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Model averaging, optimal inference, and habit formation
Postulating that the brain performs approximate Bayesian inference generates principled and empirically testable models of neuronal function—the subject of much current interest in neuroscience and related disciplines. Current formulations address inference and learning under some assumed and partic...
Autores principales: | , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2014
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4071291/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25018724 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00457 |
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author | FitzGerald, Thomas H. B. Dolan, Raymond J. Friston, Karl J. |
author_facet | FitzGerald, Thomas H. B. Dolan, Raymond J. Friston, Karl J. |
author_sort | FitzGerald, Thomas H. B. |
collection | PubMed |
description | Postulating that the brain performs approximate Bayesian inference generates principled and empirically testable models of neuronal function—the subject of much current interest in neuroscience and related disciplines. Current formulations address inference and learning under some assumed and particular model. In reality, organisms are often faced with an additional challenge—that of determining which model or models of their environment are the best for guiding behavior. Bayesian model averaging—which says that an agent should weight the predictions of different models according to their evidence—provides a principled way to solve this problem. Importantly, because model evidence is determined by both the accuracy and complexity of the model, optimal inference requires that these be traded off against one another. This means an agent's behavior should show an equivalent balance. We hypothesize that Bayesian model averaging plays an important role in cognition, given that it is both optimal and realizable within a plausible neuronal architecture. We outline model averaging and how it might be implemented, and then explore a number of implications for brain and behavior. In particular, we propose that model averaging can explain a number of apparently suboptimal phenomena within the framework of approximate (bounded) Bayesian inference, focusing particularly upon the relationship between goal-directed and habitual behavior. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-4071291 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2014 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-40712912014-07-11 Model averaging, optimal inference, and habit formation FitzGerald, Thomas H. B. Dolan, Raymond J. Friston, Karl J. Front Hum Neurosci Neuroscience Postulating that the brain performs approximate Bayesian inference generates principled and empirically testable models of neuronal function—the subject of much current interest in neuroscience and related disciplines. Current formulations address inference and learning under some assumed and particular model. In reality, organisms are often faced with an additional challenge—that of determining which model or models of their environment are the best for guiding behavior. Bayesian model averaging—which says that an agent should weight the predictions of different models according to their evidence—provides a principled way to solve this problem. Importantly, because model evidence is determined by both the accuracy and complexity of the model, optimal inference requires that these be traded off against one another. This means an agent's behavior should show an equivalent balance. We hypothesize that Bayesian model averaging plays an important role in cognition, given that it is both optimal and realizable within a plausible neuronal architecture. We outline model averaging and how it might be implemented, and then explore a number of implications for brain and behavior. In particular, we propose that model averaging can explain a number of apparently suboptimal phenomena within the framework of approximate (bounded) Bayesian inference, focusing particularly upon the relationship between goal-directed and habitual behavior. Frontiers Media S.A. 2014-06-26 /pmc/articles/PMC4071291/ /pubmed/25018724 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00457 Text en Copyright © 2014 FitzGerald, Dolan and Friston. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. |
spellingShingle | Neuroscience FitzGerald, Thomas H. B. Dolan, Raymond J. Friston, Karl J. Model averaging, optimal inference, and habit formation |
title | Model averaging, optimal inference, and habit formation |
title_full | Model averaging, optimal inference, and habit formation |
title_fullStr | Model averaging, optimal inference, and habit formation |
title_full_unstemmed | Model averaging, optimal inference, and habit formation |
title_short | Model averaging, optimal inference, and habit formation |
title_sort | model averaging, optimal inference, and habit formation |
topic | Neuroscience |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4071291/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25018724 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00457 |
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