For questions about the mathematical approach to psychology concerned with analytic modeling of motor/perceptual/cognitive processes and quantifying stimulus and response.

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8
votes
3answers
181 views

Math or Physics: Which is the more relevant background to enter Cognitive Sciences and Psychology? [closed]

What would be a more suitable background to enter cognitive sciences, mathematical psychology, and study of emotions? I have the option of taking a Integrated Masters Degree in Mathematical Sciences, ...
3
votes
0answers
39 views

Test-retest reliability of Iowa gambling task performance and Expectancy Valence Model parameters

I've just been learning about the Expectancy Valence Model of the Iowa Gambling Task (see Busemeyer & Stout, 2002; Yechiam et al 2005). The model includes three parameters: motivation, ...
7
votes
2answers
177 views

Best practice to handle double negatives when using the expectancy-value model?

My question is regarding the multiplicative combination rule in the Expectancy-value model developed by Fishbein and Ajzen, and the issues regarding the expectancy value-muddle, or the case of "double ...
-3
votes
1answer
138 views

What kinds of maths to learn for understanding dynamical systems in cognitive science? [closed]

A current trend in cognitive science is to view the mind as a dynamical system (e.g., Continuity of Mind by Spivey, in which cognition is understood as a "continuous and often recurrent trajectory ...
12
votes
2answers
237 views

Is there an R implementation of the linear ballistic accumulator model or Ratcliff's diffusion model for measuring response time and accuracy?

I am looking for an implementation of the linear ballistic accumulator model or Ratcliff's diffusion model (e.g. in R, MATLAB, or Python).
6
votes
2answers
99 views

How to computationally model the Wisconsin Card Sorting task? [closed]

The Wisconsin Card Sorting task is rather famous but appears to be quite difficult to model computationally. To respond to @Artem's question, I work in RL and I am interested in how people learn the ...
6
votes
1answer
152 views

Appropriate metric(s) for quantifying the accuracy gain obtained from averaging dyads of estimates instead of adopting individual estimates?

Background The question relates to research I am doing into the Wisdom of Crowds effect (Galton, 1907; Page, 2007; Surowiecki, 2004), in which an average of the estimates made by individuals proves ...
9
votes
0answers
142 views

Evolutionary game theory in the cognitive sciences

Game theory models something very relevant to psychologists (in particular social psychologists): conflict and cooperation between decision-makers. Unfortunately, classical game theory demands that ...
12
votes
2answers
492 views

Applications of computational learning theory in the cognitive sciences

Computational learning theory (CoLT) is a branch of theoretical computer science associated with the mathematical analysis of machine learning. A lot of the early ideas of the field take inspiration ...
8
votes
3answers
262 views

Introductory resources on bayesian modeling for cognitive sciences

On Cross Validated there is a great question about best introductory books for bayesian statistics. Also, Jeromy Anglim blogged recently about use of JAGS, rjags, and Bayesian Modelling, with some ...
10
votes
3answers
164 views

Is there a random walk theory that can account for situations with more than two choices?

In the article "Two-stage Dynamic Signal Detection: A Theory of Choice, Decision Time, and Confidence" from 2010 by Pleskac and Busemeyer, a random walk model is presented for situations where a ...
10
votes
2answers
149 views

Perception of probability of being right

The probability that people percept may be different from the real one due to a number of factors, including the form in which their are presented, their context and biases (due to misinformation or ...
7
votes
2answers
230 views

Behaviorist interpretations of decision field theory

Decision field theory is usually presented as a dynamic cognitive model of decision making. However, in its basic form, the theory seems to only be concerned with behavior (decisions) and stimuli ...
6
votes
0answers
154 views

Refinements of Rescorla-Wagner model of classical conditioning

The Rescorla-Wagner model is one of the most commonly discussed mathematical models of classical conditioning. It was wildly popular when it came out in 1972, and very successful. The same math, is ...
9
votes
2answers
150 views

How do humans optimize noisy multi-variable functions in experimental settings?

Imagine an experiment like this: A participant is asked to optimize an unknown function (let's say minimize) . On each trial the participant provides several input values, and receives an output ...
15
votes
5answers
560 views

What are good examples of applying dynamical systems in cognitive science?

I'm a mathematics and physics student very much interested in cognitive science. Recently I've been hearing about "a new approach" in cognitive science via dynamical system theory. What are some ...
17
votes
2answers
279 views

Performance of a group solving a cognitive task: How does it scale?

Some intellectual, cognitive and perceptual tasks can be solved collaboratively. It is common knowledge that group performance is better than that of each single individual due to exchange of ...