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Ben Jonathan Wagner

@benjwagner.bsky.social
296 followers 604 following 33 posts

I´m a postdoc with Tobias Hauser @Developmental Computational Psychiatry lab and Peter Dayan @mpicybernetics.bsky.social #Dopamine #DecisionMaking #ReinforcementLearning #ActiveInference #IntertemporalChoice #BrainExplorerApp

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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Taiki Oka @toka-neuro.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
1/7 Excited to share our new @elife.bsky.social Reviewed Preprint! 🧠 How do higher-order cognitive processes like abstraction & metacognition map onto transdiagnostic mental health dimensions? We combined computational modeling of a RL task with symptom profiling 🔗 doi.org/10.7554/eLif...
doi.org
Mapping abstraction and metacognition onto distinct transdiagnostic symptom profiles
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Lénárd Döme @lenarddome.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
📢 Out now in PLOS Comp Biol: **cpm** — a Python library for theory-driven modelling in computational psychiatry. No scikit-learn for mechanistic cognitive models — so we built one: RL, prospect-theory & metacognition, hierarchical Bayes, and as many more as you can code 🔗 doi.org/10.1371/jour...
doi.org
cpm: A python library for theory-driven modelling in computational psychiatry
Author summary Computational psychiatry is a field that makes extensive use of computational methods to understand mental health. In this field and related disciplines, there is a strong need to desig...
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Dil Korkmaz @dil-k.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
We found that green space exposure was associated with: • lower subjective stress • higher subjective well-being • reduced cardiac arousal These findings underscore the public health potential of urban green infrastructure for preventing stress-related mental health conditions.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Overall our findings show that context matters and highlight a fast, yet flexible conflict-monitoring mechanism that scales with the misalignment between a prepotent habitual sequence and current task goals, even under severe time constraints.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
By formalizing a dynamic switch-term, our model shows that conflict varies trial-by-trial depending on trial-specific habitual and goal-directed components of the decision-process. Active inhibition of the habit triggers a reactive control process.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
When habits and goals align, participants adaptively used this, visible e.g. via a shift in bias in a DDM with collapsing boundaries and our RL framework. When habits and goals diverge, participants actively suppressed the habit.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
We @saschafrolich.bsky.social @stefankiebel.bsky.social investigated how habitual- and goal-directed control interact when actions must be made under time pressure. www.nature.com/articles/s44...
nature.com
Context-dependent interaction between goal-directed and habitual control under time pressure - Communications Psychology
This study investigates the dynamic interplay between habitual and goal-directed control. Using RL and drift-diffusion modelling, we show that these systems interact in a context-dependent manner: hab...
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Roxana Zeraati @roxana-zeraati.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Some incredibly exciting news that still feels a bit surreal: I am starting my research group @mpicybernetics.bsky.social! The best part? We are hiring at all levels! Curious about the science we plan to tackle, read along :) #NeuroSky
An illustration of different species, from worms to humans, foraging, indicating the main topic of our research group.
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Communications Psychology @commspsychol.nature.com · 21/05/2026
www.nature.com/articles/s44... New research Article by @benjwagner.bsky.social @saschafrolich.bsky.social Sarah Schwöbel, Michael N. Smolka & @stefankiebel.bsky.social in the journal (in Press)
nature.com
Context-dependent interaction between goal-directed and habitual control under time pressure - Communications Psychology
This study investigates the dynamic interplay between habitual and goal-directed control. Using RL and drift-diffusion modelling, we show that these systems interact in a context-dependent manner: hab...
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Peters Lab @peterslab.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Postdocstelle in der Biopsychologie in Köln zu besetzen: jobportal.uni-koeln.de/ausschreibun... Spannende Forschung, nettes Team und 4 SWS Lehre im Bachelor/Master Psychologie. Bewerbungsfrist endet am 17.04. - gerne Teilen.
jobportal.uni-koeln.de
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Our book chapter on intertemporal choice in Neuroeconomics: Core Topics and Current Directions is now available. We review individual differences, dopamine, and methodological approaches from model-agnostic analyses to integrated discounting drift-diffusion models. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
link.springer.com
Intertemporal Choice
Intertemporal choice involves decisions between rewards available at an earlier point in time and delayed rewards (delay discounting). Such decisions are common in everyday life, influencing outcomes ...
