The trembling hand unraveled: the motor dynamics and neural sources of choice inconsistency

Abstract

Extensive evidence shows that humans are inconsistent with their choices. Yet, the neural mechanism underlying this type of choices remains unknown. Here, we aim to show that inconsistent choice is tied to the valuation process, but can also arise from motor errors during task execution. We report the results from three behavioral and neuroimaging studies. Subjects completed a risky-choice task to test their inconsistency levels, followed by two novel tasks, explicitly designed to examine motor output. We recorded mouse trajectories during task execution and designed 34 features to analyze motor dynamics in an exploratory manner. We show that motor dynamics predict inconsistency levels, even when motor output was absent any valuation elements. In the neuroimaging study, we show that inconsistency is associated with value brain circuits, but at the same time, is also related to activity in motor circuits. These findings suggest that (at least) two neural sources of noise contribute to inconsistent choice behavior.