translational Research in Prescription Drug Abuse, Department of Anesthesia, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; Northwestern University and Massachusetts General Hospital Phenotype Genotype Project in Addiction and Mood DisordersChicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Sang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, Northwestern University College of Arts and Sciences Evanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Dale T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.affiliation: Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, and Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; MGH Center for Translational Research in Prescription Drug Abuse, Department of Anesthesia, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; Northwestern University and Massachusetts General Hospital Phenotype Genotype Project in Addiction and Mood DisordersChicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Anne J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Blood
authors.affiliation: Applied Neuromarketing Consortium, Medill, Kellogg, and Feinberg Schools, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Warren Wright Adolescent Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL, USA; Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, and Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; MGH Center for Translational Research in Prescription Drug Abuse, Department of Anesthesia, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA; Northwestern University and Massachusetts General Hospital Phenotype Genotype Project in Addiction and Mood DisordersChicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Hans C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Breiter
keywords: attention; iterative modeling; neuroeconomics; psychophysics; relative preference; reward; signal detection theory