Decision-making under uncertainty: biases and Bayesians. 2011

Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol, UK. trimmer@compsci.bristol.ac.uk

Animals (including humans) often face circumstances in which the best choice of action is not certain. Environmental cues may be ambiguous, and choices may be risky. This paper reviews the theoretical side of decision-making under uncertainty, particularly with regard to unknown risk (ambiguity). We use simple models to show that, irrespective of pay-offs, whether it is optimal to bias probability estimates depends upon how those estimates have been generated. In particular, if estimates have been calculated in a Bayesian framework with a sensible prior, it is best to use unbiased estimates. We review the extent of evidence for and against viewing animals (including humans) as Bayesian decision-makers. We pay particular attention to the Ellsberg Paradox, a classic result from experimental economics, in which human subjects appear to deviate from optimal decision-making by demonstrating an apparent aversion to ambiguity in a choice between two options with equal expected rewards. The paradox initially seems to be an example where decision-making estimates are biased relative to the Bayesian optimum. We discuss the extent to which the Bayesian paradigm might be applied to the evolution of decision-makers and how the Ellsberg Paradox may, with a deeper understanding, be resolved.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007600 Judgment The process of discovering or asserting an objective or intrinsic relation between two objects or concepts; a faculty or power that enables a person to make judgments; the process of bringing to light and asserting the implicit meaning of a concept; a critical evaluation of a person or situation. Judgement,Judgements,Judgments
D008960 Models, Psychological Theoretical representations that simulate psychological processes and/or social processes. These include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment. Model, Mental,Model, Psychological,Models, Mental,Models, Psychologic,Psychological Models,Mental Model,Mental Models,Model, Psychologic,Psychologic Model,Psychologic Models,Psychological Model
D011336 Probability The study of chance processes or the relative frequency characterizing a chance process. Probabilities
D003463 Cues Signals for an action; that specific portion of a perceptual field or pattern of stimuli to which a subject has learned to respond. Cue
D003657 Decision Making The process of making a selective intellectual judgment when presented with several complex alternatives consisting of several variables, and usually defining a course of action or an idea. Credit Assignment,Assignment, Credit,Assignments, Credit,Credit Assignments
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001499 Bayes Theorem A theorem in probability theory named for Thomas Bayes (1702-1761). In epidemiology, it is used to obtain the probability of disease in a group of people with some characteristic on the basis of the overall rate of that disease and of the likelihood of that characteristic in healthy and diseased individuals. The most familiar application is in clinical decision analysis where it is used for estimating the probability of a particular diagnosis given the appearance of some symptoms or test result. Bayesian Analysis,Bayesian Estimation,Bayesian Forecast,Bayesian Method,Bayesian Prediction,Analysis, Bayesian,Bayesian Approach,Approach, Bayesian,Approachs, Bayesian,Bayesian Approachs,Estimation, Bayesian,Forecast, Bayesian,Method, Bayesian,Prediction, Bayesian,Theorem, Bayes
D012306 Risk The probability that an event will occur. It encompasses a variety of measures of the probability of a generally unfavorable outcome. Relative Risk,Relative Risks,Risk, Relative,Risks,Risks, Relative
D035501 Uncertainty The condition in which reasonable knowledge regarding risks, benefits, or the future is not available.

Related Publications

Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
January 2013, Frontiers in neuroscience,
Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
September 2010, Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science,
Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
January 2005, Physician executive,
Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
June 1989, The British journal of educational psychology,
Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
June 2004, Brain research. Cognitive brain research,
Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
June 2023, Presse medicale (Paris, France : 1983),
Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
April 2012, The European journal of neuroscience,
Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
January 2011, Frontiers in psychology,
Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
January 2013, PloS one,
Pete C Trimmer, and Alasdair I Houston, and James A R Marshall, and Mike T Mendl, and Elizabeth S Paul, and John M McNamara
April 2010, Emotion (Washington, D.C.),
Copied contents to your clipboard!