Nature Communications (Jun 2020)

The impact of learning on perceptual decisions and its implication for speed-accuracy tradeoffs

  • André G. Mendonça,
  • Jan Drugowitsch,
  • M. Inês Vicente,
  • Eric E. J. DeWitt,
  • Alexandre Pouget,
  • Zachary F. Mainen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16196-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

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Here, the authors show that rats’ performance on olfactory decision tasks is best explained by a Bayesian model that combines reinforcement-based learning with accumulation of uncertain sensory evidence. The results suggest that learning is a critical factor contributing to speed-accuracy tradeoffs.