Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
By Yael Niv, Princeton University: No two events are alike. But still, we learn, which means that we implicitly decide what events are similar enough that experience with one can inform us about what to do in another. We have suggested that this relies on parsing of incoming information into “clusters” according to inferred hidden (latent) causes. In this talk, I will present this theory and illustrate its breadth in explaining human learning. I will then suggest some ways in which latent cause inference can help understanding mental health conditions and their treatment.
By Yael Niv, Princeton University: No two events are alike. But still, we learn, which means that we implicitly decide what events are similar enough that experience with one can inform us about what to do in another. We have suggested that this relies on parsing of incoming information into “clusters” according to inferred hidden (latent) causes. In this talk, I will present this theory and illustrate its breadth in explaining human learning. I will then suggest some ways in which latent cause inference can help understanding mental health conditions and their treatment.
