All complex behaviors require animals to coordinate their perception and actions. To successfully achieve a goal, a decision maker (DM; be it a human, animal, or artificial agent) must determine which action to take and, faced with much more information than she can fully process, must decide which source of information to consult to best guide that action. But in contrast with natural tasks, traditional research has focused primarily on action selection but eschewed the process of information demand. We aim to fill this gap by investigating the factors that motivate people to become curious and seek information. We are collecting behavioral data from a large sample of participants on a battery of online tasks testing various aspects of curiosity, and seek a DSI scholar who can quantitatively analyze the data. The scholar will be supervised by two co-PIs: Jacqueline Gottlieb, in Columbia’s Neuroscience Department and Zuckerman Institute, and Vince Dorie, in the DSI. The scholar will obtain training with advanced data analytic methods and the opportunity to co-author what is expected to be a high impact paper with interdisciplinary appeal in economics, neuroscience, and psychology.

One selected candidate will receive a stipend via the DSI Scholars program. Amount is subject to available funding.

Faculty Advisor

Project Timeline

  • Earliest starting date: 3/2/2020
  • End date: 5/18/2020
  • Number of hours per week of research expected during Spring 2020: ~20
  • Number of hours per week of research expected during Summer 2020: ~40

Candidate requirements

  • Skill sets: Familiarity with flexible modeling-building languages, such as Stan or BUGS; knowledge of hierarchical modeling concepts; model checking, validation, sensitivity analyses, and interpretation.
  • Student eligibility: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, master’s
  • International students on F1 or J1 visa: eligible
  • Additional comments: Knowledge of decision making in economics or cognitive science is desirable but not required