TY - JOUR A1 - Friedel, Eva A1 - Sebold, Miriam Hannah A1 - Kuitunen-Paul, Sören A1 - Nebe, Stephan A1 - Veer, Ilya M. A1 - Zimmermann, Ulrich S. A1 - Schlagenhauf, Florian A1 - Smolka, Michael N. A1 - Rapp, Michael Armin A1 - Walter, Henrik A1 - Heinz, Andreas T1 - How Accumulated Real Life Stress Experience and Cognitive Speed Interact on Decision-Making Processes JF - Frontiers in human neuroscienc N2 - Rationale: Advances in neurocomputational modeling suggest that valuation systems for goal-directed (deliberative) on one side, and habitual (automatic) decision-making on the other side may rely on distinct computational strategies for reinforcement learning, namely model-free vs. model-based learning. As a key theoretical difference, the model-based system strongly demands cognitive functions to plan actions prospectively based on an internal cognitive model of the environment, whereas valuation in the model-free system relies on rather simple learning rules from operant conditioning to retrospectively associate actions with their outcomes and is thus cognitively less demanding. Acute stress reactivity is known to impair model-based but not model-free choice behavior, with higher working memory capacity protecting the model-based system from acute stress. However, it is not clear which impact accumulated real life stress has on model-free and model-based decision systems and how this influence interacts with cognitive abilities. Methods: We used a sequential decision-making task distinguishing relative contributions of both learning strategies to choice behavior, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale questionnaire to assess accumulated real life stress, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test to test cognitive speed in 95 healthy subjects. Results: Individuals reporting high stress exposure who had low cognitive speed showed reduced model-based but increased model-free behavioral control. In contrast, subjects exposed to accumulated real life stress with high cognitive speed displayed increased model-based performance but reduced model-free control. Conclusion: These findings suggest that accumulated real life stress exposure can enhance reliance on cognitive speed for model-based computations, which may ultimately protect the model-based system from the detrimental influences of accumulated real life stress. The combination of accumulated real life stress exposure and slower information processing capacities, however, might favor model-free strategies. Thus, the valence and preference of either system strongly depends on stressful experiences and individual cognitive capacities. KW - chronic stress KW - model-based learning KW - model-free learning KW - decision making KW - cognitive speed KW - real-life events Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00302 SN - 1662-5161 VL - 11 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Gagrčin, Emilija A1 - Schaetz, Nadja A1 - Rakowski, Niklas A1 - Toth, Roland A1 - Renz, André A1 - Vladova, Gergana A1 - Emmer, Martin T1 - We and AI BT - living in a datafied world : experiences & attitudes of young Europeans KW - sociology & anthropology KW - technology (applied sciences) KW - sociology of science KW - sociology of technology KW - research on science and technology KW - technology assessment KW - artificial intelligence KW - digitalization KW - educational technology KW - decision making KW - data security KW - monitoring KW - data protection KW - automation KW - Europe KW - attitude KW - young adult KW - technological change KW - new technology Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.34669/wi/1 PB - Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society - the German Internet CY - Berlin ER - TY - GEN A1 - Mell, Thomas A1 - Wartenburger, Isabell A1 - Marschner, Alexander A1 - Villringer, Arno A1 - Reischies, Friedel M. A1 - Heekeren, Hauke R. T1 - Altered function of ventral striatum during reward-based decision making in old age N2 - Normal aging is associated with a decline in different cognitive domains and local structural atrophy as well as decreases in dopamine concentration and receptor density. To date, it is largely unknown how these reductions in dopaminergic neurotransmission affect human brain regions responsible for reward-based decision making in older adults. Using a learning criterion in a probabilistic object reversal task, we found a learning stage by age interaction in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dIPFC) during decision making. While young adults recruited the dlPFC in an early stage of learning reward associations, older adults recruited the dlPFC when reward associations had already been learned. Furthermore, we found a reduced change in ventral striatal BOLD signal in older as compared to younger adults in response to high probability rewards. Our data are in line with behavioral evidence that older adults show altered stimulus-reward learning and support the view of an altered fronto-striatal interaction during reward-based decision making in old age, which contributes to prolonged learning of reward associations. