Dr. Roger Ratcliff stands as a preeminent figure in cognitive psychology and mathematical modeling, holding the distinguished position of Distinguished University Professor at The Ohio State University. He serves as a Professor in the Department of Psychology where his research has shaped contemporary understanding of cognitive processes for decades. Dr. Ratcliff earned his PhD from the University of Auckland in 1974 and subsequently joined the Ohio State faculty in 2003, bringing with him an established reputation for methodological rigor and theoretical innovation. His career trajectory reflects a consistent commitment to advancing the mathematical foundations of psychological science through precise modeling approaches.
Dr. Ratcliff's most significant contribution is the development of the diffusion model of decision making, a groundbreaking framework that has revolutionized the study of cognitive processes across multiple disciplines. This mathematical model provides detailed explanations of behavior in two-choice discrimination tasks and has been adopted by researchers worldwide for its explanatory power and predictive accuracy. As the most-published living author in the prestigious journal Psychological Review with thirty publications, his work has generated immense impact across neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and decision sciences. The diffusion decision model has particularly advanced understanding of normal cognitive processing, aging effects, and cognitive deficits, establishing new methodological standards for the field.
His research continues to influence contemporary investigations as he extends diffusion models to single response tasks and confidence judgments in memory, while exploring applications in aging, memory disorders, concussion, and sleep deprivation. Recognized among the top 1% worldwide in career-long citations across all scientific disciplines, Dr. Ratcliff's scholarly impact extends beyond academia to inform clinical practice and theoretical frameworks. His election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015 and receipt of numerous prestigious awards including the Troland Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences underscore his status as a leader in psychological science. Currently, he directs research that integrates EEG, fMRI, and single cell recording data to understand the neural basis of decision making, ensuring his continued influence on both theoretical and applied aspects of cognitive science.
