Jonathan Phillips
@jsphillips.bsky.social
Cognitive scientist / philosopher working on modality and high level cognition.
Cognitive science at Dartmouth
https://phillab.host.dartmouth.edu/
Photo credit: Justin Khoo
Cognitive science at Dartmouth
https://phillab.host.dartmouth.edu/
Photo credit: Justin Khoo
Pinned
Jonathan Phillips
@jsphillips.bsky.social
· Oct 23
Cognitive Science Graduate Admissions – Information about graduate admissions from the cognitive science faculty
sites.dartmouth.edu
We're excited to announce that Cognitive Science at Dartmouth is recruiting PhD students to work collaboratively with me, Steven Frankland, and Fred Callaway. Come study the principles and mechanisms that enable us to understand, plan, and act in the world! Info: sites.dartmouth.edu/cogscigrad/
Just a quick reminder that applications for our new cross-lab PhD training model in cognitive science at Dartmouth are due Dec. 1. We're quite excited about this new approach, so please reach out if you have any questions!!
We're excited to announce that Cognitive Science at Dartmouth is recruiting PhD students to work collaboratively with me, Steven Frankland, and Fred Callaway. Come study the principles and mechanisms that enable us to understand, plan, and act in the world! Info: sites.dartmouth.edu/cogscigrad/
Cognitive Science Graduate Admissions – Information about graduate admissions from the cognitive science faculty
sites.dartmouth.edu
November 25, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Just a quick reminder that applications for our new cross-lab PhD training model in cognitive science at Dartmouth are due Dec. 1. We're quite excited about this new approach, so please reach out if you have any questions!!
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
🧠 New paper alert! Can people infer others’ values not from what they choose, but simply from what comes to mind? Across four studies, we show they can—drawing on an intuitive theory of how options are generated.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106238
👇
doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106238
👇
Redirecting
doi.org
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
🧠 New paper alert! Can people infer others’ values not from what they choose, but simply from what comes to mind? Across four studies, we show they can—drawing on an intuitive theory of how options are generated.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106238
👇
doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2025.106238
👇
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
New article w/ M Pabla & @orifriedman.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
When children claim an unexpected event is impossible they also claim it's never happened, even for immoral events, suggesting their judgments reflect beliefs about what could happen & not merely what should.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
When children claim an unexpected event is impossible they also claim it's never happened, even for immoral events, suggesting their judgments reflect beliefs about what could happen & not merely what should.
October 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM
New article w/ M Pabla & @orifriedman.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
When children claim an unexpected event is impossible they also claim it's never happened, even for immoral events, suggesting their judgments reflect beliefs about what could happen & not merely what should.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
When children claim an unexpected event is impossible they also claim it's never happened, even for immoral events, suggesting their judgments reflect beliefs about what could happen & not merely what should.
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
In case you don't know already, the journal Open Mind has a Bluesky account that automatically posts new papers:
@openmindjournal.bsky.social
The journal is diamond open access (free to read, free to publish) thanks to the support of MIT Press, Harvard Library, & MIT Library.
@openmindjournal.bsky.social
The journal is diamond open access (free to read, free to publish) thanks to the support of MIT Press, Harvard Library, & MIT Library.
October 24, 2025 at 12:03 PM
In case you don't know already, the journal Open Mind has a Bluesky account that automatically posts new papers:
@openmindjournal.bsky.social
The journal is diamond open access (free to read, free to publish) thanks to the support of MIT Press, Harvard Library, & MIT Library.
@openmindjournal.bsky.social
The journal is diamond open access (free to read, free to publish) thanks to the support of MIT Press, Harvard Library, & MIT Library.
We're excited to announce that Cognitive Science at Dartmouth is recruiting PhD students to work collaboratively with me, Steven Frankland, and Fred Callaway. Come study the principles and mechanisms that enable us to understand, plan, and act in the world! Info: sites.dartmouth.edu/cogscigrad/
Cognitive Science Graduate Admissions – Information about graduate admissions from the cognitive science faculty
sites.dartmouth.edu
October 23, 2025 at 5:30 PM
We're excited to announce that Cognitive Science at Dartmouth is recruiting PhD students to work collaboratively with me, Steven Frankland, and Fred Callaway. Come study the principles and mechanisms that enable us to understand, plan, and act in the world! Info: sites.dartmouth.edu/cogscigrad/
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
Happy to announce that my lab @ Yale Psychology (actcompthink.org) will be accepting PhD applications this year (for start in Fall '26)!
Come for the fun experiments on human learning, memory, & skilled behavior, stay for the best 🍕 in the US.
Please reach out if you have any questions!
Come for the fun experiments on human learning, memory, & skilled behavior, stay for the best 🍕 in the US.
Please reach out if you have any questions!
