Burak Sonmez
@buraksonmez.bsky.social
Associate Professor in Quantitative Social Science at UCL. Runs models by day, oscillators by night.
brksnmz.github.io
brksnmz.github.io
Pinned
Burak Sonmez
@buraksonmez.bsky.social
· Sep 11
🚨 New pre-print with @sergioloiacono.bsky.social
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
I don’t get why the data aren’t publicly available for the study (in a Nature outlet)!
The behavior measured looks more like norm conformity than anything prosocial.
Key modeling details are also missing (e.g clustering by ride).
And without a comparison costume 🤡, can you claim this effect? 🫠
The behavior measured looks more like norm conformity than anything prosocial.
Key modeling details are also missing (e.g clustering by ride).
And without a comparison costume 🤡, can you claim this effect? 🫠
Science will often take you to unexpected and delightful places. In this study, researchers hypothesized that riders in a crowded subway car would be more likely to offer their seat to a pregnant person if there were someone in the subway car dressed as Batman 🧪🦇
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
November 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I don’t get why the data aren’t publicly available for the study (in a Nature outlet)!
The behavior measured looks more like norm conformity than anything prosocial.
Key modeling details are also missing (e.g clustering by ride).
And without a comparison costume 🤡, can you claim this effect? 🫠
The behavior measured looks more like norm conformity than anything prosocial.
Key modeling details are also missing (e.g clustering by ride).
And without a comparison costume 🤡, can you claim this effect? 🫠
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
As @seanjwestwood.bsky.social's terrifying new PNAS article demonstrates, LLMs can now pass almost every attention check, mirror personas, stay consistent across pages, and systematically bias responses in the aggregate.
So here’s a different angle: verify physical presence, not text.
So here’s a different angle: verify physical presence, not text.
November 24, 2025 at 2:57 PM
As @seanjwestwood.bsky.social's terrifying new PNAS article demonstrates, LLMs can now pass almost every attention check, mirror personas, stay consistent across pages, and systematically bias responses in the aggregate.
So here’s a different angle: verify physical presence, not text.
So here’s a different angle: verify physical presence, not text.
Time for the polygenic remix
New evidence that twin estimates of heritability should be adjusted downward by about half
So there you have it, twin study estimates were greatly inflated, and molecular data sets the record straight. I walk through possible counter-arguments, but ultimately the uncomfortable truth is that genes contribute to traits much less than we always thought.
November 22, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Time for the polygenic remix
As a way moving forward, upstream vetting and downstream behavioural metadata help expose synthetic distributions, so the focus shouldn’t be only on chasing individual bots
Online panel quality has always been a cat-and-mouse game. Sophistication of fraud followed by sophistication of detection. IMO doomerism-bias doesn’t help, yet it just lowers the quality of peer review over time.
November 19, 2025 at 11:58 AM
As a way moving forward, upstream vetting and downstream behavioural metadata help expose synthetic distributions, so the focus shouldn’t be only on chasing individual bots
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
New #openaccess study
We made >16,000 visa appointment requests at German embassies and consulates worldwide
Key finding: The poorer the country, the longer the wait time and the lower the chance to get an appointment.
"A time panelty for the Global South?"
shorturl.at/ZiAFb
We made >16,000 visa appointment requests at German embassies and consulates worldwide
Key finding: The poorer the country, the longer the wait time and the lower the chance to get an appointment.
"A time panelty for the Global South?"
shorturl.at/ZiAFb
November 19, 2025 at 10:30 AM
New #openaccess study
We made >16,000 visa appointment requests at German embassies and consulates worldwide
Key finding: The poorer the country, the longer the wait time and the lower the chance to get an appointment.
"A time panelty for the Global South?"
shorturl.at/ZiAFb
We made >16,000 visa appointment requests at German embassies and consulates worldwide
Key finding: The poorer the country, the longer the wait time and the lower the chance to get an appointment.
