Radboud Center for Decision Science

✍️ The Human Mind at Work! 🧠

In this article, Dr. Erik Bijleveld (Associate Professor at Radboud University) shares the latest insights on motivation at work & the science of mental fatigue.

Written by Sarah Vahed for Radboud Center for Decision Science

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Donders Institute
Radboud University

The Radboud Center for Decision Science was recently selected to present at the Dag van het Gedrag 2021, hosted by the Behavioural Insights Network Nederland. The online conference included over 850 experts in academia, industry and policy, interested in the application of behavioural science to policy. During the Center's session, participants heard about recent advances and the potential implications and application of cutting-edge research to policy, presented by Prof. Alan Sanfey (Donders Institute/Behavioural Science Institute), Dr. Jana Vyrastekova (Nijmegen School of Management / Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen) & Prof. Marijn de Bruin (Radboudumc). Watch the full session here!

Dag van het gedrag 2021 - 06-The research frontier of human decision-making

Radboud Center for Decision Science is excited to be participating in the fantastic conference today organised by . With keynote speakers, Prof. Esther-Mirjam Sent and Harvard Professor, Cass Sunstein!

To hear about the frontier of decision science presented by Prof. Alan Sanfey, Dr. Jana Vyrastekova and Prof. Marijn de Bruin, join our (free) session at 15h30 Amsterdam time (session 6). Register at the following link:

https://eventleader.eu/dagvanhetgedrag-2021 #/

Donders Institute Radboud University Radboudumc Nijmegen School of Management / Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen

Dag van het gedrag 2021

Why do you get angry when you are treated unfairly? We are excited to share this lecture by Center Director and Donders PI, Prof. Alan Sanfey explaining the neuroscience underpinning unfairness. Watch the full Universiteit van Nederland video here!

Radboud Center for Decision Science Radboud University Donders Institute



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Why do you get angry when you are treated unfairly? Als iemand je belazert, is de kans groot dat je kwaad wordt. Dr. Alan Sanfey (Radboud Universiteit) legt uit hoe je andere keuzes maakt wanneer je je oneerli...

Why do you get angry when you are treated unfairly? Als iemand je belazert, is de kans groot dat je kwaad wordt. Dr. Alan Sanfey (Radboud Universiteit) legt uit hoe je andere keuzes maakt wanneer je je oneerli...

MEET THE TEAM! 📢

This week we feature Susanne Brouwer, Assistant Professor at the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures at Radboud University. She is also statistical consultant at the Faculty of Arts.

Susanne is interested in (moral) decision-making and speech comprehension in ecologically valid contexts. More specifically, she examines how receiver limitations (i.e., being bilingual), contextual constraints (i.e., background noise) and sender limitations (i.e., accented speech) influence (moral) decision making and speech comprehension. Her research takes a multi-disciplinary approach in which she aims to contribute to knowledge of cognition, emotion and language processing, and the interaction thereof.

Previously, Susanne has obtained an MA degree in Psychology and an MA degree in Linguistics at Utrecht University and she received her PhD degree at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. She has held postdoc positions at Northwestern University, University of Groningen, Utrecht University and Radboud University. She also took up a lecturer position at the University of Amsterdam / Universiteit van Amsterdam.

To read more about Susanne, visit: https://lnkd.in/gNPYNmWg

Another great example of our researchers bringing & together!

Today Jana Vyrastekova (Associate Professor of Economics, Policy and Behaviour) presents at the 'Nationaal Congres Onderwijs, Ouders en Jeugdhulp', a Dutch national conference bringing together and working together on improving . Jana will be discussing the importance of understanding social inclusion.

You can read more about Jana's work on inclusion through our recent interview with her, here: https://lnkd.in/gf-j3RWq

Radboud University Nijmegen School of Management / Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen



https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/post/dr-jana-vyrastekova-to-present-at-national-congress-on-education-parents-and-youth-2021

Dr. Jana Vyrastekova to present at National Congress on Education, Parents and Youth 2021 Associate Professor of Economics, Policy & Behaviour, Dr. Jana Vyrastekova, will be presenting at this years' National Congress on Education, Parents & Youth, to be held on 1 November 2021. The theme of this years' congress is "Inclusion: The right of dignity of children / Inclusie: het recht van wa...

