Modelling Animal Decisions
Welcome to the MAD group page.
We are interested in the adaptive function of behaviour and, more specifically, the evolution of such behaviour. By exposing the logic of animal decisions, we are able to help explain why in some situations, animals consistently make (seemingly) irrational decisions.
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Current research directions
Building models which integrate function and mechanism to study the evolution of mental mechanisms ("evo-mecho").
Identifying when state- or context-dependent choices should occur and how violations of transitivity can come about.
Identifying why Prospect Theory is able to account for numerous behaviours.
Understanding evolutionary aspects of self-control: feeding ecology, discounting and human obesity.
MAD group seminars
The MAD group members frequently give talks themselves and host visitors who give talks within the school. The list of irregularly spaced seminars is available here