Homepage of the Action, Computation, & Thinking (ACT) Lab, Yale department of psychology
actcompthink.org
July 24, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Happy to announce that my lab @ Yale Psychology (actcompthink.org) will be accepting PhD applications this year (for start in Fall '26)!
Come for the fun experiments on human learning, memory, & skilled behavior, stay for the best 🍕 in the US.
Please reach out if you have any questions!
Come for the fun experiments on human learning, memory, & skilled behavior, stay for the best 🍕 in the US.
Please reach out if you have any questions!
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
If you’ll be at #CogSci2025, consider (or at least consider considering) attending our @cogscisociety.bsky.social workshop on meta reasoning
🤔🤨🧐
We’ll be discussing problem selection through various lenses represented by a great lineup of speakers!
🤔🤨🧐
We’ll be discussing problem selection through various lenses represented by a great lineup of speakers!
Meta-reasoning @ CogSci
Workshop Description
People are general purpose problem solvers. We obtain food and shelter, manage companies, solve moral dilemmas, spend years toiling away at thorny math problems, and even adopt a...
sites.google.com
June 24, 2025 at 2:01 AM
If you’ll be at #CogSci2025, consider (or at least consider considering) attending our @cogscisociety.bsky.social workshop on meta reasoning
🤔🤨🧐
We’ll be discussing problem selection through various lenses represented by a great lineup of speakers!
🤔🤨🧐
We’ll be discussing problem selection through various lenses represented by a great lineup of speakers!
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
A key takeaway from 20+ years of computational RL is: model-free=automatic, model-based=deliberate. My new paper w/ @benedek.bsky.social challenges this view, suggesting that MB algos are more ubiquitous, & automatic processing more sophisticated, than currently thought: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Model-based algorithms shape automatic evaluative processing | PNAS
Computational theories of reinforcement learning suggest that two families of algorithm—model-based
and model-free—tightly map onto the classic dis...
www.pnas.org
June 21, 2025 at 1:41 AM
A key takeaway from 20+ years of computational RL is: model-free=automatic, model-based=deliberate. My new paper w/ @benedek.bsky.social challenges this view, suggesting that MB algos are more ubiquitous, & automatic processing more sophisticated, than currently thought: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
In the second most important election happening today, I'm on the slate for potential new members of the governing board for the Cognitive Science Society! If you're a member, check your email for a link to vote and #DontRankCuomo
June 24, 2025 at 9:13 PM
In the second most important election happening today, I'm on the slate for potential new members of the governing board for the Cognitive Science Society! If you're a member, check your email for a link to vote and #DontRankCuomo
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
JOB!
3yr funded post-doc in Theory of Mind inspired by the knowledge first epistemology of Williamson, and the work of @jsphillips.bsky.social. Looking at knowledge and ignorance processing in adults with me and Richard O'Connor at the Uni of Hull. Please re-post.
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNE794/p...
3yr funded post-doc in Theory of Mind inspired by the knowledge first epistemology of Williamson, and the work of @jsphillips.bsky.social. Looking at knowledge and ignorance processing in adults with me and Richard O'Connor at the Uni of Hull. Please re-post.
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNE794/p...
May 22, 2025 at 11:03 AM
JOB!
3yr funded post-doc in Theory of Mind inspired by the knowledge first epistemology of Williamson, and the work of @jsphillips.bsky.social. Looking at knowledge and ignorance processing in adults with me and Richard O'Connor at the Uni of Hull. Please re-post.
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNE794/p...
3yr funded post-doc in Theory of Mind inspired by the knowledge first epistemology of Williamson, and the work of @jsphillips.bsky.social. Looking at knowledge and ignorance processing in adults with me and Richard O'Connor at the Uni of Hull. Please re-post.
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNE794/p...
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
bit of good news: approved technical staff position! link below. please be in touch if this matches your skills & interests! drive.google.com/file/d/16J2J... (hr listing posted harvard-internal now; external soon, per guidelines), happy for ?s & plan on quick turnaround! #CogSciSky #PsychSciSky 🐦🐦
research_data_specialist_Bergelson_ad_2025.pdf
drive.google.com
May 19, 2025 at 3:01 PM
bit of good news: approved technical staff position! link below. please be in touch if this matches your skills & interests! drive.google.com/file/d/16J2J... (hr listing posted harvard-internal now; external soon, per guidelines), happy for ?s & plan on quick turnaround! #CogSciSky #PsychSciSky 🐦🐦
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
🏔️ Brad is lost in the wilderness—but doesn’t know there’s a town nearby. Was he forced to stay put?
In our #CogSci2025 paper, we show that judgments of what’s possible—and whether someone had to act—depend on what agents know.
📰 osf.io/preprints/ps...
w/ Matt Mandelkern & @jsphillips.bsky.social
In our #CogSci2025 paper, we show that judgments of what’s possible—and whether someone had to act—depend on what agents know.
