Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Goal-directed behavior allows humans to flexibly adjust their actions according to expected outcomes. In the present study (N = 40), we combined behavioral analysis with psychophysiological measures to examine how goal-directed control unfolds over time. Using a reinforcement-learning task, we elicited two patterns of responding and examined neural activity preceding two types of responses: The initiation of a response burst and the subsequent responses within that burst. Variability in the readiness potential (RP), a neural marker of action preparation that has been associated with graded goal-directed engagement, decreased more strongly prior to within-burst responses than prior to burst initiation. This pattern suggests greater engagement of goal-directed processes once responding is underway. RP variability was also reduced in behavioral contexts characterized by a higher proportion of within-burst responses. Across conditions, individuals who produced more within-burst responses showed stronger neural signatures associated with goal-directed control. Together, these findings suggest that goal-directed modulation varies over time within behavioral sequences and that psychophysiological measures can index corresponding variation in action-outcome sensitivity.
Chen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.