Information Sampling and Adaptive Cognition

Even the most intelligent and informed judges and decision makers have been shown to be prone to errors and biases with potentially serious consequences. Previous scientific attempts to explain the causes of wrong decisions have mainly focused on shortcomings in the cognitive processing of the information given. The recent research reviewed in the present volume offers an intriguing alternative for consideration. Although the input of environmental information samples may be biased, the cognitive processing of information samples is often unbiased and remarkably accurate.

Klaus Fiedler is Professor of Psychology at University of Heidelberg in Germany. Among his main research interests are cognitive social psychology, language and communication, social memory, inductive cognitive processes in judgment and decision making, and computer modeling of the human mind. Professor Fiedler was the winner of the 2000 Leibniz Award.

Peter Juslin is Professor of Psychology at Uppsala University in Sweden. He received the Brunswik New Scientist Award in 1994 and the Oscar's Award at Uppsala University in 1996 for young distinguished scientists. He has published a large number of scientific papers in many journals including many articles in the main APA-journals such as Psychology Review.