Dr Rani Moran
Lecturer in Psychology
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Decision Making, Reinforcement Learning, Cognitive Maps, Human memory, Exploration Exploitation Dillema, Metacognition
Interests
Broadly, my research concerns the mechanisms supporting decision-making, memory and learning with a focus on how flexible control mechanisms guide behaviour. I seek to identify these mechanisms using cleverly crafted experimental designs, computational modelling, pharmacological manipulations, neuroimaging, and advanced statistical analysis of empirical data. My vision is that a better understanding of these processes will allow us to develop interventions promoting their effective usage.Current interests include:
- Model Based and Model Free Reinforcement Learning
- Credit Assignment
- The Functions of Cognitive Maps
- Sequential Sampling Models of Evidence Accumulation
- Exploration-Exploitation Dilemma
- Learning biases elicited by Disinformation
Publications
Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Brain and Behaviour2024
Fradkin I, Adams RA, Siegelman N, Moran R and Dolan RJ (2024). Latent mechanisms of language disorganization relate to specific dimensions of psychopathology. Nature Mental Health, Springer Nature, 1-12. 25-11-2024
Luettgau L, Erdmann T, Veselic S, Stachenfeld KL, Kurth-Nelson Z, Moran R and Dolan RJ (2024). Decomposing dynamical subprocesses for compositional generalization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences vol. 121 (46), e2408134121-e2408134121. 08-11-2024
Gronau QF, Moran R and Eidels A (2024). Efficiency in redundancy. Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 14 (1) 24-07-2024
Russek EM, Moran R, Liu Y, Dolan RJ and Huys QJM (2024). Heuristics in risky decision-making relate to preferential representation of information. Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 15 (1) 20-05-2024
2023
Fradkin I, Adams R, Siegelman N, Moran R and Dolan R (2023). 71. A Transdiagnostic Investigation of the Computational Mechanisms of Formal Thought Disorder. Biological Psychiatry, Elsevier vol. 93 (9), s122-s123. 01-05-2023
Fradkin I, Adams R, Siegelman N, Moran R and Dolan R (2023). A Transdiagnostic Investigation of the Computational Mechanisms of Formal Thought Disorder. 01-01-2023
Vidal-Perez J, Dolan RJ and Moran R (2023). Learning from Disinformation. 2023 Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience. 01-01-2023
Luettgau L, Moran R, Erdmann T, Veselic S, Stachenfeld KL, Kurth-Nelson Z and Dolan RJ (2023). Factorization of graphs in the compositional reuse of experience. 2023 Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience. 01-01-2023
2022
Bang D, Moran R, Daw ND and Fleming SM (2022). Neurocomputational mechanisms of confidence in self and others. Nature Communications, Nature Research vol. 13 (1) 01-12-2022
Dubois M, Bowler A, Moses-Payne ME, Habicht J, Moran R, Steinbeis N and Hauser TU (2022). Exploration heuristics decrease during youth. Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, Springer Nature vol. 22 (5), 969-983. 01-10-2022
Navajas J, Armand O, Moran R, Bahrami B and Deroy O (2022). Diversity of opinions promotes herding in uncertain crowds. Royal Society Open Science, The Royal Society vol. 9 (6), 191497-191497. 22-06-2022
Glickman M, Moran R and Usher M (2022). Evidence integration and decision confidence are modulated by stimulus consistency. Nature Human Behaviour, Nature Research vol. 6 (7), 988-999. 04-04-2022
2021
Mazor M, Moran R and Fleming SM (2021). Metacognitive asymmetries in visual perception. Neuroscience of Consciousness, Oxford University Press (OUP) vol. 2021 (1) 13-12-2021
Mazor M, Moran R and Fleming SM (2021). Erratum to: Stage 1 registered report: metacognitive asymmetries in visual perception and Stage 2 registered report: metacognitive asymmetries in visual perception. Neuroscience of Consciousness, Oxford University Press (OUP) vol. 2021 (1) 13-12-2021
Deserno L, Moran R, Michely J, Lee Y, Dayan P and Dolan RJ (2021). Dopamine enhances model-free credit assignment through boosting of retrospective model-based inference. eLife, eLife Sciences Publications vol. 10 01-12-2021
Niv L, Moran R and Algom D (2021). The nature of Garner interference: The role of uncertainty, information, and variation in the breakdown in selective attention. Cognition, Elsevier vol. 218 09-11-2021
Bullmore E, Dolan RJ, Goodyer I, Fonagy P, Jones P, Moutoussis M, Hauser T, Neufeld S, Romero-Garcia R, Clair MS, Vértes P, Whitaker K, Inkster B, Prabhu G, Ooi C, Toseeb U, Widmer B, Bhatti J, Villis L, Alrumaithi A, et al. (2021). Assigning the right credit to the wrong action: compulsivity in the general population is associated with augmented outcome-irrelevant value-based learning. Translational Psychiatry, Springer Nature vol. 11 (1), 564-564. 05-11-2021
