eprintid: 1476094
rev_number: 24
eprint_status: archive
userid: 608
dir: disk0/01/47/60/94
datestamp: 2016-03-03 16:02:38
lastmod: 2021-09-19 23:40:33
status_changed: 2016-03-03 16:02:38
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Schwartenbeck, P
creators_name: FitzGerald, TH
creators_name: Mathys, C
creators_name: Dolan, R
creators_name: Kronbichler, M
creators_name: Friston, K
title: Evidence for surprise minimization over value maximization in choice behavior
ispublished: pub
divisions: UCL
divisions: B02
divisions: C07
divisions: D07
divisions: F83
note: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
abstract: Classical economic models are predicated on the idea that the ultimate aim of choice is to maximize utility or reward. In contrast, an alternative perspective highlights the fact that adaptive behavior requires agents' to model their environment and minimize surprise about the states they frequent. We propose that choice behavior can be more accurately accounted for by surprise minimization compared to reward or utility maximization alone. Minimizing surprise makes a prediction at variance with expected utility models; namely, that in addition to attaining valuable states, agents attempt to maximize the entropy over outcomes and thus 'keep their options open'. We tested this prediction using a simple binary choice paradigm and show that human decision-making is better explained by surprise minimization compared to utility maximization. Furthermore, we replicated this entropy-seeking behavior in a control task with no explicit utilities. These findings highlight a limitation of purely economic motivations in explaining choice behavior and instead emphasize the importance of belief-based motivations.
date: 2015-11-13
date_type: published
official_url: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep16575
oa_status: green
full_text_type: pub
pmcid: PMC4643240
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
article_type_text: Journal Article
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 1078957
doi: 10.1038/srep16575
pii: srep16575
language_elements: eng
lyricists_name: Dolan, Raymond
lyricists_name: Fitzgerald, Thomas
lyricists_name: Friston, Karl
lyricists_name: Mathys, Christoph
lyricists_name: Schwartenbeck, Philipp
lyricists_id: RJDOL46
lyricists_id: TFITZ23
lyricists_id: KJFRI52
lyricists_id: CMATH85
lyricists_id: SCHWA70
actors_name: Barczynska, Patrycja
actors_id: PBARC91
actors_role: owner
full_text_status: public
publication: Scientific Reports
volume: 5
article_number: 16575
event_location: England
issn: 2045-2322
citation:        Schwartenbeck, P;    FitzGerald, TH;    Mathys, C;    Dolan, R;    Kronbichler, M;    Friston, K;      (2015)    Evidence for surprise minimization over value maximization in choice behavior.                   Scientific Reports , 5     , Article 16575.  10.1038/srep16575 <https://doi.org/10.1038/srep16575>.       Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1476094/1/Evidence%20for%20surprise%20minimization%20over%20value%20maximization%20in%20choice%20behavior.pdf