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Lénárd Döme @lenarddome.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
🎉 psp just hit 14K+ downloads! Our #rstats package for parameter space partitioning powered our work on g-distance, model comparison, irrationality, and heterogeneity: doi.org/10.1037/rev0... CRAN: cran.r-project.org/package=psp
cran.r-project.org
psp: Parameter Space Partitioning MCMC for Global Model Evaluation
Implements an n-dimensional parameter space partitioning algorithm for evaluating the global behaviour of formal computational models as described by Pitt, Kim, Navarro and Myung (2006) &lt;<a href="h...
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
I think this paper is a good read from a neuroscience perspective on how repetition and goal-directed reward learning are intertwined, resulting in short-cuts that correspond to decision biases as a function of task complexity. www.cell.com/trends/neuro...
cell.com
Interacting cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical loops shape behavioral control through cognitive maps and shortcuts
Control of behavior is often explained in terms of a dichotomy, with distinct neural circuits underlying goal-directed and habitual control, yet accumulating evidence suggests these processes are deep...
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
I would agree that this is an argument. However, a "flat curve" could also be the equilibrium between repetition and exploration (because deciding between arbitrary symbols without feedback is quite boring and participants start to explore). But sure, one needs to investigate...
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
In those tasks the Range model is not qualitatively different from REL. But sure, one can look at this. In general the ABS model is not bad in some datasets but repetitions become more important as task complexity increases. I wouldn´t say that the signature in (c) is captured well by ABS though.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
I am not sure if I understand this point correctly, but we also tested the model on six datasets without transfer feedback.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
I would argue that if the preference mechanism is rather associative, likely due to some form of policy compression and/or WM. In free choice, this is related to agency; however, in observational learning, this can happen without agency (e.g., via strengthening an associative context-stimulus link).
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
Dear Stefano, I appreciate the discussion. We actually present true ex-novo simulations for some tasks in the supplement of the paper. Those simulations show that when we directly compare normalization vs. repetition (via task design), the results match our empirical findings very well.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Finally..., thank you :)
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Kelly Donegan @kellydonegan.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Out now in Translational Psychiatry! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Model-based planning is unaffected by ketamine, antidepressant and internet delivered cognitive behavioural therapy treatments in depression - Translational Psychiatry
Translational Psychiatry - Model-based planning is unaffected by ketamine, antidepressant and internet delivered cognitive behavioural therapy treatments in depression
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Many thanks also to @stepalminteri.bsky.social, @sophiebavard.bsky.social, and @gjocham.bsky.social for being helpful and for promptly answering all the questions I had.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
As a side note, I would not interpret our results as showing that relative value learning (or specific forms thereof) does not exist, but rather that it may not be the primary force behind preference biases in such tasks.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
We therefore believe that, in the end, repetition may be a more important factor in shaping choice than previously acknowledged.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Of course, the idea of repetition biases is not new in RL, but to our knowledge it has not yet been shown that such a mechanism can sufficiently and consistently account for such preference biases across a range of value-learning tasks.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Conceptually, I think this aligns very well with work on policy compression by @lucylai.bsky.social and @gershbrain.bsky.social and recent work by @annecollins.bsky.social.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Notably even when Q-value differences or objective absolute or relative value differences were absent. Overall, the impact of this repetition mechanism is larger in more complex tasks.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
This holds both in standard analyses and in hierarchical Bayesian modeling, and importantly in settings where the two accounts make divergent predictions. We also found that post-task valuation ratings show that participants rated stimuli higher when they had been chosen more often.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Very happy that this is out www.nature.com/articles/s44.... Together with @stefankiebel.bsky.social we show that decision biases in context-dependent decision making, previously attributed to different forms of value normalization, are very well explained by habit-like action repetition.
nature.com
Action repetition biases choice in context-dependent decision-making - Communications Psychology
This study shows that decision biases previously attributed to value normalization (e.g. relative value learning or range normalization) are better explained by action repetition. Repeating an action ...
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
annecollins.bsky.social @annecollins.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
My paper is out! Computational modeling of error patterns during reward-based learning show evidence that habit learning (value free!) supplements working memory in 7 human data sets. rdcu.be/eQjLN
rdcu.be
A habit and working memory model as an alternative account of human reward-based learning
Nature Human Behaviour - In this study, Collins proposes an alternative dual-process (working memory and habit) model of reinforcement learning in humans.