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - paper 182 KW - aging KW - fMRI KW - reward association learning KW - ventral striatum KW - decision making KW - dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Y1 - 2009 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-45235 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Miklashevsky, Alex A1 - Kulkova, Elena A1 - Michirev, Alexej A1 - Jeglinski-Mende, Melinda A. A1 - Bertonatti, Matias T1 - Book review to: Raab, Markus: Judgment, decision-making, and embodied choices. - London ; San Diego ; Cambridge, MA ; Oxford: Academic Press, 2020. - xv, 155 pages. - ISBN: 978-0-12-823523-2 JF - Frontiers in psychology KW - embodied cognition KW - decision making KW - embodied choice KW - book review KW - mind-body Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.665728 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 12 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - THES A1 - Negri, Michael T1 - How coaches influence referee decisions BT - a principal-agent perspective on non-professional soccer BT - eine Prinzipal-Agent Perspektive auf den nicht-professionellen Fußball N2 - The work elaborates on the question if coaches in non-professional soccer can influence referee decisions. Modeled from a principal-agent perspective, the managing referee boards can be seen as the principal. They aim at facilitating a fair competition which is in accordance with the existing rules and regulations. In doing so, the referees are assigned as impartial agents on the pitch. The coaches take over a non-legitimate principal-like role trying to influence the referees even though they do not have the formal right to do so. Separate questionnaires were set up for referees and coaches. The coach questionnaire aimed at identifying the extent and the forms of influencing attempts by coaches. The referee questionnaire tried to elaborate on the questions if referees take notice of possible influencing attempts and how they react accordingly. The results were put into relation with official match data in order to identify significant influences on personal sanctions (yellow cards, second yellow cards, red cards) and the match result. It is found that there is a slight effect on the referee’s decisions. However, this effect is rather disadvantageous for the influencing coach and there is no evidence for an impact on the match result itself. N2 - Die Arbeit untersucht die Frage, ob Trainer im nicht-professionellen Fußball Schiedsrichterentscheidungen beeinflussen können. Aufbauend auf einer Prinzipal-Agent Perspektive nehmen die Schiedsrichterausschüsse die Rolle des Prinzipals ein. Sie zielen darauf ab, einen fairen Wettkampf zu organisieren, der in Übereinstimmung mit dem geltenden Regelwerk durchgeführt wird. Um dies zu erreichen, werden die Schiedsrichter als unparteiische Agenten auf dem Spielfeld eingesetzt. Die Trainer nehmen in dieser Konstellation eine illegitime, prinzipal-ähnliche Rolle ein und versuchen, den Schiedsrichter zu ihren Gunsten zu beeinflussen. Dies geschieht, ohne dass die Trainer ein entsprechendes Recht dazu hätten. Sowohl für die Trainer als auch für die Schiedsrichter wurde ein Fragebogen entworfen. Der erstgenannte zielt darauf ab, das Ausmaß und die Form von Beeinflussungsversuchen zu erheben. Der Schiedsrichter-Fragebogen hingegen erörtert die Fragen, ob die Unparteiischen mögliche Beeinflussungsversuche durch die Trainer wahrnehmen und wie sie gegebenenfalls darauf reagieren. Die Ergebnisse wurden mit offiziellen Spieldaten in Verbindung gebracht um potentielle Einflüsse auf Spiele (persönliche Strafen sowie das Endergebnis) zu identifizieren. Es wurde herausgefunden, dass es einen leichten Effekt auf Schiedsrichterentscheidungen gibt. Dieser ist zumeist jedoch nachteilig für den jeweiligen Trainer und es gibt kein Indiz für einen Einfluss auf das Endergebnis. T2 - Wie Trainer Schiedsrichterentscheidungen beeinflussen KW - referees KW - decision making KW - soccer KW - bias KW - Schiedsrichter KW - Trainer KW - Entscheidungen KW - Urteilsverzerrung KW - Prinzipal-Agent Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-72247 ER - TY - THES A1 - Rühling, Markus T1 - Substitution effect through fiscal transfers?! : incidence of the Peruvian property tax T1 - Substituierungseffekt durch Finanzzuweisungen?! : Auswirkungen auf die Grundsteuererhebung im Falle Perus. N2 - Whether the results of fiscal transfers have positive or negative implications depends upon the incentives that transfer systems create for both central and local governments. The complexity and ambiguity of the relationship between fiscal transfers and tax revenues of local governments is one of the main causes why research projects, even in the same country, come to different results. This investigation is seriously questioning the often stated substitution effect based only on an analysis of aggregated data and finally rejects