📰 osf.io/preprints/ps...
w/ Matt Mandelkern & @jsphillips.bsky.social
May 16, 2025 at 12:04 PM
🏔️ Brad is lost in the wilderness—but doesn’t know there’s a town nearby. Was he forced to stay put?
In our #CogSci2025 paper, we show that judgments of what’s possible—and whether someone had to act—depend on what agents know.
📰 osf.io/preprints/ps...
w/ Matt Mandelkern & @jsphillips.bsky.social
In our #CogSci2025 paper, we show that judgments of what’s possible—and whether someone had to act—depend on what agents know.
📰 osf.io/preprints/ps...
w/ Matt Mandelkern & @jsphillips.bsky.social
Couldn't be more thrilled that Fred is coming to join us!! Dartmouth Cognitive Science is quickly growing into a group of amazing colleagues that I feel lucky to have around and think with!
Despite the world being on fire, I can't help but be thrilled to announce that I'll be starting as an Assistant Professor in the Cognitive Science Program at Dartmouth in Fall '26. I'll be recruiting grad students this upcoming cycle—get in touch if you're interested!
May 12, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Couldn't be more thrilled that Fred is coming to join us!! Dartmouth Cognitive Science is quickly growing into a group of amazing colleagues that I feel lucky to have around and think with!
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
Now out in JPSP ‼️
"Inference from social evaluation" with Zach Davis, Kelsey Allen, @maxkw.bsky.social, and @julianje.bsky.social
📃 (paper): psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...
📜 (preprint): osf.io/preprints/ps...
"Inference from social evaluation" with Zach Davis, Kelsey Allen, @maxkw.bsky.social, and @julianje.bsky.social
📃 (paper): psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...
📜 (preprint): osf.io/preprints/ps...
April 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Now out in JPSP ‼️
"Inference from social evaluation" with Zach Davis, Kelsey Allen, @maxkw.bsky.social, and @julianje.bsky.social
📃 (paper): psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...
📜 (preprint): osf.io/preprints/ps...
"Inference from social evaluation" with Zach Davis, Kelsey Allen, @maxkw.bsky.social, and @julianje.bsky.social
📃 (paper): psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...
📜 (preprint): osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
Are humans the only species that communicates when a collaborator is missing information?
In @pnas.org, Luke Townrow and I show that our closest relatives, bonobos, can track when a partner is knowledgeable or ignorant, and tailor communication accordingly
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
In @pnas.org, Luke Townrow and I show that our closest relatives, bonobos, can track when a partner is knowledgeable or ignorant, and tailor communication accordingly
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
February 3, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Are humans the only species that communicates when a collaborator is missing information?
In @pnas.org, Luke Townrow and I show that our closest relatives, bonobos, can track when a partner is knowledgeable or ignorant, and tailor communication accordingly
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
In @pnas.org, Luke Townrow and I show that our closest relatives, bonobos, can track when a partner is knowledgeable or ignorant, and tailor communication accordingly
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
In a new paper, we demonstrate the perception of possibilities but show that the processes underlying this phenomenon occur before the information reaches high-level cognition. The representation of these possibilities is distinctly perceptual(!) and separate from cognition. osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
April 24, 2025 at 3:22 PM
In a new paper, we demonstrate the perception of possibilities but show that the processes underlying this phenomenon occur before the information reaches high-level cognition. The representation of these possibilities is distinctly perceptual(!) and separate from cognition. osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
Are you interested in research experience before applying to PhD programs? Or just want to learn more about cognitive science? Consider joining my lab as a lab manager (joint w/the Griffiths Lab). We will begin reviewing applications one week from today: cognition.princeton.edu/news/2025/op...
Open Position for Lombrozo/Griffiths Lab Manager (starting Fall 2025)
The Lombrozo and Griffiths Labs at Princeton University are seeking a full-time lab manager to begin August 14, 2025, but there is some flexibility. You can apply here. Applications will be reviewed b...
cognition.princeton.edu
April 7, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Are you interested in research experience before applying to PhD programs? Or just want to learn more about cognitive science? Consider joining my lab as a lab manager (joint w/the Griffiths Lab). We will begin reviewing applications one week from today: cognition.princeton.edu/news/2025/op...
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
Our new paper with Max Taylor-Davies introduces a resource-rational model of Theory of Mind.
The model can explain many of the successes and failures of mindreading in human adults and children, and non-human primates. 🧵
The model can explain many of the successes and failures of mindreading in human adults and children, and non-human primates. 🧵
March 31, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Our new paper with Max Taylor-Davies introduces a resource-rational model of Theory of Mind.
The model can explain many of the successes and failures of mindreading in human adults and children, and non-human primates. 🧵
The model can explain many of the successes and failures of mindreading in human adults and children, and non-human primates. 🧵
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
For anybody interested in this sort of thing, I think this is a valuable resource.
