The Schrater Lab's domain is in the development of predictive models of human behavior, with a focus on perception, action, decision-making, learning and motivation. Their approach is rooted in the idea that human behavior is a rational adaptive response to the problems of surviving and reproducing in our environment given limited information. They use probabilistic methods like hierarchical probabilistic models, Bayesian Reinforcement learning, Bayesian decision theory, etc. to construct normative (optimal) solutions to perception, action, decision, and learning problems faced by humans. The lab uses behavioral experiments to test these ideas via one of several lab setups, including a video game lab, and through collaboration with the Multi-Sensory Perception lab.
