The benefits of negative yet informative feedback

PLoS One. 2018 Oct 19;13(10):e0205183. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205183. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

We investigated whether negative feedback with information could benefit both behavioral and neural responses. Fifteen participants were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while receiving various feedbacks in a novel perceptual task. Behavioral data showed that reaction times of task performance were faster after receiving negative informative feedback compared to negative confirmatory feedback. The fMRI analysis of the interaction contrast between feedback type (informative vs. confirmatory) and valence (negative vs. positive) showed greater activation in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) and the ventral striatum in response to negative informative compared to confirmatory feedback. The psychophysiological interactions (PPI) analyses showed that the vlPFC activation was positively correlated with the amygdala and the rostral cingulate zone (RCZ). The ventral striatum activation was negatively correlated with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). These results suggest that negative but informative feedback benefits subsequent performance and its primary function is to elicit positive prediction error (instructive signal) and to induce cognitive control to guide subsequent goal-directed behavior.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amygdala / diagnostic imaging
  • Amygdala / physiology*
  • Brain Mapping / methods
  • Cognition / physiology
  • Feedback, Psychological / physiology*
  • Female
  • Goals
  • Gyrus Cinguli / diagnostic imaging
  • Gyrus Cinguli / physiology*
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Male
  • Prefrontal Cortex / diagnostic imaging
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Ventral Striatum / diagnostic imaging
  • Ventral Striatum / physiology*
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the College of Education, Korea University Grant in 2017. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.