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SUMMARY:Explaining Irrationality – a Biological Perspective - Prof Ray D
 olan\, UCL
DTSTART:20110302T200000Z
DTEND:20110302T210000Z
UID:TALK29406@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Peter Humphreys
DESCRIPTION:Normative accounts of learning suggest that choice behaviour s
 hould follow an expected utility model. Everyday reality\, behavioural and
  economic observations\, highlight pervasive violations of such optimality
 . I will first outline a standard view of learning and then consider examp
 les of irrational influences on behaviour. For example\, when a decision m
 aker weighs the relative value of future and immediate rewards and when a 
 decision maker chooses between options where these are framed as a win or 
 a loss. Violations of rationality in these circumstances can be accounted 
 for by a model that proposes interacting brain systems that subsumes a goa
 l-oriented\, a habitual and Pavlovian controller. I will suggest that an i
 nfluence of the latter\, particularly when its operation engenders an oppo
 sition to other controllers\, provides a good low level explanation of wha
 t is often conceived as a high level problem. Finally\, I will propose tha
 t some of the phenomena I describe captures core components of phenomena s
 een in psychopathology.\n\nThere will be a wine reception after the talk w
 ith the guest speaker.\n\nFree for members\, £2 for non-members
LOCATION:Bateman Auditorium \, Gonville and Caius College
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