Decision & Information Systems Laboratory

The Decision and Information Systems Laboratory, under the leadership of Dr. David Illingworth, conducts research in the area of cognitive decision theory. Our primary research program concerns the extension and evaluation of a computational decision-making model called HyGene (Hypothesis Generation). To explore the features of this model, please visit the shiny web application developed by Dr. James Grand (University of Maryland) here. 

Our work is centered on advancing theory related to information foraging and hypothesis testing. Our approach posits that the belief or ideas individuals entertain during the information-gathering process significantly influence their decisions to extract additional data from their environment.

Another research program applies our insights into human information foraging to the design of information systems aimed at facilitating navigation through complex information environments. The models crafted in our laboratory can be fine-tuned to function as decision support tools, assisting professionals in diagnostic decision-making and enhancing the resilience of current applications of artificially intelligent classification systems.