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A Whole that may be Greater than the Sum of its Parts: A Balanced Mind from Biased Processes

Hasinski, Adam E.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1281709700

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Psychology.
We propose that evaluative biases, often taken as evidence for the fallibility of human judgment, serve as valuable heuristics, as long as uncertainty is high, by allowing organisms to safely learn about their environment. As uncertainty diminishes via experience, these biases lose their utility and should also wane. Further, we argue that multiple evaluative biases may work in dynamic opposition to produce individuals with balanced and flexible decision-making abilities. These hypotheses were tested using reinforcement learning models to predict subject’s evaluative representations in a newly designed learning task. These computational models indicate that multiple biased decision-making processes influence evaluation under uncertainty. Further our models suggest that these biases act antagonistically towards one another. Finally, our last model indicates that these biases decrease with increasing exposure to the learning environment. The implications of these findings are discussed.
William Cunningham, PhD (Committee Chair)
Gary Berntson, PhD (Committee Member)
Russell Fazio, PhD (Committee Member)
66 p.
Psychology
psychology; learning; evaluation; valence asymmetries; modeling

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hasinski, A. E. (2010). A Whole that may be Greater than the Sum of its Parts: A Balanced Mind from Biased Processes [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1281709700

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hasinski, Adam. A Whole that may be Greater than the Sum of its Parts: A Balanced Mind from Biased Processes. 2010. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1281709700.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hasinski, Adam. "A Whole that may be Greater than the Sum of its Parts: A Balanced Mind from Biased Processes." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1281709700

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1281709700
403
© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.