"A time panelty for the Global South?"
shorturl.at/ZiAFb
Online panel quality has always been a cat-and-mouse game. Sophistication of fraud followed by sophistication of detection. IMO doomerism-bias doesn’t help, yet it just lowers the quality of peer review over time.
November 19, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Online panel quality has always been a cat-and-mouse game. Sophistication of fraud followed by sophistication of detection. IMO doomerism-bias doesn’t help, yet it just lowers the quality of peer review over time.
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
Forthcoming in the AER: "Gender Differences in Economics Seminars" by Pascaline Dupas, Amy Handlan, Alicia Sasser Modestino, Muriel Niederle, Mateo Seré, Haoyu Sheng, Justin Wolfers, and Seminar Dynamics Collective. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Gender Differences in Economics Seminars
(Forthcoming Article) - We assess whether men and women are treated differently when presenting their economics research. We collected data across thousands of seminars, job market talks and conferenc...
www.aeaweb.org
October 21, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Forthcoming in the AER: "Gender Differences in Economics Seminars" by Pascaline Dupas, Amy Handlan, Alicia Sasser Modestino, Muriel Niederle, Mateo Seré, Haoyu Sheng, Justin Wolfers, and Seminar Dynamics Collective. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
Recently accepted by #QJE, “Digital Distractions with Peer Influence: The Impact of Mobile App Usage on Academic and Labor Market Outcomes,” by Barwick, Chen, Fu, and Li: doi.org/10.1093/qje/...
Digital Distractions with Peer Influence: The Impact of Mobile App Usage on Academic and Labor Market Outcomes*
Abstract. Concerns about excessive mobile phone use among youth are mounting. We present estimates of both behavioral and contextual peer effects, along wi
doi.org
October 17, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Recently accepted by #QJE, “Digital Distractions with Peer Influence: The Impact of Mobile App Usage on Academic and Labor Market Outcomes,” by Barwick, Chen, Fu, and Li: doi.org/10.1093/qje/...
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
AI Surrogates and illusions of generalizability in cognitive science
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have generated enthusiasm for using AI simulations of human research participants to generate new know…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
Almost 2026.
Randomised. Balanced.
Still rejected for omitted variable bias.
Formal training in sociology keeps failing the peer review system 🫠
Randomised. Balanced.
Still rejected for omitted variable bias.
Formal training in sociology keeps failing the peer review system 🫠
October 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Almost 2026.
Randomised. Balanced.
Still rejected for omitted variable bias.
Formal training in sociology keeps failing the peer review system 🫠
Randomised. Balanced.
Still rejected for omitted variable bias.
Formal training in sociology keeps failing the peer review system 🫠
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
And the 1st Replication Award of the Academy of Sociology goes to..
Sergio Lo Iacono, Wojtek Przepiorka, Vincent Buskens, Rense Corten, Marcel van Assen, and Arnout van de Rijt
for "The competitive advantage of sanctioning institutions revisited: A multilab replication"
#AkadSoz25 #sociology
1/
Sergio Lo Iacono, Wojtek Przepiorka, Vincent Buskens, Rense Corten, Marcel van Assen, and Arnout van de Rijt
for "The competitive advantage of sanctioning institutions revisited: A multilab replication"
#AkadSoz25 #sociology
1/
October 9, 2025 at 10:18 AM
And the 1st Replication Award of the Academy of Sociology goes to..
Sergio Lo Iacono, Wojtek Przepiorka, Vincent Buskens, Rense Corten, Marcel van Assen, and Arnout van de Rijt
for "The competitive advantage of sanctioning institutions revisited: A multilab replication"
#AkadSoz25 #sociology
1/
Sergio Lo Iacono, Wojtek Przepiorka, Vincent Buskens, Rense Corten, Marcel van Assen, and Arnout van de Rijt
for "The competitive advantage of sanctioning institutions revisited: A multilab replication"
#AkadSoz25 #sociology
1/
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
I’m a newbie on Substack 🚀
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
October 7, 2025 at 2:39 PM
I’m a newbie on Substack 🚀
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
I’m a newbie on Substack 🚀
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
October 7, 2025 at 2:39 PM
I’m a newbie on Substack 🚀
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
Scholarship opportunities for studying MSc/MA Sociology (shorturl.at/RiL2P) @sriucl.bsky.social:
📌Master's Bursary: shorturl.at/gKkvx
📌Global Master's Scholarship: shorturl.at/sift7
📌Humanitarian Scholarship: shorturl.at/y9qsL
📌Chevening: www.chevening.org
Applications open from October 13!
