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Abstract

Many decisions require complex information to be integrated, forcing the brain to process multiple relevant elements. One way to do this is sequential: dividing the decision process into multiple successive stages that can be executed separately. An important alternative, namely processing elements in parallel, often sacrifices accuracy for speed. We investigated this tradeoff using fine time-scale magnetoencephalographic analysis of cortical representations. We found three sources of individual differences in the temporal structure of the integration process: sequential representation, partial reinstatement of relevant information and early computation, each of which had a dissociable effect on how subjects handled problem complexity and temporal constraints.