About this Research Topic
How do we make a rational decision in the uncertain world? This is a core question of neuroeconomics, and also a critical question for behavioral economics/finance, evolutionary biology, game theory, behavioral decision, and neuroscience. How do emotion and rationality influence decision-making? Do they lead to rational or irrational behavior? What are the neural representation and networking which might correspond to rational or irrational decision-making? These are all important topics in neuroeconomics and decision neuroscience.
Over the past 20 years, the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH) and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) series of studies had piled up to serve as an effective platform for the study of emotional decision-making issues. However, the SMH/IGT-related series of studies did not yet solve the following two major issues, namely, "how do emotion and rationality interact to affect decision-making behavior?" and “what are the neural correlates of corresponding mechanisms?". In the same vein, the series of studies also raise new issues worthy of further discussion in the context of "uncertain-dynamic situations": (1) What are the similarities and differences in decision-making patterns between descriptive (static) gambles and experiential (dynamic) gambles? (2) Do emotions induce irrationality or rational choice? (3) Does only the implicit (emotion) affect the explicit (cognition)? Or the reverse is also true? (4) Does the corresponding neural mechanism/network of somatic markers (SMs) really exist, and if so, how does it operate? (5) Over the past two decades of IGT-related studies, the unexpected findings of the "prominent deck B phenomenon" and the “gain-loss frequency effect” have been clearly demonstrated in the short-sighted decision behavior of healthy participants under uncertainty. These experimental investigations and their neural underpinnings deserve more effort to clarify.
Therefore, the present Volume III of this Research Topic will focus on the issues related to the neural mechanisms of the effect of emotion and rationality on decision-making processing as well as the models from the neuron, neural system, to behavior, of all styles and at all levels. The issues may arise as follows: What are the corresponding neural representations of SMs? Can SMs really influence decision-making behavior? Why does it lead to rational or irrational decision-making in such a specific way? Any kinds of research which may help clarify these relevant issues or pinpoint the responsible neural correlates are all suitable to contribute to this Research Topic. And the research articles in any form of mini-review, original research, review, systematic review, and technology and code are all welcome to submit.
Over the past 20 years, the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH) and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) series of studies had piled up to serve as an effective platform for the study of emotional decision-making issues. However, the SMH/IGT-related series of studies did not yet solve the following two major issues, namely, "how do emotion and rationality interact to affect decision-making behavior?" and “what are the neural correlates of corresponding mechanisms?". In the same vein, the series of studies also raise new issues worthy of further discussion in the context of "uncertain-dynamic situations": (1) What are the similarities and differences in decision-making patterns between descriptive (static) gambles and experiential (dynamic) gambles? (2) Do emotions induce irrationality or rational choice? (3) Does only the implicit (emotion) affect the explicit (cognition)? Or the reverse is also true? (4) Does the corresponding neural mechanism/network of somatic markers (SMs) really exist, and if so, how does it operate? (5) Over the past two decades of IGT-related studies, the unexpected findings of the "prominent deck B phenomenon" and the “gain-loss frequency effect” have been clearly demonstrated in the short-sighted decision behavior of healthy participants under uncertainty. These experimental investigations and their neural underpinnings deserve more effort to clarify.
Therefore, the present Volume III of this Research Topic will focus on the issues related to the neural mechanisms of the effect of emotion and rationality on decision-making processing as well as the models from the neuron, neural system, to behavior, of all styles and at all levels. The issues may arise as follows: What are the corresponding neural representations of SMs? Can SMs really influence decision-making behavior? Why does it lead to rational or irrational decision-making in such a specific way? Any kinds of research which may help clarify these relevant issues or pinpoint the responsible neural correlates are all suitable to contribute to this Research Topic. And the research articles in any form of mini-review, original research, review, systematic review, and technology and code are all welcome to submit.
Keywords: Somatic Marker Hypothesis; Iowa Gambling Task; Neuroeconomics; Rationality; Emotion; Decision-Making; Uncertainty; Risk; Certainty
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