Exploration-Exploitation Trade-off in Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review

This systematic review examines the exploration-exploitation trade-off in psychiatric disorders. The researchers conducted a comprehensive literature search, identifying 49 eligible studies that investigated how various mental health conditions affect the balance between exploiting known options and exploring uncertain alternatives in decision-making tasks.

The review categorized psychiatric disorders into three groups based on their impact on exploration-exploitation dynamics:

1. Addictive disorders showing imbalanced drives and dysfunctional balancing

2. Emotional/cognitive disturbances with context-dependent effects

3. Neurodevelopmental disorders displaying excessive yet ineffective exploration

The study utilized various experimental paradigms, including n-armed bandit tasks, foraging tasks, probabilistic reversal learning, and the Iowa Gambling Task. These tasks allowed researchers to assess different aspects of the exploration-exploitation trade-off, such as stay-leave behavior, exploration-exploitation patterns, and shifting/switching abilities.

By synthesizing findings across multiple disorders and experimental paradigms, this review provides insights into how psychiatric conditions disrupt the delicate balance between exploration and exploitation in decision-making. The results could inform the development of targeted interventions to restore adaptive decision-making in individuals with mental health disorders.