Escalation of commitment is a common bias in human decision making. The present study examined (1) differences in neural recruitment for escalation and de-escalation decisions of prior investments, and (2) how the activations of these brain networks are affected by two factors that can arguably modulate escalation decisions: (i) self-responsibility, and (ii) framing of the success probabilities. Imaging data were obtained from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) applied to 29 participants. A whole-brain analysis was conducted to compare brain activations between conditions. ROI analysis, then, was used to examine if these significant activations were modulated by two contextual factors. Finally, mediation analysis was applied to explore how the contextual factors affect escalation decisions through brain activations. The findings showed that (1) escalation decisions are faster than de-escalation decisions, (2) the corresponding network of brain regions recruited for escalation (anterior cingulate cortex, insula and precuneus) decisions differs from this recruited for de-escalation decisions (inferior and superior frontal gyri), (3) the switch from escalation to de-escalation is primarily frontal gyri dependent, and (4) activation in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula and precuneus were further increased in escalation decisions, when the outcome probabilities of the follow-up investment were positively framed; and activation in the inferior and superior frontal gyri in de-escalation decisions were increased when the outcome probabilities were negatively framed. Escalation and de-escalation decisions recruit different brain regions. Framing of possible outcomes as negative leads to escalation decisions through recruitment of the inferior frontal gyrus. Responsibility for decisions affects escalation decisions through recruitment of the superior (inferior) gyrus, when the decision is framed positively (negatively).

中文翻译：

---

框架和自我责任在决策升级中调节大脑活动

承诺的升级是人类决策中常见的偏见。本研究检查了 (1) 先前投资的升级和降级决策的神经募集差异，以及 (2) 这些大脑网络的激活如何受到两个可以说是调节升级决策的因素的影响：(i) 自我责任，以及 (ii) 成功概率的框架。影像数据来自应用于 29 名参与者的功能磁共振成像 (fMRI)。进行了全脑分析以比较不同条件下的大脑激活。然后，使用 ROI 分析来检查这些重要的激活是否受两个上下文因素的调节。最后，应用中介分析来探索上下文因素如何通过大脑激活影响升级决策。研究结果表明：（1）升级决策比降级决策更快，（2）为升级（前扣带回皮层、岛叶和楔前叶）决策而招募的相应大脑区域网络与为降级决策（劣势）招募的大脑区域网络不同和额上回），（3）从升级到降级的转换主要依赖于额回，（4）在升级决策中前扣带回皮层、岛叶和楔前叶的激活进一步增加，当结果概率为后续投资积极布局；当结果概率为负面框架时，降级决策中额下回和额上回的激活增加。升级和降级决策会招募不同的大脑区域。将可能的结果定为负面会导致通过招募下额叶回做出升级决定。当决策是积极的（消极的）框架时，对决策的责任通过招募上（下）回影响升级决策。