Human decision making
Much of human activity involves choice between competing courses of action. Some choices are financial, e.g., Which savings account should I choose? Others do not involve money, e.g., Should I exercise for longer or give up now? Some choices involve higher cognitive systems, e.g., Should I take out contents insurance? Others rely more on perceptual and/or perceptuo-motor systems (e.g. Where should I place my foot on the next step when walking on a rocky path? Choices of these kinds are faced by humans on a daily basis. In this research grouping we investigate how and why humans make their decisions, considering questions such as:
- Is decision making behaviour common across different types of decision?
- Do humans make good decisions?
- What are the constraints on decision making?
- How do prospective rewards and costs interact in decision making?
- What neural structures and mechanisms are involved in decision making?
- How does decision making change in ageing and clinical populations?
- What are the brain mechanisms that underlie decision making?
- How do different decision making systems interact?
Principal investigators
| Name | Job title | Email address |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Warren | Senior lecturer | paul.warren@manchester.ac.uk |
| Wael El-Deredy | Professor of cognitive neuroscience | wael.el-deredy@manchester.ac.uk |
| Deborah Talmi | Lecturer | deborah.talmi@manchester.ac.uk |