#xphi — Public Fediverse posts

Is #Amazon going to sunset #mTurk?

As of July 30 2026, #AWS will no longer accept new customers (requestors).

"Existing customers can continue to use the service as normal."

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sagemaker/latest/dg/sms-workforce-management-public.html

#cogSci #psychology #xPhi #AI #tech #news #crowdWork #gigWork #surveyResearch

Is #Amazon going to sunset #mTurk?

As of July 30 2026, #AWS will no longer accept new customers (requestors).

"Existing customers can continue to use the service as normal."

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sagemaker/latest/dg/sms-workforce-management-public.html

#cogSci #psychology #xPhi #AI #tech #news #crowdWork #gigWork #surveyResearch

I'm at #Duke to share methods and results from Socratic Reflection experiments to the Advances in Decision Analysis #conference:

#2026ADA website: https://conferences.fuqua.duke.edu/2026-informs-advances-in-decision-analysis-conference

Follow the URL below for our results and my posts about other talks or posters I see.

#cogSci #xPhi #AI

I'm at #Duke to share methods and results from Socratic Reflection experiments to the Advances in Decision Analysis #conference:

#2026ADA website: https://conferences.fuqua.duke.edu/2026-informs-advances-in-decision-analysis-conference

Follow the URL below for our results and my posts about other talks or posters I see.

#cogSci #xPhi #AI

Can 3-6 year-olds distinguish between reliable vs. unreliable informants?

A study of 93 #kids found the children were sensitive to source reliability, with limited abilities to generalize across contexts.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2026.106547

#devPsych #cogSci #epistemology #xPhi #parenting

Can 3-6 year-olds distinguish between reliable vs. unreliable informants?

A study of 93 #kids found the children were sensitive to source reliability, with limited abilities to generalize across contexts.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2026.106547

#devPsych #cogSci #epistemology #xPhi #parenting

There’s something new and exciting on the X-Phi Blog: »Where Should I Publish My X-Phi? A New Resource« https://xphi.net/2026/04/22/where-should-i-publish-my-x-phi-a-new-resource/ #xphi #philosophy

There’s something new and exciting on the X-Phi Blog: »Where Should I Publish My X-Phi? A New Resource« https://xphi.net/2026/04/22/where-should-i-publish-my-x-phi-a-new-resource/ #xphi #philosophy

What helps people understand conversational cues?

Correctly identifying implications correlated not just with "theory of mind", but also reflective and logical reasoning. Short-term memory? Not so much.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0339899

#communication #cogSci #linguistics #xPhi #logic

What helps people understand conversational cues?

Correctly identifying implications correlated not just with "theory of mind", but also reflective and logical reasoning. Short-term memory? Not so much.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0339899

#communication #cogSci #linguistics #xPhi #logic

Is moral advice more compelling if it includes an argument? What if it's from an #AI?

Advice strongly influenced decisions to sacrifice-one-to-save-five, regardless of whether advice
- came from #chatGPT (3.5).
- included an argument.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-026-01005-6

#xPhi #ethics #edu

Is moral advice more compelling if it includes an argument? What if it's from an #AI?

Advice strongly influenced decisions to sacrifice-one-to-save-five, regardless of whether advice
- came from #chatGPT (3.5).
- included an argument.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-026-01005-6

#xPhi #ethics #edu

How can researchers overcome #AcquiescenceBias?

In a #questionnaire, acquiescence is a tendency to agree with statements or answer affirmatively regardless of survey content.

Alvarado-Leiton et al. report simple ways to mitigate it.

https://doi.org/10.1093/jssam/smaf022

#PsychMethods #xPhi

How can researchers overcome #AcquiescenceBias?

In a #questionnaire, acquiescence is a tendency to agree with statements or answer affirmatively regardless of survey content.

Alvarado-Leiton et al. report simple ways to mitigate it.

https://doi.org/10.1093/jssam/smaf022

#PsychMethods #xPhi

https://philpapers.org/browse/experimental-philosophy

#xPhi #ExperimentalPhilosophy #papers

https://philpapers.org/browse/experimental-philosophy

#xPhi #ExperimentalPhilosophy #papers

"a movement that is blurring the lines between philosophy and psychology. This new approach, called experimental philosophy, aims to apply the practical tools and findings of the cognitive sciences to philosophical problems"

https://thenewjournalatyale.com/2012/04/we-started-the-fire/

#xPhi #ExperimentalPhilosophy

"a movement that is blurring the lines between philosophy and psychology. This new approach, called experimental philosophy, aims to apply the practical tools and findings of the cognitive sciences to philosophical problems"

https://thenewjournalatyale.com/2012/04/we-started-the-fire/

#xPhi #ExperimentalPhilosophy

https://vimeo.com/showcase/8267237?video=1167686450

"Ethics in the Lab: Experimental

Philosophy between Is and Ought"

by https://www.philosophie.uzh.ch/de/seminar/people/research/snf_willemsen/willemsen.html

#xphi

https://vimeo.com/showcase/8267237?video=1167686450

"Ethics in the Lab: Experimental

Philosophy between Is and Ought"

by https://www.philosophie.uzh.ch/de/seminar/people/research/snf_willemsen/willemsen.html

#xphi

Can we assume research participants accept the stipulations of vignettes?