Deserno L, Moran R, Lee Y, Michely J, Dayan P and Dolan R (2021). Dopamine Enhances Model-Free Credit Assignment Through Boosting of Retrospective Model-Based Inference. Biological Psychiatry, Elsevier vol. 89 (9) 01-05-2021
Moran R, Dayan P and Dolan RJ (2021). Efficiency and prioritization of inference-based credit assignment. Current Biology, Cell Press vol. 31 (13), 2747-2756.e6. 21-04-2021
Mazor M, Moran R and Fleming SM (2021). Metacognitive asymmetries in visual perception. Neuroscience of Consciousness, Oxford University Press vol. 2021 (2) 10-03-2021
Moran R, Dayan P and Dolan RJ (2021). Human subjects exploit a cognitive map for credit assignment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences vol. 118 (4) 26-01-2021
Moran R, Keramati M and Dolan RJ (2021). Model based planners reflect on their model-free propensities. PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science (PLoS) vol. 17 (1) 07-01-2021
Dubois M, Habicht J, Michely J, Moran R, Dolan RJ and Hauser TU (2021). Human complex exploration strategies are enriched by noradrenaline-modulated heuristics. eLife, eLife vol. 10 04-01-2021
2020
Mark S, Moran R, Parr T, Kennerley SW and Behrens TEJ (2020). Transferring structural knowledge across cognitive maps in humans and models. Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 11 (1) 22-09-2020
Ereira S, Hauser TU, Moran R, Story GW, Dolan RJ and Kurth-Nelson Z (2020). Social training reconfigures prediction errors to shape Self-Other boundaries. Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 11 (1) 15-06-2020
Rollwage M, Loosen A, Hauser TU, Moran R, Dolan RJ and Fleming SM (2020). Confidence drives a neural confirmation bias. Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 11 (1) 26-05-2020
Panis S, Moran R, Wolkersdorfer MP and Schmidt T (2020). Studying the dynamics of visual search behavior using RT hazard and micro-level speed–accuracy tradeoff functions: A role for recurrent object recognition and cognitive control processes. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, Springer Nature vol. 82 (2), 689-714. 15-01-2020
Maimon-Mor RO, Schone HR, Moran R, Brugger P and Makin TR (2020). Motor control drives visual bodily judgements. Cognition, Elsevier vol. 196 13-01-2020
Russek EM, Moran R, McNamee D, Reiter A, Liu Y, Dolan RJ and Huys QJM (2020). Opportunities for emotion and mental health research in the resource-rationality framework. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Cambridge University Press (CUP) vol. 43 01-01-2020
2019
Shahar N, Moran R, Hauser TU, Kievit RA, McNamee D, Moutoussis M, Dolan RJ, Bullmore E, Dolan R, Goodyer I, Fonagy P, Jones P, , Hauser T, Neufeld S, Romero-Garcia R, St Clair M, Vértes P, Whitaker K, Inkster B, et al. (2019). Credit assignment to state-independent task representations and its relationship with model-based decision making. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences vol. 116 (32), 15871-15876. 18-07-2019
Herce Castañón S, Moran R, Ding J, Egner T, Bang D and Summerfield C (2019). Human noise blindness drives suboptimal cognitive inference. Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 10 (1) 12-04-2019
Moran R, Keramati M, Dayan P and Dolan RJ (2019). Retrospective model-based inference guides model-free credit assignment. Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 10 (1) 14-02-2019
Shahar N, Hauser TU, Moutoussis M, Moran R, Keramati M, consortium N and Dolan RJ (2019). Improving the reliability of model-based decision-making estimates in the two-stage decision task with reaction-times and drift-diffusion modeling. PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science (PLoS) vol. 15 (2) 13-02-2019
Mark S, Moran R, Parr T, Kennerley S and Behrens T (2019). A mechanistic account of transferring structural knowledge across cognitive maps. 2019 Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience. 01-01-2019
Rollwage M, Hauser T, Loosen A, Moran R, Dolan R and Fleming S (2019). Confidence Drives a Neural Confirmation Bias. 2019 Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience. 01-01-2019
Dubois M, Habicht J, Michely J, Moran R, Dolan R and Hauser T (2019). Dissociating different forms of random exploration. 2019 Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience. 01-01-2019
2018
Sadeh T, Moran R, Stern Y and Goshen-Gottstein Y (2018). A Remember/Know Examination of Free-recall Reveals Dissociative Roles of Item- and Context-Information over Time. Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 8 (1) 10-09-2018
Shahar N, Pereg M, Teodorescu AR, Moran R, Karmon-Presser A and Meiran N (2018). Formation of abstract task representations: Exploring dosage and mechanisms of working memory training effects. Cognition, Elsevier vol. 181, 151-159. 10-09-2018