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Lénárd Döme @lenarddome.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
A new preprint 📝 with @tobiasuhauser.bsky.social @kenzakdr.bsky.social @benjwagner.bsky.social and Andrew Webb accompanying our cpm-toolbox.net python modelling library - including details about our motivations, toolbox features, framework and workflows! 👉 osf.io/preprints/ps...
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Lénárd Döme @lenarddome.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
New models (three variants of Prospect Theory), new features (more ways to manage parameters, more model components to use), and of course bug fixes. If you want to make your computational modelling reproducible and robust, check out and install the new version of *cpm*: github.com/DevComPsy/cp...
github.com
Release v0.23.18 - New Prospect Models, improved parameter management, and a few bug fixes · DevComPsy/cpm
Install You can install the new release straight from the PyPi repository: pip install cpm-toolbox Added Add input validation and error handling in all cpm.optimisation.minimise methods Add test u...
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
I'm wondering, do you use chatgpt or other ai tools at all? Or do you use them in a "critical way"?
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
@stefankiebel.bsky.social
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Reposted by Ben Jonathan Wagner
Communications Psychology @commspsychol.nature.com · 16/06/2025
Using a sequential decision making task and cognitive modelling, this study shows that human decisions are best explained by a combination of repetition bias and goal directed reward-based behavior. @benjwagner.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s44...
nature.com
Cognitive computational model reveals repetition bias in a sequential decision-making task - Communications Psychology
Using a sequential decision making task and cognitive modeling, we show that human decisions are best explained by a combination of repetition bias and goal directed reward-based behavior.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
nature.com
Cognitive computational model reveals repetition bias in a sequential decision-making task - Communications Psychology
Using a sequential decision making task and cognitive modeling, we show that human decisions are best explained by a combination of repetition bias and goal directed reward-based behavior.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
can you post everything over here? thank you!
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
Just deactivated my X account.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 11/10/2024
Participants enhanced or inhibited their habitual responses based on whether they were congruent or incongruent with goal-directed behavior. Using drift-diffusion modeling, we found that habitual and goal-directed response tendencies interact on the level of evidence accumulation (drift-rate).
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 11/10/2024
We discovered that the influence of a habit isn’t static, it depends on the number of repetitions of an action sequence. 🧠 Approximately 60% of participants adaptively adjusted their habitual responses according to the task context.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 11/10/2024
In our new preprint @saschafrolich.bsky.social , @MichaelSmolka & @StefanKiebel on how "habits interact with goal-directed behavior under time pressure", we found that habitual behavior varies as a function of context and repetition 🔄 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Context-Dependent Interaction Between Goal-Directed and Habitual Control Under Time Pressure
Habits are an important aspect of human behaviour. Habits are reflexive, inflexible, and fast, in contrast to goal-directed behaviour which is reflective, flexible, and slow. Current theories assume t...
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 11/11/2023
Oh, thank you. It seems it is not working. This one should: www.jneurosci.org/content/43/4...
jneurosci.org
Chronic Deep Brain Stimulation of the Human Nucleus Accumbens Region Disrupts the Stability of Inter...
When choosing between rewards that differ in temporal proximity (intertemporal choice), human preferences are typically stable, constituting a clinically relevant transdiagnostic trait. Here we show, ...
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 06/11/2023
4/4 However, further research is needed to clarify a causal link.⚡
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 06/11/2023
3/4 Findings suggest that chronic DBS can modulate this cognitive function over time. Results further hint at a role of the human NAcc region in maintaining our preferences over time as stimulation in this motivational hub can reshape preferences believed to rely on this circuit.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 06/11/2023
2/4 While short-term stability remains, long-term (6 months) reliability is disrupted. Temporal discounting (choosing between near and distant rewards) is relatively stable in humans and extreme patterns of discounting at least correlate with various mental disorders.
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Ben Jonathan Wagner @benjwagner.bsky.social · 06/11/2023
1/4 🧠 In our latest work jneurosci.org/content/43/4... @peterslab.bsky.social we show that chronic deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior limb of the internal capsule/NAcc region impacts the reliability of intertemporal preferences in patients with treatment-resistant OCD.
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