{"pk":25585,"title":"Computational evolution of decision-making strategies","subtitle":null,"abstract":"Most research on adaptive decision-making takes a strategyfirst\napproach, proposing a method of solving a problem and\nthen examining whether it can be implemented in the brain\nand in what environments it succeeds. We present a method for\nstudying strategy development based on computational evolution\nthat takes the opposite approach, allowing strategies to\ndevelop in response to the decision-making environment via\nDarwinian evolution. We apply this approach to a dynamic\ndecision-making problem where artificial agents make decisions\nabout the source of incoming information. In doing so,\nwe show that the complexity of the brains and strategies of\nevolved agents are a function of the environment in which they\ndevelop. More difficult environments lead to larger brains and\nmore information use, resulting in strategies resembling a sequential\nsampling approach. Less difficult environments drive\nevolution toward smaller brains and less information use, resulting\nin simpler heuristic-like strategies.","language":"eng","license":{"name":"","short_name":"","text":null,"url":""},"keywords":[{"word":"computational evolution"},{"word":"decision-making"},{"word":"sequential\nsampling"},{"word":"Heuristics"}],"section":"Papers","is_remote":true,"remote_url":"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4421031m","frozenauthors":[{"first_name":"Peter","middle_name":"","last_name":"Kvam","name_suffix":"","institution":"Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development","department":""},{"first_name":"Joseph","middle_name":"","last_name":"Cesario","name_suffix":"","institution":"Department of Psychology, Michigan State University","department":""},{"first_name":"Jory","middle_name":"","last_name":"Schossau","name_suffix":"","institution":"Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University","department":""},{"first_name":"Heather","middle_name":"","last_name":"Eisthen","name_suffix":"","institution":"Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University","department":""},{"first_name":"Arebd","middle_name":"","last_name":"Hintze","name_suffix":"","institution":"Department of Integrative Biology, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University","department":""}],"date_submitted":null,"date_accepted":null,"date_published":"2015-01-01T12:00:00-06:00","render_galley":null,"galleys":[{"label":"PDF","type":"pdf","path":"https://journalpub.escholarship.org/cognitivesciencesociety/article/25585/galley/15209/download/"}]}