Séminaire pédagogique de Jòzsef Fiser-2 (27_02_23)

Course 2: Monday, February 27, 9-12 AM, Salle Gastaut

Dr Jòzsef Fiser (Central European University) https://www.visionlab-ceu.org/

Designing and using decision making experiments for investigating dynamical complex decisions

In this course, first we will argue for the need to handle uncertainty while investigating cognitive processes. Next, we will codify perceptual and decision making processes under uncertainty. We will follow up this codification by arguing that presently available decision making experiments can describe only a small and restricted subset of decision processes occurring under natural conditions. We will clarify the necessary requirements for a minimally necessary expanded version of experimental paradigms for such more complex decision processes. For this we will develop a classification of dynamics of processes. We will go through one version of such a minimally necessary experimental paradigm and apply it for the case of dynamical complex sequential decision making process. We will analyze a case study and demonstrate how the new paradigm allows to yield novel results not possible to acquire with simpler decision making models. In this process, we will demonstrate a simpler method of “cognitive tomography”  in which human behavior will directly indicate which internal model the observer is using.

Readings:

–       Koblinger Á.,  Fiser J., & Lengyel M. (2021)  Representations of uncertainty: where art thou? Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 38, pp. 150-162

–       Houlsby N.M.T., Huszár F,. Ghassemi M. M., Orbán G., Wolpert D. M., Lengyel M. (2013): Cognitive Tomography Reveals Complex, Task-Independent Mental Representations Current Biology 23, pp. 2169-2175