Perceptual decisions are short and quick decisions based on what we see, hear, smell, taste etc. Basically, decisions that you don’t dwell upon, but rather choose in a split second. For example, think about a situation where you want to cross a street: based on the visual information of approaching cars, you decide to wait or go. When you are in a hurry, the benefit of a fast choice can be attractive. However, choosing too fast might result in an accident with heavy consequences. 

This example illustraties that it’s often important to take some time to decide. In all, we don’t want to take unnecessary risks that can result in accidents (e.g., traffic), financial problems (e.g., auction, stock market), or health problems (e.g. food consumption). What drives people into (risky) choices under limited time? And why are some people more vulnerable to such behavior? How are these choices influenced by a specific context (e.g. bias)?

Involved researchers and collaborators

Martijn Mulder

Leendert van Maanen