Introducing Dr Matt Jiwa: Our CNH March Feature Story

Can you describe your research interests?

"My research interests centre on the cognitive architecture of decision-making. Specifically, I am focused on the end-to-end pipeline of information processing: from the initial acquisition and filtering of data to the internal organisation and synthesis that ultimately drives behavioural outcomes. By modelling these processes at a mechanistic level, I aim to uncover the underlying cognitive drivers of complex societal challenges, such as the formation of ideological echo chambers and the persistence of maladaptive choices in problem gambling."

What inspired you to pursue this research topic?

"I find this area particularly fascinating because of the information-dense era we’re living through. While the cognitive mechanisms I study have been with us for generations, their interaction with the unprecedented volume and velocity of modern data represents an entirely new frontier. We’re effectively witnessing these systems undergo real-time stress-testing in ways that were previously impossible. I believe that understanding these mechanisms gives us the best chance to strategically align our cognitive habits with this new reality and avoid the worst consequences of information overload."

What do you like most about your work?

"What I find most rewarding is the opportunity to deconstruct complex behaviours into their constituent cognitive mechanisms. I love the process of engaging with ideas at a granular level to move beyond 'what' people do and truly understand 'how' they do it. I’m also incredibly fortunate to be able to collaborate with brilliant, insightful colleagues whose diverse experiences help to develop and refine these ideas."

Do you have any exciting projects or news upcoming?

"I’m actually quite excited about a recent publication resulting from my time at Columbia University. In that study, we used behavioural economics frameworks to model how outcome probabilities shape our drive for information. Essentially, we were able to show that aspects of our curiosity can be explained by the way we perceive probabilities and rewards. Read it here: Modeling information demand in the framework of probabilistic reasoning | Communications Psychology"