📌Master's Bursary: shorturl.at/gKkvx
📌Global Master's Scholarship: shorturl.at/sift7
📌Humanitarian Scholarship: shorturl.at/y9qsL
📌Chevening: www.chevening.org
Applications open from October 13!
September 29, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Scholarship opportunities for studying MSc/MA Sociology (shorturl.at/RiL2P) @sriucl.bsky.social:
📌Master's Bursary: shorturl.at/gKkvx
📌Global Master's Scholarship: shorturl.at/sift7
📌Humanitarian Scholarship: shorturl.at/y9qsL
📌Chevening: www.chevening.org
Applications open from October 13!
📌Master's Bursary: shorturl.at/gKkvx
📌Global Master's Scholarship: shorturl.at/sift7
📌Humanitarian Scholarship: shorturl.at/y9qsL
📌Chevening: www.chevening.org
Applications open from October 13!
🚨 Job alert: Postdoc at NYU Abu Dhabi. You’ll uncover how group boundaries form online using virtual experiments + digital trace data and work with a fantastic trio: Mario Molina, Minsu Park & Blaine Robbins. Apply by 1 Nov 2025. 👇🏼
apply.interfolio.com/173544
apply.interfolio.com/173544
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:10 AM
🚨 Job alert: Postdoc at NYU Abu Dhabi. You’ll uncover how group boundaries form online using virtual experiments + digital trace data and work with a fantastic trio: Mario Molina, Minsu Park & Blaine Robbins. Apply by 1 Nov 2025. 👇🏼
apply.interfolio.com/173544
apply.interfolio.com/173544
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
Welcome to @aksoyundan.bsky.social, who has joined us as Associate Professor in Sociology! 🎉
His research covers religious behaviour, cooperation and trust 🤝
Game theory, statistical and computational methods are amongst his research tools 💻🎲
www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/people/ozan-...
His research covers religious behaviour, cooperation and trust 🤝
Game theory, statistical and computational methods are amongst his research tools 💻🎲
www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/people/ozan-...
Ozan Aksoy
www.sociology.ox.ac.uk
September 19, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Welcome to @aksoyundan.bsky.social, who has joined us as Associate Professor in Sociology! 🎉
His research covers religious behaviour, cooperation and trust 🤝
Game theory, statistical and computational methods are amongst his research tools 💻🎲
www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/people/ozan-...
His research covers religious behaviour, cooperation and trust 🤝
Game theory, statistical and computational methods are amongst his research tools 💻🎲
www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/people/ozan-...
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
New paper, using conjoint experiments to study ingroup preferences across multiple settings (neighborhoods, civic orgs, sports clubs) and social dimensions (age, ethnicity, education). We also link people's choices in the experiments to the real-world contexts they are embedded in.
More info 👇
More info 👇
New Open Access paper published in PNAS Nexus! “Ingroup preferences, segregation, and intergroup contact in neighborhoods and civic organizations” with my co-authors Rob Franken, @dingemanwiertz.bsky.social, and Jochem Tolsma. doi.org/10.1093/pnas... Thread below.
doi.org
September 18, 2025 at 9:52 AM
New paper, using conjoint experiments to study ingroup preferences across multiple settings (neighborhoods, civic orgs, sports clubs) and social dimensions (age, ethnicity, education). We also link people's choices in the experiments to the real-world contexts they are embedded in.
