---
title: "Resource-rational analysis of human cognition"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/aaa26dc0-138a-4472-990b-8d073f95fa80
source_url: "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30714890/"
stack: https://stacklist.com/stack/19ec02fe-5b61-479f-9790-83b6bfd287ef
summary: "Resource-rational analysis integrates rational principles with realistic cognitive constraints to understand how the human mind optimally uses limited resources. This framework reconciles human cognitive abilities with apparent irrationality and provides a unified approach connecting psychology, neuroscience, economics, and artificial intelligence."
tags: "cognitive-modeling, resource-rationality, bounded-rationality, cognitive-biases, computational-framework, human-cognition"
key_entities: "resource-rational analysis (concept), bounded rationality (concept), cognitive constraints (concept), Spurrett D. (person), Ross D. (person), Behavioral and Brain Sciences (organization)"
classification: "reference"
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acp_version: "0.2"
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visibility: public
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status: "final"
---

# Resource-rational analysis of human cognition

Full text links Cite Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID Abstract Modeling human cognition is challenging because there are infinitely many mechanisms that can generate any given observation. Some researchers address this by constraining the hypothesis space through assumptions about what the human mind can and cannot do, while others constrain it through principles of rationality and adaptation. Recent work in economics, psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics has begun to integrate both approaches by augmenting rational models with cognitive constraints, incorporating rational principles into cognitive architectures, and applying optimality principles to understanding neural representations. We identify the rational use of limited resources as a unifying principle underlying these diverse approaches, expressing it in a new cognitive modeling paradigm called resource-rational analysis. The integration of rational principles with realistic cognitive constraints makes resource-rational analysis a promising framework for reverse-engineering cognitive mechanisms and representations. It has already shed new light on the debate about human rationality and can be leveraged to revisit classic questions of cognitive psychology within a principled computational framework. We demonstrate that resource-rational models can reconcile the mind's most impressive cognitive skills with people's ostensive irrationality. Resource-rational analysis also provides a new way to connect psychological theory more deeply with artificial intelligence, economics, neuroscience, and linguistics. Keywords: bounded rationality; cognitive biases; cognitive mechanisms; cognitive modeling; representations; resource rationality. PubMed Disclaimer Comment in Representing utility and deploying the body. Spurrett D. Spurrett D. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e24. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001602. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159466 Resource-rationality and dynamic coupling of brains and social environments. Ross D. Ross D. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e20. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X1900150X. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159467 Holistic resource-rational analysis. Haas J, Klein C. Haas J, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e11. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001493. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159468 Generalization of the resource-rationality principle to neural control of goal-directed movements. Dounskaia N, Shimansky YP. Dounskaia N, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e10. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001559. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159469 Optimal, resource-rational or sub-optimal? Insights from cognitive development. Bejjanki VR, Aslin RN. Bejjanki VR, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e4. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001614. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159470 Heuristics and the naturalistic fallacy. Kalbach CJ. Kalbach CJ. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e12. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001523. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159471 Another claim for cognitive history. Cowles HM, Kreiner J. Cowles HM, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e6. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001547. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159472 Computational limits don't fully explain human cognitive limitations. Davis ES, Marcus GF. Davis ES, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e7. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001651. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159473 Opportunities for emotion and mental health research in the resource-rationality framework. Russek EM, Moran R, McNamee D, Reiter A, Liu Y, Dolan RJ, Huys QJM. Russek EM, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e21. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001663. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159474 The evolutionary foundations of resource-rational analysis. Schulz AW. Schulz AW. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e23. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X1900164X. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159475 What are the appropriate axioms of rationality for reasoning under uncertainty with resource-constrained systems? Atmanspacher H, Basieva I, Busemeyer JR, Khrennikov AY, Pothos EM, Shiffrin RM, Wang Z. Atmanspacher H, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e2. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001535. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159476 What is the purpose of cognition? Szollosi A, Newell BR. Szollosi A, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e25. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001626. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159477 Resource-rationality as a normative standard of human rationality. Colombo M. Colombo M. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e5. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001596. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159478 The biology of emotion is missing. Kauffman KP. Kauffman KP. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e13. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001511. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159479 Resource-rationality beyond individual minds: the case of interactive language use. Dingemanse M. Dingemanse M. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e9. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001638. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159480 The importance of constraints on constraints. Bates CJ, Sims CR, Jacobs RA. Bates CJ, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e3. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001572. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159481 Uncovering cognitive constraints is the bottleneck in resource-rational analysis. Dimov C. Dimov C. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e8. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001675. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159497 Opportunities and challenges integrating resource-rational analysis with developmental perspectives. Persaud K, Bass I, Colantonio J, Macias C, Bonawitz E. Persaud K, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e18. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001560. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159498 Sampling as a resource-rational constraint. Sanborn AN, Zhu J, Spicer J, Chater N. Sanborn AN, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e22. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001584. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159499 Beginning with biology: "Aspects of cognition" exist in the service of the brain's overall function as a resource-regulator. Theriault JE, Coleman M, Feldman MJ, Fridman JD, Sennesh E, Barrett LF, Quigley KS. Theriault JE, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e26. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001705. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159500 Advancing rational analysis to the algorithmic level. Lieder F, Griffiths TL. Lieder F, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e27. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19002012. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159501 Can resources save rationality? "Anti-Bayesian" updating in cognition and perception. Mandelbaum E, Won I, Gross S, Firestone C. Mandelbaum E, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e16. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001717. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159502 Resource-rational analysis versus resource-rational humans. Rahnev D. Rahnev D. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e19. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001699. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159503 Free PMC article. Cognitively bounded rational analyses and the crucial role of theories of subjective utility. Lewis RL, Howes A. Lewis RL, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e14. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001729. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159504 Towards a quantum-like cognitive architecture for decision-making. Moreira C, Fell L, Dehdashti S, Bruza P, Wichert A. Moreira C, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e17. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001687. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159505 Multiple conceptions of resource rationality. Ma WJ, Woodford M. Ma WJ, et al. Behav Brain Sci. 2020 Mar 11;43:e15. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X19001754. Behav Brain Sci. 2020. PMID: 32159506 MeSH terms Artificial Intelligence Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Cognition / physiology* Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Decision Making / physiology Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Humans Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Models, Theoretical* Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Problem Solving / physiology Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Psychological Theory* Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search Thinking / physiology Actions Search in PubMed Search in MeSH Add to Search LinkOut - more resources Full Text Sources Cambridge University Press Ovid Technologies, Inc.