About Me
I study human decision making, focusing broadly on how people evaluate, compare, and choose between different types of options.
My research draws on theories and methods from behavioral economics, cognitive psychology, and computational modeling to understand how judgments and choices emerge from underlying cognitive processes.
I am currently a PhD student in the Economic Psychology Group at the University of Basel, supervised by Prof. Jörg Rieskamp.
Research Interests
Decision Making under Risk and Uncertainty
Exploring how factors such as gain and loss domains, choice complexity, ambiguity, and difference between decision from description or/and experience shape people’s preferences and choices.
Process-Level Analysis of Decisions
Investigating not only choice outcomes but also response times and eye-tracking data to better understand how decisions evolve over time and reflect underlying cognitive mechanisms.
Quantitative and Computational Approaches
Using both frequentist statistical tests and Bayesian cognitive modeling, especially drift diffusion models (DDM) that integrate multiple data sources (choice, response time, and eye tracking). My work emphasizes model fitting, parameter estimation, and posterior predictive validation.
Applications in Real-World Risky Behavior
Broad interest in understanding how principles of risky decision making apply to real-world contexts, such as gambling tendencies, financial investments, and stock market behavior.
Previous Research Projects
| Title | Time | Location | Supervisor |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Impact of Complexity on Risky Choices: An Evidence Accumulation Account | 2023–Present | University of Basel | Prof. Jörg Rieskamp |
| The Impact of Loss Aversion on Suspense and Willingness to Further Engagement | Summer 2022 | University of Edinburgh | Neil Bramley |
| The Influence of Confidence and Importance on Curiosity | Summer 2021 | University of Freiburg | Prof. Andrea Kiesel |
| Effects of Mental Effort and Boredom on Task Choice | Winter 2020 | University of Freiburg | Dr. Markus Spitzer |
Publications
Spitzer, M. W. H.; Janz, J.; Nie, M.; Kiesel, A. (2024). On the interplay of curiosity, confidence, and importance in knowing information. Psychological Research, 88(1), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-023-01841-9
Teaching
FS 2024 – SS 2025
University of Basel · Department of Psychology
- Project Seminar
- Supervision of two student groups
FS 2023 – SS 2024
University of Basel · Department of Psychology
- Project Seminar
- Supervision of two student groups
Education
| Institution | Location | Time | Degree | Additional Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Basel | Basel, Switzerland | 2023–Present | PhD, Economic Psychology | Supervisor: Prof. Jörg Rieskamp |
| University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | 2021–2022 | MSc, Psychological Research (Merit) | — |
| University of Freiburg | Freiburg, Germany | 2018–2021 | B.Sc., Psychology (2.1) | — |
| Beijing Foreign Studies University | Beijing, China | 2014–2018 | B.A., German Literature | — |
Peer Review Services
- • Journal of Experimental Psychology: General — Reviewer (2025)
Contact
Feel free to get in touch for research inquiries or collaboration.
Email: maohua.nie@unibas.ch
ORCID ID: 0009-0005-8695-6664