Mike Oaksford

Professor Michael Robert Oaksford leads the Department of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London, since 2005. He has transformed the department into a leading UK psychology hub, enhancing research quality and securing significant grants. His academic journey began with a Philosophy and Psychology degree at Durham (1982) and a PhD at Edinburgh (1989), focusing on conditional reasoning's cognitive and logical paradoxes. Previously, he held roles at Bangor, Warwick, and Cardiff universities.

His research explores human reasoning and argumentation through Bayesian probabilistic models, challenging traditional logical frameworks. Key contributions include probabilistic accounts of conditional reasoning, emotional influences on decision-making, and critiques of dual-process theories. He argues that apparent 'rationality errors' reflect sensitivity to Bayesian probabilities rather than logical flaws.

Oaksford's awards include the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Award (1995), Spearman Medal (1995), and Fellowships from the British Psychological Society (2001) and Association for Psychological Science. His work bridges cognitive science, philosophy, and artificial intelligence, emphasizing real-world reasoning contexts over lab-based models.

He has championed interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating computational modeling, experimental psychology, and philosophical analysis. His personal interests include coastal exploration, water sports, and rugby, reflecting a balance between academic rigor and personal passions.