Visualizing risky situations induces a stronger neural response in brain areas associated with mental imagery and emotions than visualizing non-risky situations

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cris.lastimport.scopus2025-12-08T04:10:32Z
dc.abstract.enIn an fMRI study, we tested the prediction that visualizing risky situations induces a stronger neural response in brain areas associated with mental imagery and emotions than visualizing non-risky and more positive situations. We assumed that processing mental images that allow for “trying-out” the future has greater adaptive importance for risky than non-risky situations, because the former can generate severe negative outcomes. We identified several brain regions that were activated when participants produced images of risky situations and these regions overlap with brain areas engaged in visual, speech, and movement imagery. We also found that producing images of risky situations, in contrast to non-risky situations, was associated with increased neural activation in the insular cortex and cerebellum–the regions involved, among other functions, in emotional processing. Finally, we observed an increased BOLD signal in the cingulate gyrus associated with reward-based decision making and monitoring of decision outcomes. In summary, risky situations increased neural activation in brain areas involved in mental imagery, emotional processing, and decision making. These findings imply that the evaluation of everyday risky situations may be driven by emotional responses that result from mental imagery.
dc.affiliationWydział Psychologii we Wrocławiu
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.contributor.authorZaleśkiewicz, Tomasz
dc.contributor.authorTraczyk, Jakub
dc.contributor.authorSobków, Agata
dc.contributor.authorFuławka, Kamil
dc.contributor.authorMegías-Robles, Alberto
dc.date.access2023-09-19
dc.date.accessioned2023-10-18T14:30:25Z
dc.date.available2023-10-18T14:30:25Z
dc.date.created2023-08-31
dc.date.issued2023-09-19
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.grantnumber2019/33/B/HS6/01920
dc.description.grantnumberBST/Wroc/2016/A/10
dc.description.granttitleWyobrażenia umysłowe i emocje a decyzje w warunkach ryzyka i niepewności. Wizualizowanie przyszłości jako narzędzie w podejmowaniu decyzji
dc.description.physical1-13
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume17
dc.identifier.doi10.3389/fnhum.2023.1207364
dc.identifier.issn1662-5161
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/54
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1207364/full
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOPEN_JOURNAL
dc.subject.enrisk
dc.subject.enmental imagery
dc.subject.enemotions
dc.subject.enneural correlates
dc.subject.enneuroimaging
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleVisualizing risky situations induces a stronger neural response in brain areas associated with mental imagery and emotions than visualizing non-risky situations
dc.title.journalFrontiers in Human Neuroscience
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle