How predictable are spontaneous decisions and hidden intentions? Comparing classification analyses based on previous responses and fMRI BOLD signals.

• Main Authors: Martin eLages, Katarzyna eJaworska
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2012-03-01
• Series: Frontiers in Psychology
• Subjects: Decision Making; Prefrontal Cortex; Response bias; free will; fMRI BOLD signal; multivariate classification analysis
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00056/full
• ISSN: 1664-1078

In two replication studies we examined response bias and sequential dependencies in binary decisions. We applied a linear classifier (SVM) to predict spontaneous decisions as well as hidden intentions from responses in preceding trials and achieve similar prediction accuracies as multivariate pattern classification of voxel activities in frontopolar cortex. We discuss implications of our findings and suggest a simple way to improve analyses of fMRI BOLD signals to contain effects of sequential dependencies between trials.