MEET THE TEAM! 📢

This week we feature Professor Stefan Zeisberger who is professor of Financial Economics in the Department of Economics and Business Economics at the Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University.

His research aims to better understand investor behaviour and improving financial decision making of individuals and corporations as well as human judgment and decision making in general.

Prior to joining Radboud University he held positions at the University of Zurich, the California Institute of Technology and Stony Brook University afterwards. Prof. Zeisberger is also Professor for Fintech - Experimental Finance at the Department of Banking and Finance at the University of Zurich. Furthermore, Prof. Zeisberger is involved in executive teaching and business consulting.

To read more about Stefan and his research, visit: https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/stefan-zeisberger

Radboud University Nijmegen School of Management / Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen

✍️ Introducing our new blog! A series of interviews in which our program manager, Sarah Vahed speaks to our researchers about their work at the interface of & .

In this first interview, we sat down with experimental economist Dr. Jana Vyrastekova (Associate Professor of Economics, Policy & Behaviour) to talk about her research on .

Read the full interview here ⬇️: https://lnkd.in/gf-j3RWq.

Radboud University Nijmegen School of Management / Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen

A Step Closer to Inclusive Education: An Interview with an Experimental Economist Dr. Jana Vyrastekova, Associate Professor of Economics, Policy & Behaviour at Radboud University Past research indicates that students with special educational needs (SEN students) perform better when they are in a regular school with non-SEN students. However, SEN students have also been found to b...

Radboud Center for Decision Science is excited to present at this year's Behavioural Insights Day 2021, hosted on 18 November in The Hague by The Behavioural Insights Network of The Netherlands. Keynote speakers include our very own Prof. Esther Mirjam-Sent and Harvard Professor and author of "Noise", Cass Sunstein.

During our session, Prof Alan Sanfey (Professor of Decision Neuroscience), Dr Jana Vyrastekova (Associate Professor Economics, Policy and Behaviour) and Prof. Marijn de Bruin (Professor of Behavioural Medicine and Health Psychology) will be sharing latest insights on

Read more about the conference and our session on our website:
https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/post/behavioural-insights-day-2021

Radboud University Donders Institute Radboudumc

Center for Decision Science to present at the Behavioural Insights Day 2021 The Radboud Center for Decision Science is excited to be presenting at this year's Behavioural Insights Day (Dag van het Gedrag 2021), hosted on 18 November 2021 in the The Hague by the Behavioural Insights Network Nederland. The keynote speakers for the day include one of our Center Investigators,....

📣 We're Hiring! Postdoctoral Researcher in Decision-Making!

Are you (or someone you know) interested in conducting innovative multidisciplinary on with societal relevance? Join us at the Radboud Center for Decision Science, Radboud University.

Apply here (before 14 November 2021): https://lnkd.in/g6myaKEd



Radboud University Donders Institute

Vacaturedetails Vacatures van de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen.

A great piece shared by Radboud University about the amazing work conducted by Donders Institute PI and Radboud Center for Decision Science Investigator, Associate Professor Inti Brazil.

To learn more about his research visit: https://lnkd.in/gK3mFkmZ

’Ik heb veel vrijheid in mijn werk op de Radboud Universiteit. Dit merk ik vooral bij mijn onderzoek naar antisociaal gedrag van mensen in forensisch psychiatrische inrichtingen. Hier zijn aangepaste procedures voor nodig en dit is niet makkelijk te regelen, maar de universiteit heeft mij altijd ondersteund. Daarnaast heb ik de ruimte om me in te zetten voor belangrijke onderwerpen, zoals diversiteit en inclusie. Als lid van de Radboud Young Academy wil ik de behoeften van de huidige generatie afstemmen op de academische wereld. De universiteit heeft zich al veel gericht op het creëren van een gelijke man-vrouw verhouding, maar kan nog winst behalen op het gebied van diversiteit. Hier wordt wel hard aan gewerkt, wat fijn is om te zien. Ik hoop hierdoor dat mensen met een niet-Nederlandse achtergrond zich meer aangetrokken voelen om hier te komen werken. Zelf loop ik hier al rond sinds ik promovendus ben en hoop ik nog lang bij de Radboud Universiteit te blijven werken.’

