scholarly journals Biased belief in the Bayesian brain: A deeper look at the evidence

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben M Tappin ◽  
Stephen Gadsby
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Inference ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Belief Formation ◽  
Hierarchical Bayesian Models ◽  
Common Occurrence ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Belief Updating ◽  
Bayesian Brain ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Study Designs

A recent critique of hierarchical Bayesian models of delusion argues that, contrary to a key assumption of these models, belief formation in the healthy (i.e., neurotypical) mind is manifestly non-Bayesian. Here we provide a deeper examination of the empirical evidence underlying this critique. We argue that this evidence does not convincingly refute the assumption that belief formation in the neurotypical mind approximates Bayesian inference. Our argument rests on two key points. First, evidence that purports to reveal the most damning violation of Bayesian updating in human belief formation is counterweighted by substantial evidence that indicates such violations are the rare exception—not a common occurrence. Second, the remaining evidence does not demonstrate convincing violations of Bayesian inference in human belief updating; primarily because this evidence derives from study designs that produce results that are not obviously inconsistent with Bayesian principles.

Adult testosterone levels have little or no influence on dominance in men

1998 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Hines
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Cognitive Schemas ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Testosterone Levels

There is substantial evidence that psychological factors influence human testosterone levels, but little support if any for an influence of circulating testosterone on dominance in men. Persistent interest in testosterone as an explanation of behaviors such as dominance and aggression might reflect the influence of cognitive schemas regarding race and sex rather than empirical evidence.

Direct Participation and Meaningful Work

2019 ◽  
pp. 372-387
Author(s):  
Duncan Gallie
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Work Values ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Work Context ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Work Task ◽  
Organizational Participation ◽  
Direct Participation

In this chapter, two aspects of the meaningful work context are considered: task discretion and organizational participation. It argues that these provide opportunities for values associated with meaningful work to be realized at both an intrinsic and instrumental level. Drawing on both theoretical arguments and empirical evidence, the chapter explores the extent to which meaningful work values are realized in both domains. Two types of direct participation are found to be complementary: task discretion is particularly important for increasing the scope for informal learning, while organizational participation is a stronger lever for securing higher levels of training provision. The chapter presents substantial evidence that participation in decision-making, both at the level of the work task and in wider organizational decisions, is an essential precondition of meaningful work.

scholarly journals Electroencephalographic Correlates of Temporal Bayesian Belief Updating and Surprise

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonino Visalli ◽  
Mariagrazia Capizzi ◽  
Ettore Ambrosini ◽  
Bruno Kopp ◽  
Antonino Vallesi
Keyword(s):  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Prior Beliefs ◽  
Belief Updating ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Bayesian Brain ◽  
Eeg Data ◽  
Electrode Space ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Brain Data ◽  
The Brain

The brain predicts the timing of forthcoming events to optimize responses to them. Temporal predictions have been formalized in terms of the hazard function, which integrates prior beliefs on the likely timing of stimulus occurrence with information conveyed by the passage of time. However, how the human brain updates prior temporal beliefs is still elusive. Here we investigated electroencephalographic (EEG) signatures associated with Bayes-optimal updating of temporal beliefs. Given that updating usually occurs in response to surprising events, we sought to disentangle EEG correlates of updating from those associated with surprise. Twenty-six participants performed a temporal foreperiod task, which comprised a subset of surprising events not eliciting updating. EEG data were analyzed through a regression-based massive approach in the electrode and source space. Distinct late positive, centro-parietally distributed, event-related potentials (ERPs) were associated with surprise and belief updating in the electrode space. While surprise modulated the commonly observed P3b, updating was associated with a later and more sustained P3b-like waveform deflection. Results from source analyses revealed that surprise encoding comprises neural activity in the cingulo-opercular network (CON). These data provide evidence that temporal predictions are computed in a Bayesian manner, and that this is reflected in P3 modulations, akin to other cognitive domains. Overall, our study revealed that analyzing P3 modulations provides an important window into the Bayesian brain. Data and scripts are shared on OSF: https://osf.io/ckqa5/?view_only=f711e6f878784d4ab94f4b14b31eef46

scholarly journals Monetary feedback modulates performance and electrophysiological indices of belief updating in reward learning

