Unsupervised Thinking

In the late 1700s, English minister Thomas Bayes discovered a simple mathematical rule for calculating probabilities based on different information sources. Since then Bayesian models for describing uncertain events have taken off in a wide variety of fields, not the least of which is psychology. This Bayesian framework has been used to understand far-reaching psychological processes, such as how humans combine noisy sensory information with their prior beliefs about the world in order to come to decisions on how to act. But not everyone is riding the Bayesian train. In this episode, we discuss a published back and forth between scientists arguing over the use and merits of Bayesian modeling in neuroscience and psychology. First, though, we set the stage by describing Bayesian math, how it is used in psychology, and the significance of certain terms such as "optimal" (it may not mean what you think it does) and "utility". We then get into the arguments for and against Bayesian modeling, including its falsifi