Evidence for A Neural System For Learning

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

How do we learn? What neural systems within the brain are responsible for human learning? Can we use electroencephalography (EEG; i.e., brain waves) to find a reliable neural marker evoked by the processing of performance feedback that is indicative of an underlying learning process? In the past 20 years, a multitude of studies have used EEG to examine the neural signals elicited by performance feedback. In particular, studies using EEG in humans have revealed two key signals evoked by performance feedback that are thought to relate to learning: (1) the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and (2) and reward positivity (RP). Theoretical accounts posit that the FRN and RP reflect the functioning of a reinforcement learning system within the human medial-frontal cortex. However, to date it is still unclear whether the FRN and RP are simply evoked by feedback or whether they are actually reflective of an underlying learning process. The proposed research seeks to answer this question and demonstrate that the FRN and RP are neural markers for a learning system within the human-medial-frontal cortex.