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Bennett ◽  
Karen Sasmita ◽  
Ryan T. Maloney ◽  
Carsten Murawski ◽  
Stefan Bode
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Inference ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Feedback Condition ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Reward Learning ◽  
Instructive Feedback ◽  
Motivational State ◽  
Belief Updating ◽  
Learning Rates

AbstractBelief updating entails the incorporation of new information about the environment into internal models of the world. Bayesian inference is the statistically optimal strategy for performing belief updating in the presence of uncertainty. An important open question is whether the use of cognitive strategies that implement Bayesian inference is dependent upon motivational state and, if so, how this is reflected in electrophysiological signatures of belief updating in the brain. Here we recorded the electroencephalogram of participants performing a simple reward learning task with both monetary and non-monetary instructive feedback conditions. Our aim was to distinguish the influence of the rewarding properties of feedback on belief updating from the information content of the feedback itself. A Bayesian updating model allowed us to quantify different aspects of belief updating across trials, including the size of belief updates and the uncertainty of beliefs. Faster learning rates were observed in the monetary feedback condition compared to the instructive feedback condition, while belief updates were generally larger, and belief uncertainty smaller, with monetary compared to instructive feedback. Larger amplitudes in the monetary feedback condition were found for three event-related potential components: the P3a, the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and the late positive potential (LPP). These findings suggest that motivational state influences inference strategies in reward learning, and this is reflected in the electrophysiological correlates of belief updating.

Sentence Processing

2019 ◽  
pp. 675-709
Author(s):  
Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky ◽  
Matthias Schlesewsky
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Current State ◽  
Key Points ◽  
The Brain

Neurolinguistic approaches to sentence processing have recently begun to focus on neurobiological plausibility. Thus, rather than seeking primarily to establish mappings between linguistic and cognitive concepts and the brain, the question of how sentence processing is implemented by the brain’s unique biological hardware has become increasingly important. This chapter reviews the current state of the art with respect to the neurobiology of sentence processing, adopting both a neuroanatomical and a timing-based perspective. For both of these domains, the chapter provides an overview of current models and frameworks, as well as the empirical evidence supporting them. In each case, it highlights areas of consensus, as well as key points of difference between approaches where no consensus has yet been reached.

scholarly journals A Scoping Review Mapping Research on Green Space and Associated Mental Health Benefits

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 2081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Wendelboe-Nelson ◽  
Sarah Kelly ◽  
Marion Kennedy ◽  
John Cherrie
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Interest In Research ◽  
Study Designs

Background: There is a growing interest in research investigating the association between green space (GS) and mental health and wellbeing (HWB), in order to understand the underlying mechanisms. Accordingly, there is a need to map the literature and create an overview of the research. Methods: A scoping review approach was used to map literature on GS, including context and co-exposures (the GS exposome), and their associations with mental HWB. The review considers mental HWB definitions and measurements and how GS is characterized. Furthermore, the review aims to identify knowledge gaps and make recommendations for future research. Results: We identified a great diversity in study designs, definitions, outcome measures, consideration of the totality of the GS exposome, and reporting of results. Around 70% of the 263 reviewed studies reported a positive association between some aspect of GS and HWB. However, there is a limited amount of research using randomized controlled crossover trails (RCTs) and mixed methods and an abundance of qualitative subjective research. Conclusions: The discords between study designs, definitions, and the reporting of results makes it difficult to aggregate the evidence and identify any potential causal mechanisms. We propose key points to consider when defining and quantifying GS and make recommendations for reporting on research investigating GS and mental HWB. This review highlights a need for large well-designed RCTs that reliably measure the GS exposome in relation to mental HWB.

Nervous System

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Susan Amirian ◽  
Quinn T. Ostrom ◽  
Yanhong Liu ◽  
Jill Barnholtz-Sloan ◽  
Melissa L. Bondy
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Central Nervous System Tumors ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Primary Cancer ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Nervous System Tumors ◽  
System P ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Ionizing Radiation Exposure

Although brain and other nervous system tumors are relatively rare, constituting up to 4% of incident primary cancer diagnoses, they are often associated with high morbidity and mortality. Several etiologic factors have been examined in relation to nervous system tumors, with the majority of studies focusing on central nervous system tumors. Despite decades of research, the only established risk factors for brain tumors are family history and moderate to high levels of ionizing radiation exposure. Differences in study designs, case ascertainment, control selection, and accuracy of exposure assessment are challenges associated with studying risk factors for nervous system tumors, and may partly explain why the majority of risk for these tumors remains unexplained. There is now substantial evidence that gliomas are inversely associated with allergies and atopy and positively associated with taller height.

