scholarly journals Balanced Colorings and Bifurcations in Rivalry and Opinion Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (07) ◽  
pp. 2130019
Author(s):  
Ian Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Symmetry Group ◽  
Binocular Rivalry ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Local Bifurcations ◽  
Existence And Stability ◽  
Symmetric Networks

Balanced colorings of networks classify robust synchrony patterns — those that are defined by subspaces that are flow-invariant for all admissible ODEs. In symmetric networks, the obvious balanced colorings are orbit colorings, where colors correspond to orbits of a subgroup of the symmetry group. All other balanced colorings are said to be exotic. We analyze balanced colorings for two closely related types of network encountered in applications: trained Wilson networks, which occur in models of binocular rivalry, and opinion networks, which occur in models of decision making. We give two examples of exotic colorings which apply to both types of network, and prove that Wilson networks with at most two learned patterns have no exotic colorings. We discuss in general terms how exotic colorings affect the existence and stability of branches for local bifurcations of the corresponding model ODEs, both to equilibria and to periodic states.

scholarly journals Can binocular rivalry reveal neural correlates of consciousness?

2014 ◽  
Vol 369 (1641) ◽  
pp. 20130211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randolph Blake ◽  
Jan Brascamp ◽  
David J. Heeger
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Binocular Rivalry ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Neural Dynamics ◽  
Perceptual Decision Making ◽  
Neural Correlate ◽  
Neural Correlates Of Consciousness ◽  
Neural Correlate Of Consciousness

This essay critically examines the extent to which binocular rivalry can provide important clues about the neural correlates of conscious visual perception. Our ideas are presented within the framework of four questions about the use of rivalry for this purpose: (i) what constitutes an adequate comparison condition for gauging rivalry's impact on awareness, (ii) how can one distinguish abolished awareness from inattention, (iii) when one obtains unequivocal evidence for a causal link between a fluctuating measure of neural activity and fluctuating perceptual states during rivalry, will it generalize to other stimulus conditions and perceptual phenomena and (iv) does such evidence necessarily indicate that this neural activity constitutes a neural correlate of consciousness? While arriving at sceptical answers to these four questions, the essay nonetheless offers some ideas about how a more nuanced utilization of binocular rivalry may still provide fundamental insights about neural dynamics, and glimpses of at least some of the ingredients comprising neural correlates of consciousness, including those involved in perceptual decision-making.

scholarly journals Age-dependency in binocular rivalry is reflected by exclusive percepts, not mixed percepts

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elahe Arani ◽  
Raymond van Ee ◽  
Richard van Wezel
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Binocular Rivalry ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Other ◽  
Perceptual Decision Making ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Neural Factors ◽  
Inhibitory Interactions

AbstractSome aspects of decision-making are known to decline with normal aging. One of the known perceptual decision-making processes which is vastly studied is binocular rivalry. It is well-established that the older the person, the slower the perceptual dynamics. However, the underlying neurobiological cause is unknown. So, to understand how age affects visual decision-making, we investigated age-related changes in perception during binocular rivalry. In binocular rivalry, the image presented to one eye competes for perceptual dominance with the image presented to the other eye. Perception during binocular rivalry consists of alternations between exclusive percepts. However, frequently, mixed percepts with combinations of the two monocular images occur. The mixed percepts reflect a transition from the percept of one eye to the other but frequently the transitions do not complete the full cycle and the previous exclusive percept becomes dominant again. The transitional idiosyncrasy of mixed percepts has not been studied systematically in different age groups. Previously, we have found evidence for adaptation and noise, and not inhibition, as underlying neural factors that are related to age-dependent perceptual decisions. Based on those conclusions, we predict that mixed percepts/inhibitory interactions should not change with aging. Therefore, in an old and a young age group, we studied binocular rivalry dynamics considering both exclusive and mixed percepts by using two paradigms: percept-choice and percept-switch. We found a decrease in perceptual alternation Probability for older adults, although the rate of mixed percepts did not differ significantly compared to younger adults. Interestingly, the mixed percepts play a very similar transitional idiosyncrasy in our different age groups. Further analyses suggest that differences in synaptic depression, gain modulation at the input level, and/or slower execution of motor commands are not the determining factors to explain these findings. We then argue that changes in perceptual decisions at an older age are the result of changes in neural adaptation and noise.

