Neural Mechanisms Underlying Metacognitive Processes in Sequential Decision-Making
Abstract
Self-monitoring in decision-making is a hallmark of self-improvement in cognitive processes. To enhance outcomes in future decisions, individuals must accurately assess the correctness of prior choices and apply the information to control subsequent decisions. Although metacognition encompasses monitoring and control functions, the neural mechanisms underlying these processes and their relationships remain unclear. Furthermore, while the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is implicated in both functions, their distinct neural substrates and interrelations require further elucidation. In this study, we employed a sequential perceptual decision-making task with confidence ratings to examine how initial confidence influences subsequent decisions while recording neural activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Subjects (female and male) performed a visual discrimination of two different-sized stimuli and subsequently rated their decision confidence. Behavioral results showed that subjects were more likely to change their choices between initial and subsequent decisions according to confidence levels. A signature of confidence (confidence magnitude) in initial decisions was observed primarily in the anterior medial PFC (amPFC). In contrast, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) exhibited higher neural activity related to changes of their initial choice at subsequent decisions. Furthermore, the pregenual ACC (pgACC) was associated with both processes, and it exhibited effective connectivity with the amPFC and dACC. These findings suggest that the medial PFC plays a role in integrating metacognitive monitoring and subsequent control in the sequential decision-making processes.
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BibTeX
@article{nanjo2026neural,
title = {{Neural Mechanisms Underlying Metacognitive Processes in Sequential Decision-Making}},
author = {Yoshinori Nanjo and David Aguilar-Lleyda},
journal = {eneuro},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1523/eneuro.0104-25.2025},
url = {https://www.eneuro.org/lookup/doi/10.1523/ENEURO.0104-25.2025},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Neural Mechanisms Underlying Metacognitive Processes in Sequential Decision-Making
AU - Yoshinori Nanjo
AU - David Aguilar-Lleyda
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - eneuro
DO - 10.1523/eneuro.0104-25.2025
UR - https://www.eneuro.org/lookup/doi/10.1523/ENEURO.0104-25.2025
AB - Self-monitoring in decision-making is a hallmark of self-improvement in cognitive processes. To enhance outcomes in future decisions, individuals must accurately assess the correctness of prior choices and apply the information to control subsequent decisions. Although metacognition encompasses monitoring and control functions, the neural mechanisms underlying these processes and their relationships remain unclear. Furthermore, while the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is implicated in both functions, their distinct neural substrates and interrelations require further elucidation. In this study, we employed a sequential perceptual decision-making task with confidence ratings to examine how initial confidence influences subsequent decisions while recording neural activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Subjects (female and male) performed a visual discrimination of two different-sized stimuli and subsequently rated their decision confidence. Behavioral results showed that subjects were more likely to change their choices between initial and subsequent decisions according to confidence levels. A signature of confidence (confidence magnitude) in initial decisions was observed primarily in the anterior medial PFC (amPFC). In contrast, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) exhibited higher neural activity related to changes of their initial choice at subsequent decisions. Furthermore, the pregenual ACC (pgACC) was associated with both processes, and it exhibited effective connectivity with the amPFC and dACC. These findings suggest that the medial PFC plays a role in integrating metacognitive monitoring and subsequent control in the sequential decision-making processes.
SN - 2373-2822
ER -