ARC Talk: Seda Sacu, Heidelberg University: Influences of Early Life Environments on Decision-Making and Reward Processing

Influences of Early Life Environments on Decision-Making and Reward Processing

The environment is fundamental to decision-making as it shapes the states we encounter, the actions available to us, and the rewards that guide learning. Early life environments, in particular, play a powerful role in shaping how people make decisions and process rewards later in life. Experiences such as consistent caregiving, safety, stress, and access to resources help calibrate the brain’s reward and control systems during critical periods of development.In contrast, environments marked by instability, deprivation, or chronic stress can bias decision-making toward immediate rewards, heightened sensitivity to potential gains, and riskier choices.

In this talk, I will outline current research on how early life adversity influences decision-making and reward processing. I will then present my own research on how early maternal behavior is related to reinforcement learning processes, such as expected value and prediction error, in the adult brain (Sacu et al., 2024, Biological Psychiatry). Finally, I will discuss future directions and consider the broader implications of this work for brain development and mental well-being.

https://arc.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/public-with-recording/

Meeting-ID: 654 0708 3079
Passcode: 190237