More info 👇
More info 👇
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
thinking is a tankless job
September 17, 2025 at 7:03 PM
thinking is a tankless job
Recruiters on LinkedIn keep pitching me their MBA programmes. Either it’s a bad algorithm, or they think I’ve possibly made terrible life choices
September 17, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Recruiters on LinkedIn keep pitching me their MBA programmes. Either it’s a bad algorithm, or they think I’ve possibly made terrible life choices
Each year I shelve those *work* folders into desktop_YEAR in the cloud and never look at them again, where they quietly decay into digital compost
2025 me is regretting 2000 me's decision to create a folder called "Kim_Work."
I created it to hold all the stuff that wasn't directly related to my own research, courses, or students.
2000 me, fresh out of grad school, was hopelessly naive about how much of my job would fall into this category.
I created it to hold all the stuff that wasn't directly related to my own research, courses, or students.
2000 me, fresh out of grad school, was hopelessly naive about how much of my job would fall into this category.
September 17, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Each year I shelve those *work* folders into desktop_YEAR in the cloud and never look at them again, where they quietly decay into digital compost
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
🚨 New pre-print with @sergioloiacono.bsky.social
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
September 11, 2025 at 9:32 AM
🚨 New pre-print with @sergioloiacono.bsky.social
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
Come join me in wonderful Copenhagen! 🇩🇰
My department is looking to fill at least two positions - any specialization and any level! The University of Copenhagen aims to be the best place for the best ideas. What’s yours?
Apply by Nov 15.
My department is looking to fill at least two positions - any specialization and any level! The University of Copenhagen aims to be the best place for the best ideas. What’s yours?
Apply by Nov 15.
Call for two or more open-rank academic positions in Sociology
jobportal.ku.dk
September 11, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Come join me in wonderful Copenhagen! 🇩🇰
My department is looking to fill at least two positions - any specialization and any level! The University of Copenhagen aims to be the best place for the best ideas. What’s yours?
Apply by Nov 15.
My department is looking to fill at least two positions - any specialization and any level! The University of Copenhagen aims to be the best place for the best ideas. What’s yours?
Apply by Nov 15.
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
We're hiring an Assistant Professor in Computational Social Science ❗
📚 jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
Apply before 26 October and join an internationally outstanding group of social science methodologists 🌎
📚 jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
Apply before 26 October and join an internationally outstanding group of social science methodologists 🌎
September 11, 2025 at 3:09 PM
We're hiring an Assistant Professor in Computational Social Science ❗
📚 jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
Apply before 26 October and join an internationally outstanding group of social science methodologists 🌎
📚 jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
Apply before 26 October and join an internationally outstanding group of social science methodologists 🌎
🚨 New pre-print with @sergioloiacono.bsky.social
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
September 11, 2025 at 9:32 AM
🚨 New pre-print with @sergioloiacono.bsky.social
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
Reposted by Burak Sonmez
👀 Call for Papers 👀
The BJS Conference is back! 23rd and 24th of April 2026 at LSE. Please submit an abstract by October 20th and share widely. It’s going to be 💥
www.lse.ac.uk/sociology/br...
The BJS Conference is back! 23rd and 24th of April 2026 at LSE. Please submit an abstract by October 20th and share widely. It’s going to be 💥
www.lse.ac.uk/sociology/br...
British Journal of Sociology Conference
Find out more about the BJS conference 2026, which will provide an in-person platform for academics across the discipline to advance their research.
www.lse.ac.uk
September 5, 2025 at 9:51 AM
👀 Call for Papers 👀
The BJS Conference is back! 23rd and 24th of April 2026 at LSE. Please submit an abstract by October 20th and share widely. It’s going to be 💥
www.lse.ac.uk/sociology/br...
The BJS Conference is back! 23rd and 24th of April 2026 at LSE. Please submit an abstract by October 20th and share widely. It’s going to be 💥
www.lse.ac.uk/sociology/br...