- Inti Brazil, universitair hoofddocent Neuro- en Revalidatiepsychologie en lid van de Radboud Young Academy.

🏆👏 A fantastic achievement from Donders Institute PI and Radboud Center for Decision Science Investigator, Professor Floris de Lange!

To read more about Prof. de Lange and his research visit: https://lnkd.in/gEkKfTQc



Radboud University

Congrats again to Floris de Lange on receiving the Ammodo Science Award 2021, handed out in person this week.

Can you guess what's coming soon from Radboud Center for Decision Science?

We're back... and ready to share the latest in decision science every week. We have some truly exciting projects, events and content coming soon. Stay tuned by following us on (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn) and on our website: www.centerfordecisionscience.nl!



Radboud University

The never-ending search for surprises ⁉️

Imagine entering your living room only to find that your good old white walls have suddenly turned dark red. How does your brain process this unexpected observation? Cognitive neuroscientist Floris de Lange studies how our brain makes predictions. He now wants to know what happens when those predictions don’t come true. This academic year he received an Ammodo Science Award and an ERC Consolidator Grant to extend his research in this direction.

We do many things as if we’re on autopilot. According to Floris de Lange, this can be explained by considering our brain not as an information processor, but as a prediction machine. According to this view, the brain is constantly trying to predict incoming information. What we expect to see, hear, feel, and smell, but also what the consequences will be. De Lange: "This is useful for survival. If you can successfully predict what another individual intends to do, that will give you a huge advantage.”

Invaluable skill
This is a never-ending process, which takes place in all brain systems, from the sensorimotor system to the language faculty. For example, you predict where to put your feet when you walk up the stairs, you fill in missing characters while reading and you walk round a puddle to avoid getting wet shoes.

The ability to predict the environment also has other advantages. "Predictable events require little processing, and therefore little energy. Processing unexpected information is much less energy efficient. Since our brains consume about a quarter of our total energy supply, energy efficiency is essential."

So predictions that come true are, in a sense, muffled. That doesn’t apply to surprises - the moments when your brain’s expectations were proved wrong. "We see a lot of activity in the visual cortex when people see something they didn't expect. The same is true for unexpected sounds, when we hear a tone of unexpected pitch in music, for example. But surprise is not limited to sensory systems. What processes are triggered by surprise in the brain? And how do we process surprising information?"

From surprise to expectation
In his new research, which is funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant, De Lange is looking for the consequences of surprises. One of the premises is that these are important moments. After all, a surprise means that your predictive model is incorrect.

Based on unexpected observations, your brain will likely update its predictive model. "If those white walls in your house are suddenly painted red, you'll be surprised at first. And maybe a little angry with your partner. But the next day you‘ll be much less surprised when you open the door and get confronted with that colour again. After a few times the model is completely up to date and you don't notice it anymore."

This also happens in everyday situations: a car that appears out of nowhere or a dog walking by. After being surprised in this way on several occasions, you will learn to anticipate similar situations. The principles are the same. De Lange wants to find out how sensory surprises trigger updates to our world model. Are we more attentive if we have just been surprised? Is our curiosity triggered?

To investigate this, research participants are shown a series of images in an MRI scanner, as if they are browsing through a photo book. These are shown in a fixed order, without them realising it. " When you give volunteers a different task, looking for certain images for instance, they will often not consciously realise that the pictures always appear in the same order. But the order is implicitly learnt. We clearly see more brain activity when we suddenly change the order.

Hunger for knowledge
Another assumption is that people are driven by the urge to acquire knowledge. Not necessarily because this might make them happy. But perhaps mainly because it can be an unpleasant feeling when you don't know or can’t do something. "Compare it to hunger: eating can be satisfying but being hungry definitely is an unpleasant feeling you will try to eradicate."

