Is Avoiding an Aversive Outcome Rewarding? Neural Substrates of Avoidance Learning in the Human Brain
2006
Avoiding Punishment Is Its Own Reward
Sample size: 16
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Hackjin Kim, Shinsuke Shimojo, John O'Doherty
Hypothesis
Is avoiding punishment itself a rewarding experience?
Conclusion
The study found that avoiding negative outcomes activates the same brain areas as receiving rewards.
Supporting Evidence
- The medial orbitofrontal cortex showed higher activity when participants avoided losing money or won money.
- Both reward and avoidance events produced significantly greater brain activity compared to neutral trials.
- Participants learned to choose options that maximized rewards and minimized losses over time.
Takeaway
The brain reacts similarly when we avoid something bad and when we get something good.
Methodology
Participants performed an instrumental choice task while their brain activity was scanned using fMRI.
Participant Demographics
Sixteen human participants
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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