in the qualitative part of this research (using survey techniques) a substitution effect in the majority of the assessed municipalities. While most theories are modeling governments as tax-maximizers (Leviathan) or as being prone to fiscal laziness, this investigation shows that mayors react to a whole set of incentives. Most mayors react rational and rather pragmatically in respect to the incentives and constraints which are established by the particular context of a municipality, the central government and their own personality/identity/interests. While the yield on property tax in Peru is low, there are no signs that increases in transfers have had, on average, a negative impact on their revenue generation. On an individual basis there exist mayors who are revenue maximizers, others who are substituting revenues and others who show apathy. Many engage in property tax. While rural or small municipalities have limited potential, property taxes are the main revenue sources for the Peruvian urban municipalities, rising on average 10% during the last five years. The property tax in Peru accounts for less than 0.2% of GDP, which compared to the Latin American average, is extremely low. In 2002, property tax was collecting nationwide about 10% of the overall budget of local governments. In 2006, the share was closer to 6% due to windfall transfers. The property tax can enhance accountability at the local level and has important impacts on urban spatial development. It is also important considering that most charges or transfers are earmarked such that property tax yields can cover discretionary finances. The intergovernmental fiscal transfers can be described as a patchwork of political liabilities of the past rather than connected with thorough compensation or service improvement functions. The fiscal base of local governments in Peru remains small for the municipalities and the incentive structure to enhance property tax revenues is far from optimal. The central government and sector institutions, which are in the Peruvian institutional design of the property tax responsible for the enablement environment, can reinforce local tax efforts. In the past the central government permanently changed the rules of the game, giving municipalities reduced predictability of policy choices. There are no relevant signs that a stronger property tax is captured by Peruvian interest groups. Since the central government has responsibility for tax regulation and partly valuation there has been little debate about financial issues on the local political agenda. Most council members are therefore not familiar with tax issues. If the central government did not set the tax rate and valuation then there would probably be a more vigorous public debate and an electorate that was better informed about local politics. Elected mayors (as political and administrative leaders) are not counterbalanced and held in check by an active council and/or by vigorous local political parties. Local politics are concentrated on the mayor, electoral rules, the institutional design and political culture – all of which are not helpful in increasing the degree of influence that citizens and associations have upon collective decision-making at the local level. The many alternations between democracy and autocracy have not been helpful in building strong institutions at the local level. Property tax revenues react slowly and the institutional context matters because an effective tax system as a public good can only be created if actors have long time horizons. The property tax has a substantial revenue potential, however, since municipalities are going through a transfer bonanza, it is especially difficult to make a plea for increasing their own revenue base. Local governments should be the proponents of property tax reform, but they have, in Peru, little policy clout because the municipal associations are dispersed and there exists little relevant information concerning important local policy issues. N2 - Ob die Auswirkungen von Fiskaltransfers auf die Generierung von lokalen Steuereinnahmen positiv oder negativ sind, wird in der akademischen Literatur weiterhin offen diskutiert. Die Komplexität und Ambivalenz der Fiskalbeziehungen zwischen Gebietsköperschaften und Zentralregierung führt manchmal selbst innerhalb eines gleichen Landes zu unterschiedlichen Ergebnissen. Die hier vorliegende Untersuchung hinterfragt kritisch den oft postulierten Effekt in dem Eigeneinahmen durch Transferzahlungen substituiert werden. Während die meisten wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten Regierungen entweder als tax-maximizers (Leviathan) oder als fiscal lazy darstellen, zeigt diese Untersuchung, dass die meisten Bürgermeister spezifisch auf eine Vielzahl von Anreizen rational und pragmatisch reagieren. Obwohl die Eigeneinnahmen der Lokalregierungen in Peru generell niedrig sind, kann ein direkter Zusammenhang zwischen kontinuierlich ansteigenden Grundsteuereinnahmen und Fiskalzuweisungen eher verneint werden. Die