This natural hunger for knowledge creates a state of curiosity. De Lange wants to find out whether curiosity is triggered by situations in which a prediction turns out not to be correct. "We already know that surprise leads to more brain activity. We do not know if this is limited to specific visual or auditory brain regions, or whether it also leads to more attention. When you’re browsing through that photo book and you come across something you don't expect, does this mean that you will automatically pay more attention to that photo or to the photos after it? Perhaps you are expecting more surprises? That, too, may be a form of curiosity: anticipating surprises.”

MEET THE TEAM! 📢

Each week we highlight 1 of our 40+ Investigators. This week is Ashley Terlouw who Professor of Sociology of Law at the Law Faculty at Radboud University.

She is Chair of the Department of Migration Law and Sociology of Law, as well as Chair of the Research Center for State and Law (SteR). She is specialized in non-discrimination and asylum law and in the working of legal institutions (especially courts and judges). She wrote her dissertation on collaboration between aliens law judges and held her inaugural lecture on the influence of fear on law. Since 2020 she is chair of the Meijers Committee, the standing committee of experts in International Migration Law, Refugee Law and Criminal Law.

To read more about Ashley and her research, visit: https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/ashley-terlouw

Radboud University Radboud Universiteit - Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid Faculty of Law, Radboud University Nijmegen

Have you seen this talk by Professor Bas Bloem, Parkinson's disease expert and Center Investigator? You should! Join over 700,000+ others in viewing his fascinating lecture on 'Why everybody will soon get Parkinson's disease' (English subtitles available).

Radboudumc Donders Institute Radboud University Universiteit van Nederland



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Waarom krijgt straks iedereen de ziekte van Parkinson? De ziekte van Parkinson is de snelstgroeiende hersenziekte in de wereld. Hoe kunnen we dat verklaren? Volgens professor Bas Bloem (Radboudumc) hebben we dat ...

MEET THE TEAM! 📢

Every week we highlight one of our 40+ Center Investigators. This week is Erik Bijleveld who is Associate Professor at the Behavioural Science Institute at Radboud University.

Erik’s research focuses on motivation and the conditions of human performance. For example, his studies examine how and when incentives can distract people from their ongoing activities. He also examines the phenomenon of ‘choking under pressure’ which arises when the incentives at stake are excessively valuable. In addition, he is fascinated by the conscious experiences that can be triggered by motivated mental work, such as feelings of fatigue, effort, and frustration (for example, some of his experiments examine how fatigue affects people’s decisions). While most of his work fits the tradition of experimental psychology (he tries to do well-controlled experiments in the laboratory), he also works on applied projects that address the role of motivation in real-life settings.

To learn more about Erik, visit: https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/erik-bijleveld

Radboud University Donders Institute

Today and tomorrow the Radboud Center for Decision Science will be attending the 11th Annual Interdisciplinary Symposium on Decision Neuroscience, hosted (virtually) from the University of Houston. Among the many great speakers on the agenda, includes featured work by Achiel Fenneman and Prof. Alan Sanfey from Radboud University, Donders Institute.

The conference is free to attend by anyone so if you are interested in knowing more about and research in this field, sign up at the following link: https://lnkd.in/ghDvyfy

Want to know more about the chemistry behind creativity? Watch this (Dutch only) recording from Radboud Reflects of Center Investigator and neuroscientist, Prof. Roshan Cools, as she explains what happens in our (creative) brain 🧠

Radboud University Radboud Reflects

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK9K0pnWzb0

De creatieve mens | Neurowetenschapper Roshan Cools en socioloog Kim van Broekhoven, lezing Wat is creativiteit? En hoe stelt ons brein zich open voor creatief denken? De beste ideeën komen tot ons onder de do**he wordt wel eens gesteld. Maar buiten...

What does the Radboud Center for Decision Science do and how can you get involved?

Our work is focused on a 3 I’s Approach: Investigate, Integrate and Inform!

Investigate: Research is vital in bringing science to society. Therefore, through interdisciplinary research and collaborations we investigate the mechanisms, processes and consequences of human decision-making. Researchers (academics and students) can get involved in our investigation goal by undertaking research projects in any one of our 6 Impact Areas. Have a research idea you want to explore together? Send us a message and let us know.

