Differential engagement of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex by goal-directed and habitual behavior toward food pictures in humans
Open accessAbstract
According to dual-system accounts, instrumental learning is supported by both a goal-directed and a habitual system. Although behavioral control by the goal-directed system, through outcome–action associations, dominates with moderate training, stimulus–response associations are thought to form concurrently in the habit system. It is therefore challenging to isolate the neural substrate of the goal-directed system in neuroimaging research with healthy human volunteers. Recently, however, de Wit et al. (2007) developed an instrumental discrimination task that distinguishes between goal-directed and habit-based responding. In this task, cues are congruent, unrelated, or incongruent with subsequent outcomes. Whereas performance on congruent and control trials can be supported by both the goal-directed and habitual system, performance on the incongruent discrimination relies solely on the habit system. In the present study, we used this task with healthy participants undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate that engagement of the goal-directed system during learning is reflected in increased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, using a subsequent outcome devaluation manipulation, we show that this area is involved in guiding decision making when goal values change, even in the absence of external cues to guide performance. We can therefore exclude a purely Pavlovian account of ventromedial prefrontal function and unequivocally demonstrate its involvement in the acquisition as well as deployment of goal-directed knowledge.
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The medial portion of the OFC is involved in goal-directed control over action in healthy people.
“The OFC, in particular the medial portion, is involved in goal-directed control over action in healthy people (Valentin et al., 2007, de Wit et al., 2009).”
From The role of habit in compulsivity (2016) · cites this paper as de Wit et al., 2009
Goal-directed control in healthy human volunteers is associated with activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the caudate head.
“Imaging studies in healthy human volunteers indicate that goal-directed control is associated with activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC),18,19 an equivalent of the animal prelimbic cortex, and by the caudate head.20”
From Behavioral and neuroimaging evidence for overreliance on habit learning in alcohol-dependent patients (2013) · cites this paper as [19]
Both humans and animals adopt an S-R habitual learning strategy to solve the incongruent trial type.
“Indeed, previous studies have demonstrated that both humans and animals adopt an S–R habitual learning strategy to solve this incongruent trial type.19,41, 42, 43, 44”
From Behavioral and neuroimaging evidence for overreliance on habit learning in alcohol-dependent patients (2013) · cites this paper as [19]
The instrumental learning task was developed to distinguish between goal-directed and habit-based learning and has been used successfully to establish habits in both animals and humans.
“Briefly, the instrumental learning task was developed to distinguish between goal-directed and habit-based learning,19 and has been used successfully in studies to establish habits in both animals and humans.24,41, 42, 43, 44”
From Behavioral and neuroimaging evidence for overreliance on habit learning in alcohol-dependent patients (2013) · cites this paper as [19]
During incongruent trials, goal-directed learning is disadvantageous, and performance relies solely on habitual control via direct S-R associations.
“In these trials, goal-directed learning is disadvantageous, and performance relies solely on habitual control via direct S–R associations.”
From Behavioral and neuroimaging evidence for overreliance on habit learning in alcohol-dependent patients (2013) · cites this paper as [19]
The imbalance between goal-directed and habitual control in AD is associated with decreased activity in the VMPFC and anterior putamen.
“Furthermore, we demonstrate that this imbalance is associated with decreased activity in the VMPFC and anterior putamen, brain regions previously implicated in goal-directed learning,18, 19, 20”
From Behavioral and neuroimaging evidence for overreliance on habit learning in alcohol-dependent patients (2013) · cites this paper as [19]
Lateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortices show reduced activation with extended training.
“For example, lateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortices, which both encode the value of expected outcomes [67–68, 37] do show reduced activation with extended training [69–70].”
From Cortical and basal ganglia contributions to habit learning and automaticity (2010) · cites this paper as [70]
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References 57 · Cited by 200
- Authors
- de Wit, S., Corlett, P. R., Aitken, M. R., Dickinson, A., & Fletcher, P. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Venue
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Society for Neuroscience
- Published
- 2009-09-09
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 36
- Pages
- 11330-11338
- ISSN
- 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
- 1529-2401
- PMC
- PMC3443853
- OpenAlex
- W1987752062
- Cited by
- 200
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 4.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (064351)
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Keywords
- ventromedial prefrontal cortex, goal-directed behavior, habitual behavior, operant conditioning, dual-process models, stimulus-response associations, outcome devaluation, decision-making, food images
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Brain Mapping, Choice Behavior, Conflict, Psychological, Discrimination Learning, Female, Food, Goals, Humans, Male, Motivation, Photic Stimulation, Prefrontal Cortex, Young Adult
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