Anreizstruktur in Peru zur Generierung von lokalen Steuereinnahmen ist hinderlich und teilweise sogar kontraproduktiv. Die Zentralregierung und gewisse Spezialinstitutionen spielen in Peru wichtige Funktionen hinsichtlich lokaler Steuergenerierung und sind mitverantwortlich für die positive Gestaltung der Anreizstruktur. KW - Fiskaltransfers KW - Grundsteuer KW - Fiskalausgleich KW - Lokalsteuern KW - Dezentralisierung KW - fiscal transfers KW - property tax KW - decentralization KW - decision making KW - municipal government Y1 - 2008 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-42100 ER - TY - THES A1 - Tan, Jing T1 - Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Interactive Decision-Making T1 - Multiagenten Verstärkendes Lernen für Interaktive Entscheidungsfindung N2 - Distributed decision-making studies the choices made among a group of interactive and self-interested agents. Specifically, this thesis is concerned with the optimal sequence of choices an agent makes as it tries to maximize its achievement on one or multiple objectives in the dynamic environment. The optimization of distributed decision-making is important in many real-life applications, e.g., resource allocation (of products, energy, bandwidth, computing power, etc.) and robotics (heterogeneous agent cooperation on games or tasks), in various fields such as vehicular network, Internet of Things, smart grid, etc. This thesis proposes three multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithms combined with game-theoretic tools to study strategic interaction between decision makers, using resource allocation in vehicular network as an example. Specifically, the thesis designs an interaction mechanism based on second-price auction, incentivizes the agents to maximize multiple short-term and long-term, individual and system objectives, and simulates a dynamic environment with realistic mobility data to evaluate algorithm performance and study agent behavior. Theoretical results show that the mechanism has Nash equilibria, is a maximization of social welfare and Pareto optimal allocation of resources in a stationary environment. Empirical results show that in the dynamic environment, our proposed learning algorithms outperform state-of-the-art algorithms in single and multi-objective optimization, and demonstrate very good generalization property in significantly different environments. Specifically, with the long-term multi-objective learning algorithm, we demonstrate that by considering the long-term impact of decisions, as well as by incentivizing the agents with a system fairness reward, the agents achieve better results in both individual and system objectives, even when their objectives are private, randomized, and changing over time. Moreover, the agents show competitive behavior to maximize individual payoff when resource is scarce, and cooperative behavior in achieving a system objective when resource is abundant; they also learn the rules of the game, without prior knowledge, to overcome disadvantages in initial parameters (e.g., a lower budget). To address practicality concerns, the thesis also provides several computational performance improvement methods, and tests the algorithm in a single-board computer. Results show the feasibility of online training and inference in milliseconds. There are many potential future topics following this work. 1) The interaction mechanism can be modified into a double-auction, eliminating the auctioneer, resembling a completely distributed, ad hoc network; 2) the objectives are assumed to be independent in this thesis, there may be a more realistic assumption regarding correlation between objectives, such as a hierarchy of objectives; 3) current work limits information-sharing between agents, the setup befits applications with privacy requirements or sparse signaling; by allowing more information-sharing between the agents, the algorithms can be modified for more cooperative scenarios such as robotics. N2 - Die Verteilte Entscheidungsfindung untersucht Entscheidungen innerhalb einer Gruppe von interaktiven und eigennützigen Agenten. Diese Arbeit befasst sich insbesondere mit der optimalen Folge von Entscheidungen eines Agenten, der das Erreichen eines oder mehrerer Ziele in einer dynamischen Umgebung zu maximieren versucht. Die Optimierung einer verteilten Entscheidungsfindung ist in vielen alltäglichen Anwendungen relevant, z.B. zur Allokation von Ressourcen (Produkte, Energie, Bandbreite, Rechenressourcen etc.) und in der Robotik (heterogene Agenten-Kooperation in Spielen oder Aufträgen) in diversen Feldern wie Fahrzeugkommunikation, Internet of Things, Smart Grid, usw. Diese Arbeit schlägt drei Multi-Agenten Reinforcement Learning Algorithmen kombiniert mit spieltheoretischen Ansätzen vor, um die strategische Interaktion zwischen Entscheidungsträgern zu untersuchen. Dies wird am Beispiel einer Ressourcenallokation in der Fahrzeug-zu-X-Kommunikation (vehicle-to-everything) gezeigt. Speziell wird in der Arbeit ein Interaktionsmechanismus