Conflict acts as an implicit cost in reinforcement learning

Conflict has been proposed to act as a cost in action selection, implying a general function of medio-frontal cortex in the adaptation to aversive events. Here we investigate if response conflict acts as a cost during reinforcement learning by modulating experienced reward values in cortical and striatal systems. Electroencephalography recordings show that conflict diminishes the relationship between reward-related frontal theta power and cue preference yet it enhances the relationship between punishment and cue avoidance. Individual differences in the cost of conflict on reward versus punishment sensitivity are also related to a genetic polymorphism associated with striatal D1 versus D2 pathway balance ( DARPP-32). We manipulate these patterns with the D2 agent cabergoline, which induces a strong bias to amplify the aversive value of punishment outcomes following conflict. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that interactive cortico-striatal systems implicitly modulate experienced reward and punishment values as a function of conflict.