Quantum probabilistic models (based on quantum decision theory) have recently been introduced into cognitive and behavioral sciences. However, to date, quantum decision theory has not been utilized in computational psychiatry, although mathematical models from neuroeconomics have already prevailed in neuropsychiatric research. We address, in the present paper, the importance of employing quantum decision theory in psychiatry. As an example, a possible application of quantum decision theory to autism research is focused. Future study directions in computational psychiatry employing quantum decision theory are discussed.
NeuroQuantology | December 2012 | Volume 10 | Issue 4| Page 688-691
Quantum probabilistic models (based on quantum decision theory) have recently been introduced into cognitive and behavioral sciences. However, to date, quantum decision theory has not been utilized in computational psychiatry, although mathematical models from neuroeconomics have already prevailed in neuropsychiatric research. We address, in the present paper, the importance of employing quantum decision theory in psychiatry. As an example, a possible application of quantum decision theory to autism research is focused. Future study directions in computational psychiatry employing quantum decision theory are discussed.
The increasing complexity of modern decision-making environments has challenged the effectiveness of classical mathematical models. Traditional probabilistic frameworks often struggle to represent uncertainty, ambiguity, contextual dependence, and nonlinear interactions among decision variables. Quantum-inspired mathematical models have emerged as a promising interdisciplinary approach that leverages mathematical principles derived from quantum theory without requiring quantum computing hardware. These models utilize concepts such as superposition, interference, entanglement, and contextuality to represent complex decision processes more accurately. This paper explores the theoretical foundations, mathematical structures, and applications of quantum-inspired decision models in complex systems. The study examines how quantum probability theory provides a more flexible representation of human cognition, organizational decision-making, financial forecasting, and artificial intelligence systems. Furthermore, the paper discusses mathematical formulations, implementation strategies, advantages, challenges, and future research directions. The findings suggest that quantum-inspired models offer significant potential for addressing uncertainty and dynamic interactions in complex decision environments, thereby contributing to the advancement of intelligent decision support systems.
The article presents a review of foreign scientific literature on the quantum-like approach to understanding the modeling of cognition and decision-making processes. It is shown that the current application of quantum physics approaches to consciousness, psychological approaches such as perception, cognition, emotions, consciousness and learning, involves the search for a single objective mathematical model of what underlies the experience of the brain. The use of quantum physics algorithms can help in understanding the mechanisms of brain malfunctions and memory impairments that are found in pathologies such as dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, etc. Quantum physics approaches are applicable to issues of modeling cognition and decision-making processes, as well as in cognitive research, information processing by the human brain, artificial intelligence development, psychology, social and political sciences. Application of the abstract mathematical principles of quantum theory can help in understanding human consciousness and behavior. Quantum probability theory is applied to modeling human behavior due to the prevalence of uncertainty in human interaction with the world. Quantum cognitive models are especially useful in research in such areas as errors in decision making, order effects of questions, conceptual combinations, accumulation of evidence, perception, etc. Of particular interest to researchers are issues of quantum-like modeling of cognition and decision-making processes, the apparatus of quantum information and probability theory, useful for such modeling, as well as the use of such apparatus in cognitive research, the development of artificial intelligence, psychology, social and political sciences.
Mathematical frameworks of quantum theory have recently been adopted in cognitive and behavioral sciences, to explain the violations of normative decision theory and anomalies in cognition. However, to date, no study has attempted to explore neural implementations of such “quantum-like” information processing in the brain. This study demonstrates that neural population coding of information with nonlinear neural response functions can account for such “quantum” information processing in decision-making and cognition. It is also shown that quantum decision theory is a special case of more general population vector cording theory. Future applications of the present theory in the rapidly evolving field of “psychophysical neuroeconomics” are also discussed.
ABSTRACT Recent advances at the intersection of quantum physics, neuroscience, and cognitive science have renewed interest in whether quantum phenomena and quantum‐inspired formalisms can inform models of human cognition and decision‐making. While classical neural and computational models explain many aspects of perception and behavior, they face limitations in accounting for contextuality, order effects, probabilistic reasoning violations, ambiguity resolution, and rapid information integration. This review synthesizes evidence and theoretical frameworks linking quantum‐related principles to cognition, with emphasis on quantum sensing in biological systems, molecular and subcellular quantum‐relevant mechanisms, quantum‐to‐classical transition pathways, quantum‐inspired models of perception and decision‐making, and quantum‐inspired computational approaches. It also extends beyond the probabilistic arm of quantum cognition by considering emerging equilibrium‐based and causal‐logical theories, including mental equilibrium, brain‐universe similarity, mind‐light‐matter unity, quantum emergence, and quantum intelligence. Throughout, the review distinguishes physically instantiated quantum mechanisms from abstract quantum‐like formalisms that model contextuality, mental entanglement, and non‐separable cognitive dynamics without requiring sustained macroscopic quantum coherence in the brain. Finally, it identifies methodological challenges and future directions for advancing quantum cognitive science toward experimentally testable and biologically meaningful theories.
This paper demonstrates that some non-classical models of human decision-making can be run successfully as circuits on quantum computers. Since the 1960s, many observed cognitive behaviors have been shown to violate rules based on classical probability and set theory. For example, the order in which questions are posed in a survey affects whether participants answer 'yes' or 'no', so the population that answers 'yes' to both questions cannot be modeled as the intersection of two fixed sets. It can, however, be modeled as a sequence of projections carried out in different orders. This and other examples have been described successfully using quantum probability, which relies on comparing angles between subspaces rather than volumes between subsets. Now in the early 2020s, quantum computers have reached the point where some of these quantum cognitive models can be implemented and investigated on quantum hardware, by representing the mental states in qubit registers, and the cognitive operations and decisions using different gates and measurements. This paper develops such quantum circuit representations for quantum cognitive models, focusing particularly on modeling order effects and decision-making under uncertainty. The claim is not that the human brain uses qubits and quantum circuits explicitly (just like the use of Boolean set theory does not require the brain to be using classical bits), but that the mathematics shared between quantum cognition and quantum computing motivates the exploration of quantum computers for cognition modeling. Key quantum properties include superposition, entanglement, and collapse, as these mathematical elements provide a common language between cognitive models, quantum hardware, and circuit implementations.
Quantum interference effects play a fundamental role in social decision-making, offering a novel perspective beyond classical decision theories. This study explores the theoretical foundations of quantum decision-making, emphasizing the role of quantum probability in explaining cognitive biases, preference reversals, and decision anomalies. The research presents a quantum probability-based decision model and contrasts it with classical probability models. Through theoretical modeling and experimental design, we demonstrate how quantum interference alters decision probabilities and impacts group decision dynamics. The study further examines the applications of quantum decision theory in game theory, policy-making, financial markets, and artificial intelligence. Our findings suggest that quantum probability provides a more comprehensive and realistic framework for understanding human decision-making processes. Future research should focus on empirical validation, interdisciplinary integration, and the application of quantum computing to social decision modeling.