Abstract:

So far, numerous studies have focused on the exploration of cognitive and neural mechanism of risk decision-making, but less attention have been paid to that of decision-making under ambiguity. In reality, however, the circumstances of decision-making what we faced are usually ambiguity. Moreover, it still does not reach an agreement on whether decision-making under ambiguity is a kind of special and complicated risk decision-making or a kind of independent decision-making. Hence, it is necessary to reveal the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms of decision-making under ambiguity. To solve this problem, firstly, using modified IGT task and GDT task, and applying ERP, biofeedback and genetic measures, we will examine the dissociation of decision-making under ambiguity and risk decision-making among Internet addicts and normal populations; Secondly, by modified IGT task and urn drawing task, and employing ERP and fMRI techniques, we plan to investigate the cognitive and neural mechanism of decision-making under ambiguity; Finally, we will validate the above results from a developmental and clinical perspective. Overall, the findings will help to expand research areas of decision-making under ambiguity, and will provide important theoretical guidance to understand human beings’ decision-making mechanism under ambiguous conditions and clarify the relationship between the decision-making under ambiguity and risk decision- making. At last, the findings have great theoretical and practical values on guiding cognitive diagnosis and therapy for clinical populations such as the addicts and the brain-impaired patients, and on giving insights to the enterprises and the individuals in real decision-making situations.

Key words: decision-making under ambiguity, risk decision-making, cognitive neuroscience, Iowa Gambling Task, meta analysis.