Decision Making

Decision-making research at WVU investigates the determinants and processes of decision-making, focusing on how factors such as age, impulsivity, risk perception, and previous experiences influence choices.

Studies explore maladaptive decision-making in contexts like drug abuse, pathological gambling, and obesity, as well as value-based decision-making and numeracy across the lifespan. Research also examines cost-benefit analysis in addiction-related behaviors, choice-based interventions, and the fundamental principles affecting animal decisions. Additionally, investigations cover social and reproductive decision-making, risky behaviors, and the cognitive, emotional, and motivational characteristics that explain age and gender differences in decision-making.

Dr. Anderson's research identifies determinants of impulsive and risky choice in animal models. An understanding of factors that promote maladaptive decision-making may lead to better prevention and treatment strategies aimed at various behavioral disorders, e.g., drug abuse, pathological gambling, obesity.
Dr. Best's research investigates age differences in value-based decision-making and how changes in numeracy across the lifespan influence how individuals perceive risk.
Dr. Cherkasova’s research focuses on cost-benefit decision making as an addiction-relevant cognitive behavior.
Dr. Kestner investigates choice-based interventions and assessments.
Human decisions are determined by the features of the choices and the person’s previous experiences. Research in Dr. Lattal's laboratory addresses how both contribute to the decisions of animals under laboratory conditions and how we can improve choice and decision making.
Dr. Patrick's work has addressed impulsivity in risky sexual behavior, the role of expertise in specific information processing strategies, and the importance of affective influences on decision outcomes.
Dr. Perone's lab experiments are concentrated on fundamental principles that affect rats' and pigeons' decisions about opportunities to earn food, information about such opportunities, and the effort involving in earning food.
Dr. Smith’s work examines different aspects of decision-making including social decision-making and decision-making around reproductive decisions, across the lifespan.
Dr. Strough and her team investigate age and gender differences in decision making across the adult life span. Specific topics investigated by Dr. Strough and her team include decision-making heuristics and biases, including decisions about sunk costs; self-other differences in decisions, for example about medical treatments; risky decisions, for example about finances, health, and other life domains; and reproductive decision making, among other topics. Cognition, emotion, experience, and motivation are investigated as key individual difference characteristics that help to explain age and gender differences in decision making.