Perceptual biases and individual differences during a visual decision-making task

In visual-perceptual processing, decision-making can be influenced by implicit bias (including perceptual bias) derived from individualrelated factors and stimulus-related information. Notably, perceptual bias occurs when individuals’ internal state alters the perception of external stimuli (i.e., colour or size) or the response to complex stimuli, such as human faces and everyday objects. Through a visualperceptual paradigm, this study investigated the decision-making process, and possible biases, in two decision-maker groups (junior versus senior). Participants were exposed to a recognition ‘‘picturepicture’’ visual-perceptual decision-making task, based on congruent and incongruent conditions between primes and probes. The prime was always an animal, while the probe could be either six objects (incongruent condition) or five objects and an animal (congruent condition). Behavioural (accuracy – ACC, and reaction times - RTs) and self-report data (collected via the General Decision-Making Scale - GDMS) were gathered to explore their possible relation. Regardless of seniority, higher RTs in the incongruent condition and same level of ACC in both conditions were found. In senior decision-makers, the GDMS-dependent style had negative correlation with ACC and positive correlation with RTs, in the congruent condition. As pointed out by results, despite seniority, cognitive effort is necessary to overcome cognitive bias in an incongruent condition: indeed, the stimuli properties determine the ability to resist cognitive biases. Nevertheless, senior decision-makers with dependent style showed lower resistance to cognitive bias, particularly during simple decisions. In this perspective, having a dependent decision-making style may lead to lower behavioural performance and a reduced capacity for individual topdown executive control.