Action-selection under threat: algorithms and neural circuits for survival
Behaving appropriately under threat is key to survival. In my talk, I will provide a decision-theoretic view on this action selection problem and ask, what are computational algorithms and neural controllers that underlie this behavior. Non-human animal data tentatively suggest a specific architecture that relies on tailored algorithms for specific threat scenarios. To make this plausible in humans, I build on fear-conditioning paradigms, as well as on a translation of approach-avoidance conflict (AAC), a classical rodent anxiety model, to human computer games. I will analyze possible cognitive-computational algorithms for behavioral control and learning in these tasks, and their neural implementation.
Date: 23 October 2018, 13:00 (Tuesday, 3rd week, Michaelmas 2018)
Venue: Biology South Parks Road, South Parks Road OX1 3RB
Venue Details: Schlich Lecture Theatre
Speaker: Professor Dominik Bach (University of Zurich)
Organising department: Department of Experimental Psychology
Organiser contact email address: miriam.klein-flugge@psy.ox.ac.uk
Host: Dr Nils Kolling (University of Oxford )
Part of: Department of Experimental Psychology - Cognitive & Behavioural Neuroscience Seminar series (BEACON)
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Janice Young