Professional lobbying in urban planning: depoliticisation or REpoliticisation?

2019 ◽  
pp. 141-156
Author(s):  
Aino Hirvola ◽  
Raine Mäntysalo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Urban Governance ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
General Terms

This chapter argues that professional lobbying is turning out to be an important factor in the de- and re-politicisation processes of urban development. It describes the phenomenon of professional lobbying in urban planning in general terms. The chapter then draws on public affairs studies, outlining the broad spectrum of tasks of the lobbyist and identifying certain strategies and tactics of lobbying. To question the technocratic logics of contemporary urban governance, the chapter asks what the professionalisation of lobbying means and how it affects the planning process and the related decision-making process. The focus is on the Finnish context and especially on Helsinki.

On the presentation of statistical analysis: reason or ritual

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1185-1191 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Warren
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Experimental Situation ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Actual Decision

This paper addresses the shortcomings in the presentation of statistical analyses appearing in this and similar journals. The role of statistical analysis is, in general terms, to provide criteria to assist in decision making under conditions of uncertainty. Commonly, this means deciding whether two treatments yield different results based on an experiment. The actual decision or interpretation must remain the responsibility of the researcher and, thus, can and should contain elements of subjectivity. There is, therefore, a need to separate the objective (statistical) analysis of data from its interpretation as well as to present all of the relevant information concerning the objective analysis. Current deficiencies in presentation include (i) failure to specify the assumptions on which an analysis is based, (ii) failure to provide sufficient quantitative information, (iii) failure to match the statistical analysis to the experimental situation, and (iv) failure to consider whether the assumptions on which an analysis has been based have been violated to an extent that would invalidate the results. Examples of these deficiencies from recent issues of this journal are cited with, where possible, suggestions on how the presentation could be improved. The present unfortunate situation is due to misinformation or lack of information, which stems in part, if not completely, from the ritualistic use of a few statistical methods and, in particular, statistical packages for computers that simply present the results of applying these methods, properly or otherwise.

Elite opinion and defence policy: air power advocacy and British rearmament during the 1930s

1980 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uri Bialer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Air Power ◽  
Political Concern ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Defence Policy ◽  
Negative Role ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Much has been written about the deep fear of aerial bombardment in inter-war Britain. Particular attention has been paid to the Government awareness of that danger during the late 1930s, when the threat of war advanced from the realm of military and academic speculation to the sphere of an immediate political concern. “Air power” and the concomitant possibility of aerial bombardment, to quote Correlli Barnett, then became an “obsession”; it pervaded Cabinet debates and dominated all discussions of rearmament at every level of the British decision-making process.2 Why this should have been so, is not always made clear. The Government's sensitivity to the air danger is more often assumed than explained, and comparatively few attempts have been made to analyse the root causes which were responsible for this fear in official circles. Particularly neglected, in this context, is the impact of public opinion. Broadly speaking, public opinion is considered to have played a generally negative role, retarding the process of rearmament when not obstructing it altogether. The interplay between the public's view of the “air peril” and that of the Government is thereby minimized. This article is designed to redress that balance. It aims to examine the degree to which the British public was itself sensitive to the air danger and the extent to which its fears were communicated to the men who formulated the country's defence policy. In so doing, it will argue that public opinion acted as a catalyst, affecting official views on defence policy and — in general terms — influencing the choice of the form which rearmament was to take.

Giving voice to patients: Understanding treatment preferences of patients with multiple myeloma (MM).

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18302-e18302
Author(s):  
Caroline McKay ◽  
Eric Maiese ◽  
Joseph Chiarappa ◽  
Laura Sarokin ◽  
M. Janelle Cambron-Mellott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Treatment Decision ◽  
Treatment Preferences ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Treatment Decision Making ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Trade Offs