Moran R and Tsetsos K (2018). The standard Bayesian model is normatively invalid for biological brains. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Cambridge University Press (CUP) vol. 41 01-01-2018
2017
Bang D, Aitchison L, Moran R, Herce Castanon S, Rafiee B, Mahmoodi A, Lau JYF, Latham PE, Bahrami B and Summerfield C (2017). Confidence matching in group decision-making. Nature Human Behaviour, Springer Nature vol. 1 (6) 26-05-2017
Moran R, Liesefeld HR, Usher M and Müller HJ (2017). An appeal against the item's death sentence: Accounting for diagnostic data patterns with an item-based model of visual search. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Cambridge University Press (CUP) vol. 40 01-01-2017
Müller HJ, Liesefeld HR, Moran R and Usher M (2017). Parallel attentive processing and pre-attentive guidance. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Cambridge University Press (CUP) vol. 40 01-01-2017
2016
Moran R (2016). Thou shalt identify! The identifiability of two high-threshold models in confidence-rating recognition (and super-recognition) paradigms. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, Elsevier vol. 73, 1-11. 01-08-2016
Tsetsos K, Moran R, Moreland JC, Chater N, Usher M and Summerfield C (2016). Reply to Davis-Stober et al.: Violations of rationality in a psychophysical task are not aggregation artifacts. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences vol. 113 (33), e4764-e4766. 26-07-2016
Liesefeld HR, Moran R, Usher M, Müller HJ and Zehetleitner M (2016). Search Efficiency as a Function of Target Saliency: The Transition From Inefficient to Efficient Search and Beyond. Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance, American Psychological Association (APA) vol. 42 (6), 821-836. 01-06-2016
Tsetsos K, Moran R, Moreland J, Chater N, Usher M and Summerfield C (2016). Economic irrationality is optimal during noisy decision making. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences vol. 113 (11), 3102-3107. 29-02-2016
2015
Moran R, Zehetleitner M, Liesefeld HR, Müller HJ and Usher M (2015). Serial vs. parallel models of attention in visual search: accounting for benchmark RT-distributions. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Springer Nature vol. 23 (5), 1300-1315. 03-12-2015
Bronfman ZZ, Brezis N, Moran R, Tsetsos K, Donner T and Usher M (2015). Decisions reduce sensitivity to subsequent information. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, The Royal Society vol. 282 (1810) 07-07-2015
Teodorescu AR, Moran R and Usher M (2015). Absolutely relative or relatively absolute: violations of value invariance in human decision making. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Springer Nature vol. 23 (1), 22-38. 29-05-2015
Moran R and Goshen-Gottstein Y (2015). Old processes, new perspectives: Familiarity is correlated with (not independent of) recollection and is more (not equally) variable for targets than for lures. Cognitive Psychology, Elsevier vol. 79, 40-67. 17-04-2015
Moran R, Teodorescu AR and Usher M (2015). Post choice information integration as a causal determinant of confidence: Novel data and a computational account. Cognitive Psychology, Elsevier vol. 78, 99-147. 08-04-2015
2014
Sadeh T, Moran R and Goshen-Gottstein Y (2014). When items ‘pop into mind’: variability in temporal-context reinstatement in free-recall. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Springer Nature vol. 22 (3), 779-790. 24-10-2014
Moran R (2014). Optimal decision making in heterogeneous and biased environments. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Springer Nature vol. 22 (1), 38-53. 14-06-2014
Brainerd CJ, Gomes CFA and Moran R (2014). The Two Recollections. Psychological Review, American Psychological Association (APA) vol. 121 (4), 563-599. 01-01-2014
2013
Moran R and Goshen-Gottstein Y (2013). The conditional-recency dissociation is confounded with nominal recency: Should unitary models of memory still be devaluated? Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Springer Nature vol. 21 (2), 332-343. 13-09-2013
Moran R, Zehetleitner M, Müller HJ and Usher M (2013). Competitive guided search: Meeting the challenge of benchmark RT distributions. Journal of Vision, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) vol. 13 (8), 24-24. 25-07-2013
Ossmy O, Moran R, Pfeffer T, Tsetsos K, Usher M and Donner TH (2013). The Timescale of Perceptual Evidence Integration Can Be Adapted to the Environment. Current Biology, Elsevier vol. 23 (11), 981-986. 16-05-2013
2012
Shachar AB, Lazarov A, Goldsmith M, Moran R and Dar R (2012). Exploring metacognitive components of confidence and control in individuals with obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, Elsevier vol. 44 (2), 255-261. 08-12-2012
2011
Chayet H, Kost O, Moran R, Lozovsky I, Dimroth F, Kurtz S, Sala G and Bett AW (2011). Efficient, Low Cost Dish Concentrator for a CPV Based Cogeneration System. 01-12-2011