This paper reports that moral dilemma decisions varied according to how much people seemed to believe stipulations (e.g., that intervening would actually save five people).

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1930297500006501 #xPhi

Can we assume research participants accept the stipulations of vignettes?

This paper reports that moral dilemma decisions varied according to how much people seemed to believe stipulations (e.g., that intervening would actually save five people).

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1930297500006501 #xPhi

#xphi

#xphi

There are three new calls on the X-Phi Blog: »6th European Experimental Philosophy Conference«, »Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Linguistic Justice«, and »The Armchair on Trial«. Read more at https://xphi.net! #philosophy #xphi #experimentalphilosophy

There are three new calls on the X-Phi Blog: »6th European Experimental Philosophy Conference«, »Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Linguistic Justice«, and »The Armchair on Trial«. Read more at https://xphi.net! #philosophy #xphi #experimentalphilosophy

Do neuroscientists' claims about #freeWill impact students' #ethics?

A "deterministic passage ...from Crick" sometimes reduced decisions to proactively intervene in moral thought experiments compared to a "neutral #neuroscience text".

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1748028

#xPhi #cogSci #edu

Do neuroscientists' claims about #freeWill impact students' #ethics?

A "deterministic passage ...from Crick" sometimes reduced decisions to proactively intervene in moral thought experiments compared to a "neutral #neuroscience text".

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1748028

#xPhi #cogSci #edu

Another #failedReplication of a reflection test priming effect on the #sideEffectEffect: https://doi.org/10.1111/mila.12558

But our data above cast doubt on this paper's expectation that reflection test primes actually cause reflection (we saw *less* reflection in the test-first group).

#cogSci #xPhi #Psych

Another #failedReplication of a reflection test priming effect on the #sideEffectEffect: https://doi.org/10.1111/mila.12558

But our data above cast doubt on this paper's expectation that reflection test primes actually cause reflection (we saw *less* reflection in the test-first group).

#cogSci #xPhi #Psych

We've found recruiting people for online #research via #onlineAdvertising yielded good results on overt and covert #dataQuality measures (perhaps because participation incentives aren't financial):

Attention checks passed ≅ 2.6 out of 3

ReCAPTCHA (v3) ≅ 0.94 out of 1.0

Sample size > 5000 (from six continents)

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412525000198

#surveyMethods #cogSci #psychology #xPhi #QualityControl #econ #marketing

We've found recruiting people for online #research via #onlineAdvertising yielded good results on overt and covert #dataQuality measures (perhaps because participation incentives aren't financial):

Attention checks passed ≅ 2.6 out of 3

ReCAPTCHA (v3) ≅ 0.94 out of 1.0

Sample size > 5000 (from six continents)

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412525000198

#surveyMethods #cogSci #psychology #xPhi #QualityControl #econ #marketing

People DID find formal explanations more satisfying when the category seemed unknown!

But only the most reflective thinkers realized tautological (uninformative) formal explanations were less satisfying than informative ones.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70101

#xPhi #cogSci #SciComm
2/2

People DID find formal explanations more satisfying when the category seemed unknown!

But only the most reflective thinkers realized tautological (uninformative) formal explanations were less satisfying than informative ones.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70101

#xPhi #cogSci #SciComm
2/2

Does #morality of a violation depend on your relationship to the wrongdoer?

People from #China and the #UnitedStates rated transgressions involving parents less immoral than transgressions involving a #sales person or superiors (N > 1200).

https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081097

#ethics #xPhi

Does #morality of a violation depend on your relationship to the wrongdoer?

People from #China and the #UnitedStates rated transgressions involving parents less immoral than transgressions involving a #sales person or superiors (N > 1200).

https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081097

#ethics #xPhi

There’s a new journal in town: Experimental Philosophy. Read about it at the X-Phi Blog: https://xphi.net/2025/11/15/journal-experimental-philosophy/ #xphi #philosophy

The first sessions of this season’s “XPHI UK Work in Progress Workshop Series” have been announced by James Andow and Eugen Fischer. Take a look at the X-Phi Blog: https://xphi.net/2025/11/15/workshop-xphi-uk-work-in-progress-workshop-series-3/ #xphi #philosophy

There’s a new job announcement on the X-Phi Blog: Eugen Fischer is looking for a 6-month Research Associate to work in the research project »Experimental argument analysis«. Check it out at https://xphi.net/2025/10/27/job-experimental-argument-analysis-norwich-uk/! #xphi #philosophy

There are some new calls and announcements on the X-Phi Blog! Take a look at https://xphi.net/! #xphi #experimentalphilosophy #philosophy

Is solipsism measurable?

Seven studies developed a self-report scale of how much one doubts that others exist (beyond one's own mind).

It correlated with loneliness, social disconnection, aggression, and problematic gaming.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113463?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica-Text-posts

#xPhi #psychometrics.#psych

Is solipsism measurable?

Seven studies developed a self-report scale of how much one doubts that others exist (beyond one's own mind).