e18302 Background: Findings from few studies examining preferences for MM treatment are limited in application, as they are largely missing the voices of patients (PTs). The present qualitative study elucidates PT preferences, the perceived trade-offs they are willing to make, and how these may differ by line of therapy (LOT). Methods: Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with MM PTs (front-line [FL] = 11, early relapse 1- 2 prior-lines [1/2PL] = 10) recruited via purposive sampling from targeted panels and PT groups, April-May 2018. A discussion guide was developed and a trained interviewer conducted 1-hour interviews on the diversity and valence of factors influencing how PTs evaluate potential regimens and how preferences vary by experience (i.e., LOT). Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, responses coded, and content analysis performed to identify key themes emerging from textual data. Results: The sample was 42% male, mean age 64 years, with mean 58 months since diagnosis. Three key themes were identified. Firstly, treatment decision-making, revealed that trust in one’s health care provider (HCP) was a potent influence on treatment choice. Whereas FL PTs reported often only one option is offered and rely on HCP to make decisions, 1/2PL PTs consider other sources of information and engage in more shared decision-making. Secondly, expectations about treatment, illustrated that HCPs discuss important factors, e.g., efficacy and tolerability, in general terms with FL PTs and provide more details to 1/2PL PTs. Lastly, “ top of mind” factors that influenced treatment decisions, effectiveness, followed by side effects, emerged as the greatest influences on preference, although 1/2PL PTs reported less concern with side effects than FL PTs. Relatedly, quality of life was described as salient; the lived experience of treatment was often mentioned within the context of side effects. Conclusions: The way PTs construct, prioritize, and communicate about treatment when assessing “benefit-risk” is a dynamic process, based on where PTs are in their treatment journey. By examining treatment preferences grounded in PTs’ lived and changing experiences with MM, the findings may contribute to better PT-HCP engagement through treatment decision-making and improve clinical care.

scholarly journals Binocular rivalry reveals an out-of-equilibrium neural dynamics suited for decision-making

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Cao ◽  
Alexander Pastukhov ◽  
Stepan Aleshin ◽  
Maurizio Mattia ◽  
Jochen Braun
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Binocular Rivalry ◽  
Feedback Inhibition ◽  
Neural Dynamics ◽  
General Mechanism ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Equilibrium Dynamics ◽  
Visual Evidence ◽  
Multistable Perception ◽  
Normative Constraints

In ambiguous or conflicting sensory situations, perception is often ‘multistable’ in that it perpetually changes at irregular intervals, shifting abruptly between distinct alternatives. The interval statistics of these alternations exhibits quasi-universal characteristics, suggesting a general mechanism. Using binocular rivalry, we show that many aspects of this perceptual dynamics are reproduced by a hierarchical model operating out of equilibrium. The constitutive elements of this model idealize the metastability of cortical networks. Independent elements accumulate visual evidence at one level, while groups of coupled elements compete for dominance at another level. As soon as one group dominates perception, feedback inhibition suppresses supporting evidence. Previously unreported features in the serial dependencies of perceptual alternations compellingly corroborate this mechanism. Moreover, the proposed out-of-equilibrium dynamics satisfies normative constraints of continuous decision-making. Thus, multistable perception may reflect decision-making in a volatile world: integrating evidence over space and time, choosing categorically between hypotheses, while concurrently evaluating alternatives.

Military Expertise

2019 ◽  
pp. 791-806
Author(s):  
J. D. Fletcher ◽  
Dennis Kowal
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Cognitive Readiness ◽  
General Terms ◽  
The Military ◽  
Military Units

This chapter reviews characteristics of expertise common to all domains as a context for the expertise needed by military personnel. However, the value of expertise in job performance is of particular value in the military due to the exposure of individuals to physical harm combined with time-pressured requirements to manage and apply advanced, highly complex technologies. The need, nature, and value of military expertise and decision making are discussed in general terms of tactical, operational, and strategic decision making centered on the readiness of military units and personnel to perform their missions successfully. Cognitive qualities needed for military expertise are considered, including the emerging issue of cognitive readiness required for both regular and irregular military operations. The chapter suggests that military expertise is similar to expertise elsewhere, but the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, and lethality of the environment in which military decisions are often made significantly affect its character, preparation, and requirements in ways discussed in the chapter.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF SUBJECTIVE FACTORS ON THE QUALITY OF BUSINESS DECISION

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (17) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Dragana Bašić ◽  
Vesna Aleksić
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Decision Making Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels

