Mice switch between distinct decision-making strategies during tasks
In short: Researchers analyzing mouse and human decision-making found that subjects do not rely on a single, stable method to make choices. Instead, the study observed that mice alternate between different behavioral strategies, switching between these states multiple times within a single session.
This finding challenges the traditional view that decision-making strategies are either fixed or change only very slowly. By identifying these shifts, the researchers suggest that what appear to be random errors or 'lapses' might actually be transitions into different behavioral states.
The team used a hidden Markov model to analyze experimental data. While the patterns were consistent across species, the study identifies these shifts through statistical modeling of behavior rather than direct observation of neural changes.
Why it matters: What looks like a random mistake in a lab task might actually be a shift to a different decision-making strategy.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Ashwood et al. (2022). Mice alternate between discrete strategies during perceptual decision-making. Nature neuroscience.
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