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Review
. 2021 Aug;24(8):1051-1064.
doi: 10.1038/s41593-021-00866-w. Epub 2021 Jun 21.

Formalizing planning and information search in naturalistic decision-making

L T Hunt  1 , N D Daw  2 , P Kaanders  3 , M A MacIver  4 , U Mugan  4 , E Procyk  5 , A D Redish  6 , E Russo  7   8 , J Scholl  3 , K Stachenfeld  9 , C R E Wilson  5 , N Kolling  10
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Formalizing planning and information search in naturalistic decision-making

L T Hunt et al. Nat Neurosci. 2021 Aug.
Free article

Abstract

Decisions made by mammals and birds are often temporally extended. They require planning and sampling of decision-relevant information. Our understanding of such decision-making remains in its infancy compared with simpler, forced-choice paradigms. However, recent advances in algorithms supporting planning and information search provide a lens through which we can explain neural and behavioral data in these tasks. We review these advances to obtain a clearer understanding for why planning and curiosity originated in certain species but not others; how activity in the medial temporal lobe, prefrontal and cingulate cortices may support these behaviors; and how planning and information search may complement each other as means to improve future action selection.

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