Comparative Psychology

Welcome to the "Comparative Psychology" team at Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf.

We study the cognitive neurobiology of human and non-human decision making. Our goal is to understand when humans and non-human animals make optimal decisions and why they so often systematically deviate from the ideal of the optimal choice. With this goal in mind, we focus on the unsolved puzzle of why humans and animals have preferences for goods or actions that are detrimental to their economic or Darwinian fitness. In particular, we ask what neurobiological factors might play a role in optimal or irrational choice behavior.

The following links provide more information about our team and about our research and teaching activities.