ANUBIS: Artificial Neuromodulation Using a Bayesian Inference System

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. H. Smith ◽  
Chakravarthini M. Saaj ◽  
Elie Allouis
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Inference ◽  
Controller Design ◽  
Sliding Mode ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Terminal Sliding Mode ◽  
Similar System ◽  
Inference System ◽  
Bayesian Brain ◽  
Stability And Accuracy ◽  
Foot Trajectory

Gain tuning is a crucial part of controller design and depends not only on an accurate understanding of the system in question, but also on the designer's ability to predict what disturbances and other perturbations the system will encounter throughout its operation. This letter presents ANUBIS (artificial neuromodulation using a Bayesian inference system), a novel biologically inspired technique for automatically tuning controller parameters in real time. ANUBIS is based on the Bayesian brain concept and modifies it by incorporating a model of the neuromodulatory system comprising four artificial neuromodulators. It has been applied to the controller of EchinoBot, a prototype walking rover for Martian exploration. ANUBIS has been implemented at three levels of the controller; gait generation, foot trajectory planning using Bézier curves, and foot trajectory tracking using a terminal sliding mode controller. We compare the results to a similar system that has been tuned using a multilayer perceptron. The use of Bayesian inference means that the system retains mathematical interpretability, unlike other intelligent tuning techniques, which use neural networks, fuzzy logic, or evolutionary algorithms. The simulation results show that ANUBIS provides significant improvements in efficiency and adaptability of the three controller components; it allows the robot to react to obstacles and uncertainties faster than the system tuned with the MLP, while maintaining stability and accuracy. As well as advancing rover autonomy, ANUBIS could also be applied to other situations where operating conditions are likely to change or cannot be accurately modeled in advance, such as process control. In addition, it demonstrates one way in which neuromodulation could fit into the Bayesian brain framework.

Recommendations in Post-exercise Hypotension: Concerns, Best Practices and Interpretation

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (08) ◽  
pp. 487-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandro Campos de Brito ◽  
Rafael Yokoyama Fecchio ◽  
Tiago Peçanha ◽  
Aluisio Lima ◽  
John Halliwill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Study Design ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
Post Exercise ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Blood Pressure Data ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Post Exercise Hypotension

AbstractPost-exercise hypotension (PEH) is a clinically relevant phenomenon that has been widely investigated. However, the characteristics of study designs, such as familiarization to blood pressure measurements, duration of PEH assessments or strategies to analyze PEH present discrepancies across studies. Thus identifying key points to standardize across PEH studies is necessary to help researchers to build stronger study designs, to facilitate comparisons across studies, and to avoid misinterpretations of results. The goal of this narrative review of methods used in PEH studies was therefore to gather and find possible influencers in the characteristics of study design and strategies to analyze blood pressure. Data found in this review suggest that PEH studies should have at least two familiarization screening visits, and should assess blood pressure for at least 20 min, but preferably for 120 min, during recovery from exercise. Another important aspect is the strategy to analyze PEH, which may lead to different interpretations. This information should guide a priori study design decisions.

scholarly journals The Material Presence of Absence: A Dialogue between Museums and Cemeteries

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 127-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan Meyer ◽  
Kate Woodthorpe
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Key Points ◽  
The Social ◽  
Multiple Meanings ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Dead

This is an exploratory paper that aims to stimulate a dialogue between those interested in two particular spaces in society: the museum and the cemetery. Using empirical evidence from two research projects, the paper considers similarities and differences between the two sites, which are further explored through theoretical ideas about the social life of things and the agency of absence. Examining the materiality of these spaces, the paper addresses the role of objects in these two spaces and their respective associations with death, either through the dead themselves or the representation of those who have once lived. In particular, it explores the ‘presence of absence’ through three key points: its spatiality, its materiality, and its agency. Museums and cemeteries are, in this sense, directly comparable, as both spaces are shaped by and built upon the practice of making the absent present. Called ‘heterotopic’ by Foucault (1986) in that they are layered with multiple meanings, this paper will also argue for an understanding of museums and cemeteries as being able to transcend absence. Underpinning this is the belief that there remains much scope for future connections to be made between these two sites, theoretically, politically and practically.

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