Imperfect integration: sensory congruency between multiple sources modulates selective decision-making processes

Abstract

AbstractDecision making on the basis of multiple information sources is common. However, to what extent such decisions differ from those with a single source remains unclear. Here, we combined cognitive modelling and neural-mass modelling to characterise the neurocognitive process underlying decisionmaking with single or double information sources. Ninety-four human participants performed binary decisions to discriminate the coherent motion direction averaged across two independent apertures. Regardless the angular distance of the apertures, separating motion information into two apertures resulted in a reduction in accuracy. Our modelling results further showed that the addition of the second information source led to a lower signal-to-noise ratio of evidence accumulation with two congruent information sources, and a change in the decision strategy of speed-accuracy trade-off with two incongruent sources. Thus, our findings support a robust behavioural change in relation to multiple information sources, which have congruency-dependent impacts on selective decision-making subcomponents.