👋 Welcome! This page lists some random ideas I had for research projects that students can work on.
If you are interested in any of the projects below, feel free to reach out via the contact details below.
My research focuses on formal cognitive models of decision making and (error-driven) learning, and the neural mechanisms that underlie them. I use mathematical and computational models to understand how and why people make the decisions they do — and what goes on in the brain when they do so.
Students working on projects with me will gain hands-on experience in computational cognitive modelling: building, fitting, and interpreting formal models of human behaviour. This is a slightly different and much more formal approach to cognitive psychology than often taught in Bachelor programmes on Psychology, so there'll be plenty to learn!
You will be embedded in an active research group with weekly lab meetings, together with other researchers working on cognitive modelling and cognitive neuroscience. This means you won't be working in isolation — you'll have regular contact with the broader group, opportunities to present your work, and exposure to ongoing research beyond your own project.
There is ample opportunity to develop expertise in cognitive modelling done in a principled way, including full Bayesian hierarchical analyses. Whether you come in with prior experience or are new to these methods, the projects let you build real, transferable skills in computational modelling and data analysis.
Projects are flexible. The descriptions below outline the core ideas and goals, but there is room to shape the project around what you find most interesting — whether that is more on the empirical side (experimental design, data collection) or the modelling side (formal model development and analysis). You are also welcome to propose a new project (but I might think it's too ambitious or too far away from my expertise :-) )
| # | Title | Level | Duration | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Parameter Variability Across Open-Access Datasets | MSc | 3-6 months | Between-dataset differences |
| 02 | Volatility-Dependent Learning Rates | MSc | 3-6 months | Volatility in learning |
| 03 | The Cognitive Basis of Sequential Effects | MSc | 3-6 months | Sequential effects in decision making |
- Read the project description carefully.
- Check that you meet the required knowledge.
- Send me an email
Steven Miletić
Assistant Professor, Cognitive Psychology, Leiden University
Last updated: June 2026