Learn more about the Second I - Integration next week!

Radboud University Radboudumc Donders Institute Study at Radboud University

MEET THE TEAM! 📢

Each week we highlight 1 of our 40+ Investigators. This week is Enny Das who is Professor of Communication and Persuasion at the Centre for Language Studies at Radboud University, Faculty of Arts.

Her research focuses on the question how language and message design affect judgment, attitudes, and behavior. Her current research projects focus on, for example, the interplay between language and health outcomes in doctor patient conversations (NWO, ZonMw, KWF) as well as the question if tragic movies can motivate viewers to embrace existential fears (NWO). Enny is also a member of the Health Council of the Netherlands.

For more information about her research and publications, see: https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/enny-das

📲How can digitalisation be used to improve decision-making (both at individual and policy levels)?
📲What are the implications of digital technology on medical and judicial decision-making?
📲What role do big data approaches play in identifying and addressing societal issues?

At the Radboud Center for Decision Science, experts are brought together to investigate the nature and impact of digital technology on human decision-making, and to better understand the future of digitalisation on decision-making in policy and society, with the ultimate goal of ensuring inclusive and sustainable societies.

To learn more, visit: https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/digitalisation-and-society

Radboud University Donders Institute Radboudumc Radboud Universiteit - Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid

MEET THE TEAM! 📣

Each week we highlight 1 of our 40+ Investigators. This week is Sascha Füllbrunn who is Associate Professor of Finance at Radboud University, Institute of Management Research (Nijmegen School of Management / Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen)

He obtained his PhD from the University-of Magdeburg with honours in 2009, was a research fellow at the Luxembourg School of Business (AFR research grant), and at the Strategic Interaction Group at the Max Planck Institute of Economics in Jena, Germany.

Sascha’s primary expertise lies in using experimental methods (experimental economics / experimental finance) to understand (economic) decision making and the impact of decision-making designs from a multidisciplinary perspective. He coordinates the research hotspot Integrated Decision Making at the Nijmegen School of Management, is board member of the Society for Experimental Finance, scientific board member of the Healthy Brain Study, and also member of the Scientific Advisory Board at the Nijmegen School of Management.

To read more about Sascha and his research, visit: https://lnkd.in/gEJsFXZ.

Last week we attended the annual Behavioral Science and Policy Association Conference !

Among the many amazing speakers working at the forefront of behavioral science and society, including two Nobel Prize laureates (Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler), was our international advisor, Dr. David Yokum (top left).

You can read about David’s research (as well as his fascinating podcast) at Brown University’s Policy Lab on our website.

➡️ https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/david-yokum

⚖️ What choices & attitudes lead to polarisation?
⚖️ What is the effect of misinformation & fake news on individuals and society?
⚖️ How do judges and legal practitioners make decisions?

Through our interdisciplinary decision science research, we investigate causes of conflict in democracy (such as polarization and misinformation). We also explore aspects of conflict resolution and prevention. Emerging insights are discussed and applied within the context of legal practice and policymaking as a means of working towards just, peaceful and inclusive societies.

To learn more visit: https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/democracy-and-conflict-resolution

MEET THE TEAM! 📣

Each week we highlight 1 of our 40+ Investigators. This week is Pietro Ortolani who is Professor of Digital Conflict Resolution at the Faculty of Law, Radboud University Nijmegen (Radboud University). He holds a law degree from the University of Pisa and a Ph.D. in arbitration from Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome. Before joining Radboud University, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for Procedural Law (Max Planck Law), and a Law Research Associate at Queen Mary University of London.

Pietro is admitted to the Bar in Italy and he also works as a practitioner, mainly in the field of arbitration. He has experience in both ad hoc and institutional arbitration. He has acted as an expert for the European Parliament and the European Commission. Pietro has also published in many peer-reviewed international journals and regularly acts as reviewer for a wide range of international journals and publishers.

To read more about Pietro and his research, visit: https://www.centerfordecisionscience.nl/pietro-ortolani

Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid