An exploratory study on the effect of contour types on decision making via optic brain imaging method (fNIRS)

Abstract

Decision-making is a combination of our positive anticipations from the future with the contribution of our past experiences, emotions, and what we perceive at the moment. Therefore, the cues perceived from the environment play an important role in shaping the decisions. Contours, which are the hidden identity of the objects, are among these cues. Aesthetic evaluation, on the other hand, has been shown to have a profound impact on decision-making, both as a subjective experience of beauty and as having an evolutionary background. The aim of this empirical study is to explain the effect of contour types on preference decisions in the prefrontal cortex through risk-taking and aesthetic appraisal. The obtained findings indicated a relation between preference decision, contour type, and PFC subregion. The results of the current study suggest that contour type is an effective cue in decision-making, furthermore, left OFC and right dlPFC respond differently to contour types.