These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Somatic markers and explicit knowledge are both involved in decision-making.
    Author: Guillaume S, Jollant F, Jaussent I, Lawrence N, Malafosse A, Courtet P.
    Journal: Neuropsychologia; 2009 Aug; 47(10):2120-4. PubMed ID: 19427005.
    Abstract:
    In 1994, it was proposed that decision-making requires emotion-related signals, known as somatic markers. In contrast, some authors argued that conscious knowledge of contingencies is sufficient for advantageous decision-making. We aimed to investigate the respective roles of somatic markers and explicit knowledge in decision-making. Thirty healthy volunteers performed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Conscious knowledge was assessed using a sensitive questionnaire and skin conductance responses (SCRs) were recorded. Most participants acquired a preference for advantageous choices during the task and generated larger anticipatory SCRs before disadvantageous relative to advantageous choices. Performance on the IGT and the autonomic response were positively correlated (r=0.38, p=0.045). Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference in performance according to conscious awareness (p=0.009). There was no significant association between level of explicit knowledge and SCR (p=0.1). Finally, we did not find any interaction between explicit knowledge and performance although a lack of statistical power is not to be excluded. Advantageous decision-making therefore seems to be associated with two distinct, namely implicit and explicit, systems.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]