A graph of articles in the SEP (standord encyclopaedia of philosophy), showing connections; it can help explore the field.
www.visualizingsep.com#/domain/epis...
#Philosophy #philsky #SEP #graph #catalogue
A graph of articles in the SEP (standord encyclopaedia of philosophy), showing connections; it can help explore the field.
www.visualizingsep.com#/domain/epis...
#Philosophy #philsky #SEP #graph #catalogue
Visualizing SEP: An Interactive Visualization and Search Engine for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
www.visualizingsep.com
March 27, 2025 at 5:53 PM
For anybody interested in this sort of thing, I think this is a valuable resource.
A graph of articles in the SEP (standord encyclopaedia of philosophy), showing connections; it can help explore the field.
www.visualizingsep.com#/domain/epis...
#Philosophy #philsky #SEP #graph #catalogue
A graph of articles in the SEP (standord encyclopaedia of philosophy), showing connections; it can help explore the field.
www.visualizingsep.com#/domain/epis...
#Philosophy #philsky #SEP #graph #catalogue
In a new preprint (doi.org/10.31234/osf...) a huge range of data+methods shows that people can evaluate what others know without first evaluating what they think/believe. Representations of knowledge seem to be an independent and conceptually primitive way of representing others' minds. 🧵 below!
doi.org
March 26, 2025 at 3:43 PM
In a new preprint (doi.org/10.31234/osf...) a huge range of data+methods shows that people can evaluate what others know without first evaluating what they think/believe. Representations of knowledge seem to be an independent and conceptually primitive way of representing others' minds. 🧵 below!
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
🚨 Now accepting commentary proposals!! 🚨Thrilled to share that our paper --- "Resource-rational contractualism: A triple theory of moral cognition" --- was accepted for publication at Behavioral and Brain Sciences and is open for commentary!
February 12, 2025 at 8:20 PM
🚨 Now accepting commentary proposals!! 🚨Thrilled to share that our paper --- "Resource-rational contractualism: A triple theory of moral cognition" --- was accepted for publication at Behavioral and Brain Sciences and is open for commentary!
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
🔊 New paper just accepted in JPSP 🥳
In "Inference from social evaluation", we explore how people use social evaluations, such as judgments of blame or praise, to figure out what happened.
📜 osf.io/preprints/ps...
📎 github.com/cicl-stanfor...
1/6
In "Inference from social evaluation", we explore how people use social evaluations, such as judgments of blame or praise, to figure out what happened.
📜 osf.io/preprints/ps...
📎 github.com/cicl-stanfor...
1/6
January 23, 2025 at 4:53 PM
🔊 New paper just accepted in JPSP 🥳
In "Inference from social evaluation", we explore how people use social evaluations, such as judgments of blame or praise, to figure out what happened.
📜 osf.io/preprints/ps...
📎 github.com/cicl-stanfor...
1/6
In "Inference from social evaluation", we explore how people use social evaluations, such as judgments of blame or praise, to figure out what happened.
📜 osf.io/preprints/ps...
📎 github.com/cicl-stanfor...
1/6
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
Deadline extended! Submit your abstracts by Friday, January 31 at 11:59 PM Eastern.
Society for Philosophy and Psychology 2025 (June 19-21, 2025 at Cornell) is going to be 🔥🔥🔥 and the submission portal is now live! Submit abstracts of 750 words+1 figure by Jan 24, 2025 at 11:59pm EST easychair.org/my/conferenc....
Log in to EasyChair for SPP2025
easychair.org
January 23, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Deadline extended! Submit your abstracts by Friday, January 31 at 11:59 PM Eastern.
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
psyarxiv.com/y3dzn preprint from the time i spent at @hartleylabnyu.bsky.social 💜 - we were puzzled by past findings suggesting that children learn about the structure of the world, but don't use this knowledge to flexibly guide their decision-making as much as adults do.
OSF
psyarxiv.com
January 20, 2025 at 10:16 PM
psyarxiv.com/y3dzn preprint from the time i spent at @hartleylabnyu.bsky.social 💜 - we were puzzled by past findings suggesting that children learn about the structure of the world, but don't use this knowledge to flexibly guide their decision-making as much as adults do.
Reposted by Jonathan Phillips
For the Dartmouth PBS graduate student visiting day this year, we introduced a new format based on the "Hot Ones" talk show: faculty and current graduate students ate nuggets with a series of increasing spicy hot sauces as they answered questions from prospective grad students! 🌶️🔥🥵
January 20, 2025 at 5:44 PM
For the Dartmouth PBS graduate student visiting day this year, we introduced a new format based on the "Hot Ones" talk show: faculty and current graduate students ate nuggets with a series of increasing spicy hot sauces as they answered questions from prospective grad students! 🌶️🔥🥵