ABSTRACT
The preceding chapters applied a rational analysis to a large number of phenomena in cognitive psychology. Each chapter has taken an aspect of cognition and showed that it reflected an optimal performance, in a Bayesian sense, in an uncertain environment. Rational analysis, as practiced in this book, involves three kinds of assumptions: assumptions about the goals of a certain aspect of human cognition, assumptions about the structure of the environment relevant to achieving these goals, and assumptions about costs. Optimal behavior can be predicted by assuming that the system maximizes its goals while it minimizes its costs.
