Neuroscience of Reward and Decision Making

Humans and other animals must make decisions in order to survive. To make a decision, it is necessary to consider the costs and benefits of a given choice and learn from the resulting outcomes to make better decisions in the future. Abnormal reward and decision making processes are core components of many psychiatric disorders and are believed, in part, to contribute to the psychosocial problems observed in individuals with these disorders. PLOS ONE, PLOS Biology, and PLOS Computational Biology are proud to present this Collection, which provides insights into the neural basis of reward and decision making, with included papers using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and optogenetic stimulation. 

Image Credit: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225617