Projects
Should I stay or should I go? The exploration-exploitation dilemma when in pain KU Leuven
Daily life operates as a chain of decisions. Typically, an individual may choose to pursue what s/he already knows (exploitation), or to search for a better option (exploration). This explore/exploit dilemma has been developed, especially when people strive for rewards. To date however, decision processes in aversive contexts — such as when experiencing pain — remain poorly understood, despite their detrimental impact on daily functioning. ...
Learning and memory in psychopathology KU Leuven
Learning and memory play a central role in various forms of psychopathology. People with depressive complaints are characterized by overgeneral autobiographical memories, flashbacks are a core feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), avoidance learning is an important factor in the genesis and maintenance of clinical anxiety, and deficits in working memory and other executive functions are central in ADHD, to give but a few examples. ...