Key Concepts

The goal of our research group is to understand cognitive processes and their rationality.

In the 17th century, Leibniz attempted to reduce rational thinking to one universal logical language: the characteristica universalis.  This concept assumes that humans and animals behave according to the laws of logic and have unlimited time and knowledge at their disposal. Even today, these unrealistic assumptions are pervasive in psychology, economics, and behavioral biology.

In contrast, the rationality we investigate applies to humans and animals in the real world, where they are bound by limited time, knowledge, and cognitive capacities. To understand and research rational decision making under uncertainty, we have developed three key concepts: bounded rationality, ecological rationality, and social rationality.