It correlated with loneliness, social disconnection, aggression, and problematic gaming.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113463?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica-Text-posts

#xPhi #psychometrics.#psych

There is something new in the X-Phi Blog’s »Hot Off The Press« series. My book »Empirical Studies on Questions of Need-Based Distributive Justice« has just been published! https://xphi.net/2025/10/08/hot-off-the-press-empirical-studies-on-questions-of-need-based-distributive-justice/ #philosophy #xphi #distributivejustice #justice

How can #AI and #cognitiveScience improve #healthcare?

We got some answers from the #NudgesInHealthcare Symposium at #UPenn.

Check out this summary of some themes in the write-up below:

https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/in-the-loop-or-on-the-loop-the-conundrum-of-ai-clinical-decision-support/

#medicine #psych #econ #compSci #tech #LLM #edu #bioethics #xPhi

How can #AI and #cognitiveScience improve #healthcare?

We got some answers from the #NudgesInHealthcare Symposium at #UPenn.

Check out this summary of some themes in the write-up below:

https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/in-the-loop-or-on-the-loop-the-conundrum-of-ai-clinical-decision-support/

#medicine #psych #econ #compSci #tech #LLM #edu #bioethics #xPhi

Thousands of people in a dozen countries thought reflective reasoning was usually the best way to make a decision in ordinary dilemmas.

Runners up were intuition, friends' advice, and the wisdom of a crowd (in that order).

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.1355

#cogSci #epistemology #xPhi

Thousands of people in a dozen countries thought reflective reasoning was usually the best way to make a decision in ordinary dilemmas.

Runners up were intuition, friends' advice, and the wisdom of a crowd (in that order).

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.1355

#cogSci #epistemology #xPhi

Might the concept of "good judgment" vary by framing or social roles?

Five studies of four countries (🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧🇨🇳) found some words and roles were more associated with "rational" than "reasonable" (and vice versa).

https://doi.org/10.1162/opmi.a.24

#CogSci #xPhi #linguistics #dataViz

Might the concept of "good judgment" vary by framing or social roles?

Five studies of four countries (🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧🇨🇳) found some words and roles were more associated with "rational" than "reasonable" (and vice versa).

https://doi.org/10.1162/opmi.a.24

#CogSci #xPhi #linguistics #dataViz

Can #AI chatbots handle student discussion better than teachers?

In a controlled study of 83 Chinese adolescents, dialogue with a #generativeAI resulted in more learning than dialogue with a human teacher.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2025.2521339

#edu #LLM #tech #teaching #policy #CogSci #xPhi

Can #AI chatbots handle student discussion better than teachers?

In a controlled study of 83 Chinese adolescents, dialogue with a #generativeAI resulted in more learning than dialogue with a human teacher.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2025.2521339

#edu #LLM #tech #teaching #policy #CogSci #xPhi

"We do not assume [system 2 is] always better ...than [system 1], or vice versa, .... Some tasks might be better handled by S1..., especially once the system has acquired enough experience": https://doi.org/10.1145/3715709

Amen! https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2505.22987

#cogSci #AI #xPhi #epistemology

"We do not assume [system 2 is] always better ...than [system 1], or vice versa, .... Some tasks might be better handled by S1..., especially once the system has acquired enough experience": https://doi.org/10.1145/3715709

Amen! https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2505.22987

#cogSci #AI #xPhi #epistemology

This week I share a text message and infographic that improved decisions about #existentialRisk: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/d2pc4

#AntibioticResistance kills many.

Misusing #antibiotics makes matters worse.

IAPHS: https://iaphs.org/conference/conference-program

#Nudges in #Healthcare: https://nudgeunit.my.canva.site/symposium-2025-webpage

#medicine #health #psychology #ethics #Philosophy #xPhi #BioXPhi

How do #AI systems’ decisions about #economics and morality differ from humans’?

Some #language models “show excessive cooperation and limited incentive sensitivity, while #reasoning models …align more… with payoff-maximizing strategies.”

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2507.20796

#xPhi #tech

Do reflection tests impact philosophical thinking?

I found 10 #nullResults of taking reflection tests before (vs. after) making decisions about #philosophy: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/y8sdm_v5

Since Analysis accepted that paper, #xPhi got another null #replication: https://doi.org/10.1111/mila.12558

🧵This week I'm posting about presentations from two cool events (over on Twitter): https://x.com/byrd_nick/status/1943219893291164057

What are the events?
(1) The 1st Experimental Argument Analysis workshop
(2) The 5th European #ExperimentalPhilosophy #Conference

#cogSci #xPhi #Linguistics #Psychology #Logic #edu #teaching

📊🇨🇭 For the next couple days, I'm posting about talks and posters from the 2025 BioXPhi Summit in #Switzerland. Follow on #BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/byrdnick.com/post/3lsim7t6gq22t

The #conference website: https://ibmb.unibas.ch/en/public-outreach/projects-to-the-public/basel-oxford-nus-bioxphi-summit-2025/

#bioethics #xPhi #medicine #healthcare #policy #cogSci #psychology #AI