Deciding is a complex process of making many decisions at different levels and in different decision-making places, and it is under the influence of many factors on which the quality of the decisions made depends. In extensive literature in the field of decision-making theory, different authors differ on different classifications of factors that influence decision-making. In spite of the fact that there are some similarities between them, and differences in classifying, it can be said that in general terms, we distinguish objectivity and subjective decision-making factors. This paper will discuss subjective decision-making factors.

scholarly journals O Tratado de Livre Comércio Peru e EUA: grupos de influência, ganhadores e perdedores

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Fábio Borges ◽  
Edith Venero Ferro
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
Free Trade Agreement ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Central Hypothesis ◽  
The Us ◽  
Strategic Role

Este artigo analisa o Tratado de Livre Comércio (TCL) firmado entre Peru e EUA em 2009. Começa por abrir um diálogo entre as teorias econômicas e de relações internacionais sobre os benefícios e custos de um TLC. Posteriormente fizemos uso do modelo Putnam para avaliar o processo decisório e que grupos de influência foram decisivos na assinatura do TLC. A hipótese central foi que o Consejo Empresarial de Negociaciones Internacionales (CENI) peruano teve papel determinante na ratificação do acordo. Para demonstrar que o CENI foi decisivo no processo de negociação, escolhemos trabalhar com os seguintes indicadores: (i) a interação privilegiada entre a elite decisória; (ii) a interação com a equipe burocrática-decisória; (iii) a interação com os membros do Congresso e; (iv) a interação com os meios de comunicação. Por fim fazemos uma reflexão sobre possíveis ganhadores e perdedores do TLC Peru EUA. A pregunta central que consideramos pertinente é se os grupos que influenciaram esse acordo expressariam o interesse nacional peruano em termos mais gerais. O papel estratégico do uso do argumento das vantagens comparativas e o modelo Putnam foram convenientes para se analisar o processo de assinatura do TLC Peru e EUA.Palavras-Chave: Peru; EUA; TLC; Grupos de InteressePeru-USA Free Trade Agreement: influence groups, winners and losersAbstractThis article analyses the Free Trade Agreement (TCL) signed between Peru and the US in 2009. It begins by opening a dialogue between economic and international relations theories about the benefits and costs of an FTA. Later we used the Putnam model to evaluate the decision-making process and which influence groups were decisive in signing the TLC. The central hypothesis was that the Peruvian Negotiating Business Negotiations Council (CENI) played a decisive role in ratifying the agreement. To demonstrate that the CENI was decisive in the negotiation process, we chose to work with the following indicators: (i) the privileged interaction between the decision-making elite; (ii) interaction with the bureaucratic-decision-making team; (iii) interaction with members of Congress; (iv) interaction with the media. Finally, we reflect on potential winners and losers of the US-Peru FTA. The central question that we consider pertinent is whether the groups that influenced the process of decision making would express the national interest of Peru in more general terms. The strategic role of using the comparative advantage argument and the Putnam model were convenient to analyse the signing process of the Peru and US FTA.El Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Perú y EEUU: grupos de influencia, ganadores y perdedoresResumenEste artículo analiza el Tratado de Libre Comercio (TCL) firmado entre Perú y Estados Unidos en 2009. Comienza por abrir un diálogo entre las teorías económicas y las relaciones internacionales sobre los beneficios y costos de un TLC. Posteriormente hicimos uso del modelo Putnam para evaluar el proceso decisorio y qué grupos de influencia fueron decisivos en la firma del TLC. La hipótesis central fue que el Consejo Empresarial de Negociaciones Internacionales (CENI) peruano tuvo un papel determinante en la ratificación del acuerdo. Para demostrar que el CENI fue decisivo en el proceso de negociación, elegimos trabajar con los siguientes indicadores: (i) la interacción privilegiada entre la elite decisoria; (ii) la interacción con el equipo burocrático-decisorio; (iii) la interacción con los miembros del Congreso y; (iv) la interacción con los medios de comunicación. Finalmente, hacemos una reflexión sobre posibles ganadores y perdedores del TLC Perú. La pregunta central que consideramos pertinente es si los grupos que influenciaran ese acuerdo expresarían el interés nacional peruano en términos más generales. El papel estratégico del uso del argumento de las ventajas comparativas y el modelo Putnam fueron convenientes para analizar el proceso de firma del TLC Perú y EEUU.

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