Research topics

Willingness to wait

Some of the decisions that we make throughout a lifetime are similar to a choice between Smaller Sooner (SS) options and Larger Later (LL) options. For example, when choosing whether to invest in stocks, we hope that a smaller investment now will lead to a larger payout in the future. These types of decisions can sometimes be difficult because humans tend to discount the value of goods through time, a phenomenon known as delay discounting.

We study differences in willingness to wait for Larger Later (LL) payouts in lieu of Smaller Sooner (SS) payouts. When offered a choice between LL and SS options, some individuals prefer to wait for the LL option, and some prefer to take the SS option. Preferences vary greatly from one individual to the next. We aim to study these differences in choice preference.

Speed-accuracy tradeoff

When making decisions or generating movements, there is a tradeoff between speed and accuracy. For example, a timed exam can often be more difficult than an open (non-timed) exam, especially when time constraints are stringent.

When we learn a new motor skill such as walking, hastening of movement execution leads to a decrease in movement accuracy. Similarly, hastening decision-making often decreases the quality of decisions.