Prof Sabina Kleitman (USYD)

Title: TBA

Abstract:

We make thousands of decisions every day, often without realising how complex and costly they can be. In this talk, I will provide an overview of several research programs currently underway in the CODES Lab, with a focus on decision-making, meta-reasoning, and cognitive fitness.

Within the meta-reasoning framework, our group is the first to examine individual differences in giving-up behaviours. The decision to give up is not simply a failure but a metacognitive strategy—one that can reduce errors and resource costs during problem solving. Across a series of studies, we have shown that people give up in systematic ways, and that some strategies are adaptive while others are maladaptive for performance.

I will also discuss our work on collective decision making, highlighting the role of metacognitive confidence and in-group communication in shaping group outcomes.

Finally, I will share findings from our research on cognitive fitness, examining the factors that support mental resilience, adaptability, and sustained performance under pressure.

Together, these programs advance our understanding of how individuals and groups manage the demands of decision-making, and how metacognition and cognitive fitness can be leveraged to improve performance in everyday and high-stakes contexts.

Bio:

Dr Sabina Kleitman is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Sydney, and she is a director of the CODES lab at the School of Psychology. She researches psychological traits underlying decision-making, meta-reasoning, cognitive fitness, resilience, and mental well-being, and how extreme and uncertain conditions affect them. She and her team also develop or assist with developing novel assessment and research tools, and methodologies of significance to various end-users, including Australian Defence.