Hippocampal regulation of goal-directed decision-making. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is central to learning and memory yet little is known about its role in decision-making. It is the aim of this application to provide the first detailed, causal evidence of hippocampal regulation of decision-making. This is significant because many mental health disorders and dementias that involve decision-making deficits are characterised by hippocampal dysfunction, but any direct link between ....Hippocampal regulation of goal-directed decision-making. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is central to learning and memory yet little is known about its role in decision-making. It is the aim of this application to provide the first detailed, causal evidence of hippocampal regulation of decision-making. This is significant because many mental health disorders and dementias that involve decision-making deficits are characterised by hippocampal dysfunction, but any direct link between these factors is unknown. The outcomes of the current grant will provide the first evidence of that link, thus providing deeper understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of these disorders, which could eventuate in the creation of more beneficial treatments. Read moreRead less
The Neural Bases of Decision-Making. The smooth integration of cognitive and emotional processes is necessary for everyday decisions. Dysfunction in this integrative capacity accompanies dementia, neurodegenerative conditions and major psychiatric disorders. This project seeks to understand the neural bases of this integration in normal decision-making using cutting edge behavioural, cellular, molecular and genetic tools to map the neural system, circuit and cellular processes controlling the se ....The Neural Bases of Decision-Making. The smooth integration of cognitive and emotional processes is necessary for everyday decisions. Dysfunction in this integrative capacity accompanies dementia, neurodegenerative conditions and major psychiatric disorders. This project seeks to understand the neural bases of this integration in normal decision-making using cutting edge behavioural, cellular, molecular and genetic tools to map the neural system, circuit and cellular processes controlling the selection, evaluation and choice of goal-directed actions. Such actions can, with continued practice, transition into relatively inflexible habits. Thus, this project aims to investigate the neural processes that mediate this transition and how actions and habits interact in normal decision-making.Read moreRead less
The neural bases of decision-making. The aim of this project is to understand the brain circuits controlling voluntary or goal-directed actions and particularly the memory processes that contribute to such actions. Goal-directed action is a fundamental capacity necessary for normal decision-making that is significantly attenuated by normal aging. This project aims to establish the neural circuits engaged in encoding new goal-directed actions, how this encoding is accomplished without interfering ....The neural bases of decision-making. The aim of this project is to understand the brain circuits controlling voluntary or goal-directed actions and particularly the memory processes that contribute to such actions. Goal-directed action is a fundamental capacity necessary for normal decision-making that is significantly attenuated by normal aging. This project aims to establish the neural circuits engaged in encoding new goal-directed actions, how this encoding is accomplished without interfering with pre-existing memories and how these memories are later retrieved to guide planning and performance. Understanding the determinants of such actions will enable the development of novel ways to treat ageing-related deficits in decision-making with significant economic benefits. Read moreRead less
Action-related learning and plasticity in the cortico-striatal network. This project focuses on the neural bases of adaptive behaviour, specifically on the neural processes through which new actions are acquired. This project aims to establish the neural networks involved as well as the locus of the critical cellular plasticity mediating this learning process in the brain.