entwickelt, der auf Basis einer Zweitpreisauktion den Agenten zur Maximierung mehrerer kurz- und langfristiger Ziele sowie individueller und Systemziele anregt. Dabei wird eine dynamische Umgebung mit realistischen Mobilitätsdaten simuliert, um die Leistungsfähigkeit des Algorithmus zu evaluieren und das Agentenverhalten zu untersuchen. Eine theoretische Analyse zeigt, dass bei diesem Mechanismus das Nash-Gleichgewicht sowie eine Maximierung von Wohlfahrt und Pareto-optimaler Ressourcenallokation in einer statischen Umgebung vorliegen. Empirische Untersuchungen ergeben, dass in einer dynamischen Umgebung der vorgeschlagene Lernalgorithmus den aktuellen Stand der Technik bei ein- und mehrdimensionaler Optimierung übertrifft, und dabei sehr gut auch auf stark abweichende Umgebungen generalisiert werden kann. Speziell mit dem langfristigen mehrdimensionalen Lernalgorithmus wird gezeigt, dass bei Berücksichtigung von langfristigen Auswirkungen von Entscheidungen, als auch durch einen Anreiz zur Systemgerechtigkeit, die Agenten in individuellen als auch Systemzielen bessere Ergebnisse liefern, und das auch, wenn ihre Ziele privat, zufällig und zeitveränderlich sind. Weiter zeigen die Agenten Wettbewerbsverhalten, um ihre eigenen Ziele zu maximieren, wenn die Ressourcen knapp sind, und kooperatives Verhalten, um Systemziele zu erreichen, wenn die Ressourcen ausreichend sind. Darüber hinaus lernen sie die Ziele des Spiels ohne vorheriges Wissen über dieses, um Startschwierigkeiten, wie z.B. ein niedrigeres Budget, zu überwinden. Für die praktische Umsetzung zeigt diese Arbeit auch mehrere Methoden auf, welche die Rechenleistung verbessern können, und testet den Algorithmus auf einem handelsüblichen Einplatinencomputer. Die Ergebnisse zeigen die Durchführbarkeit von inkrementellem Lernen und Inferenz innerhalb weniger Millisekunden auf. Ausgehend von den Ergebnissen dieser Arbeit könnten sich verschiedene Forschungsfragen anschließen: 1) Der Interaktionsmechanismus kann zu einer Doppelauktion verändert und dabei der Auktionator entfernt werden. Dies würde einem vollständig verteilten Ad-Hoc-Netzwerk entsprechen. 2) Die Ziele werden in dieser Arbeit als unabhängig betrachtet. Es könnte eine Korrelation zwischen mehreren Zielen angenommen werden, so wie eine Zielhierarchie. 3) Die aktuelle Arbeit begrenzt den Informationsaustausch zwischen Agenten. Diese Annahme passt zu Anwendungen mit Anforderungen an den Schutz der Privatsphäre oder bei spärlichen Signalen. Indem der Informationsaustausch erhöht wird, könnte der Algorithmus auf stärker kooperative Anwendungen wie z.B. in der Robotik erweitert werden. KW - V2X KW - distributed systems KW - reinforcement learning KW - game theory KW - auction KW - decision making KW - behavioral sciences KW - multi-objective KW - V2X KW - Verteilte Systeme KW - Spieltheorie KW - Auktion KW - Entscheidungsfindung KW - Verhaltensforschung KW - verstärkendes Lernen KW - Multiziel Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-607000 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wolf, Sabina A1 - Pham, My A1 - Matthews, Nathanial A1 - Bubeck, Philip T1 - Understanding the implementation gap BT - policy-makers’ perceptions of ecosystem-based adaptation in Central Vietnam JF - Climate & development N2 - In recent years, nature-based solutions are receiving increasing attention in the field of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation as inclusive, no regret approaches. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) can mitigate the impacts of climate change, build resilience and tackle environmental degradation thereby supporting the targets set by the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework. Despite these benefits, EbA is still rarely implemented in practice. To better understand the barriers to implementation, this research examines policy-makers' perceptions of EbA, using an extended version of Protection Motivation Theory as an analytical framework. Through semi-structured interviews with policy-makers at regional and provincial level in Central Vietnam, it was found that EbA is generally considered a promising response option, mainly due to its multiple ecosystem-service benefits. The demand for EbA measures was largely driven by the perceived consequences of natural hazards and climate change. Insufficient perceived response efficacy and time-lags in effectiveness for disaster risk reduction were identified as key impediments for implementation. Pilot projects and capacity building on EbA are important means to overcome these perceptual barriers. This paper contributes to bridging the knowledge-gap on political decision-making regarding EbA and can, thereby, promote its mainstreaming into policy plans. KW - climate change KW - ecosystem-based adaptation KW - risk perception KW - protection KW - motivation theory KW - decision making Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2020.1724068 SN - 1756-5529 SN - 1756-5537 VL - 13 IS - 1 SP - 81 EP - 94 PB - Taylor & Francis LTD CY - Abingdon ER -