Applications of quantum statistics in psychological studies of decision processes

Diederik Aerts, Sven Aerts

Diederik Aerts, Sven Aerts

B. W. Wojciechowski

This book provides the first consideration of quantum principles in legal decision making. It shows how quantum probability theory can be applied to psychology and law to deepen our understanding of psychological and legal issues, suggesting a paradigm shift in the study of these areas. Written as an introduction to quantum probability theory for non-physicists, the book offers an accessible summary of how psychology can be applied to quantum phenomena for human decision making. It introduces psychologists and lawyers to fresh conceptual frameworks, including classical probability theory, classical statistics, data mining and quantum theory. Wojciechowski shows how quantum theory and concepts can be transferred to psychological research models, and can help to resolve previously unexplained psychological phenomena, influence scientific views, undermine traditional foundations of the legal system and result in the development of new research directions. Studies conducted by the author are used to show how problems facing legal decision making can be addressed in a completely new light with the application of quantum probability theory. This cutting-edge and innovative book will be of great interest to graduate students and researchers in the fields of forensic psychology and legal decision making, as well as legal professionals and legal scholars.

Andrei Yu. Khrennikov, Masanari Asano

We present the quantum-like model of information processing by the brain’s neural networks. The model does not refer to genuine quantum processes in the brain. In this model, uncertainty generated by the action potential of a neuron is represented as quantum-like superposition of the basic mental states corresponding to a neural code. Neuron’s state space is described as complex Hilbert space (quantum information representation). The brain’s psychological functions perform self-measurements by extracting concrete answers to questions (solutions of problems) from quantum information states. This extraction is modeled in the framework of open quantum systems theory. In this way, it is possible to proceed without appealing to the state’s collapse. Dynamics of the state of psychological function F is described by the quantum master equation. Its stationary states represent classical statistical mixtures of possible outputs of F (decisions). This model can be used for justification of quantum-like modeling cognition and decision-making. The latter is supported by plenty of statistical data collected in cognitive psychology.

Andrei Yu. Khrennikov

Andrei Yu. Khrennikov