Predicting Behaviour from Brain Representations. This project aims to advance our understanding of how perceptual information is represented in the human brain and to link the structure of perceptual brain representations to human behaviour. The project plans to use complementary methods for recording brain activity (human neuroimaging and primate single-cell neurophysiology) and cutting-edge analytic techniques to generate a predictive model of behaviour based on the structure of perceptual bra ....Predicting Behaviour from Brain Representations. This project aims to advance our understanding of how perceptual information is represented in the human brain and to link the structure of perceptual brain representations to human behaviour. The project plans to use complementary methods for recording brain activity (human neuroimaging and primate single-cell neurophysiology) and cutting-edge analytic techniques to generate a predictive model of behaviour based on the structure of perceptual brain representations. It is anticipated that the results will significantly advance the field of cognitive neuroscience by providing a novel empirical framework for understanding how brain representations are predictive of behaviour.Read moreRead less
PET imaging of learning-related plasticity in awake behaving rats. The objective of the project is to combine an investigation of basic learning paradigms with functional Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in rats in order to answer critical questions about the neurobiological basis of learning and decision-making in the brain. MicroPET technology provides PET images without the confounds induced by anaesthesia. Using this technology, the project intends to observe whole-brain changes in ....PET imaging of learning-related plasticity in awake behaving rats. The objective of the project is to combine an investigation of basic learning paradigms with functional Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in rats in order to answer critical questions about the neurobiological basis of learning and decision-making in the brain. MicroPET technology provides PET images without the confounds induced by anaesthesia. Using this technology, the project intends to observe whole-brain changes in dopamine neurotransmission in awake, behaving rats while they learn to predict motivationally relevant outcomes based on environmental cues and on their own actions (ie during Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning, respectively). The outcomes of this research may improve our understanding of the neural changes responsible for debilitating disorders of the brain and mind.Read moreRead less
Improving novice drivers' speed and hazard management. The aim of the study is to extend the evidence-based approach we have developed for speed management (cognitive integration speed management training) to hazard management, thereby developing cognitive integration hazard management training for young drivers. Hence, this study is specifically designed to curb the alarming trend in young driver fatalities on Australian roads. The results of the research will provide clear direction to road au ....Improving novice drivers' speed and hazard management. The aim of the study is to extend the evidence-based approach we have developed for speed management (cognitive integration speed management training) to hazard management, thereby developing cognitive integration hazard management training for young drivers. Hence, this study is specifically designed to curb the alarming trend in young driver fatalities on Australian roads. The results of the research will provide clear direction to road authorities and driver training providers as to effective training strategies to improve young driver training, and ultimately improve road safety with this vulnerable population.Read moreRead less
Eyes on the prize: Investigating attentional economics. We spend our lives surrounded by stimuli relating to reward and risk (adverts, games, social media etc). Recent research suggests that learning about reward and risk influences our attention, often despite our best efforts. This project will build on recently developed procedures using eye-tracking to investigate how learning about reward and risk modulates what we pay attention to, and what we ignore. Findings will be used to develop compu ....Eyes on the prize: Investigating attentional economics. We spend our lives surrounded by stimuli relating to reward and risk (adverts, games, social media etc). Recent research suggests that learning about reward and risk influences our attention, often despite our best efforts. This project will build on recently developed procedures using eye-tracking to investigate how learning about reward and risk modulates what we pay attention to, and what we ignore. Findings will be used to develop computational models of ‘attentional economics’ that account for, and predict, when we will be distracted by reward- and risk-related stimuli. This research will enhance the world-class status of Australian cognitive psychology, and will shed light on processes implicated in addiction and related behaviours.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101181
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$384,183.00
Summary
How Do Our Past Decisions Affect Our Present Decisions? – An Innovative Model. Decisions under time pressure made in the past have a tendency to affect our current decisions. This phenomenon is often termed ‘sequential effects’. Typically, sequential effects are explained by positing the existence of a psychological mechanism that is specifically aimed at resolving conflicting information. The aim of this project is to develop a computational model that produces sequential effects naturally. Inn ....How Do Our Past Decisions Affect Our Present Decisions? – An Innovative Model. Decisions under time pressure made in the past have a tendency to affect our current decisions. This phenomenon is often termed ‘sequential effects’. Typically, sequential effects are explained by positing the existence of a psychological mechanism that is specifically aimed at resolving conflicting information. The aim of this project is to develop a computational model that produces sequential effects naturally. Innovatively, this model would remove the need for an explicit conflict monitoring mechanism. This project is significant because it progresses our understanding of how humans deal with conflict. The expected outcome is a comprehensive, quantitative account of sequential effects in human decision making.Read moreRead less
How strong inference has failed psychology, and an updated approach. There are so many quantitative theories of cognition that it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees. This project will contend that this is caused by suboptimal model selection. Comprehensive data sets and modern statistical techniques will be used to evaluate competing accounts in five paradigms, thinning the trees to reveal the forest.