Daniel Leising
@leising.bsky.social
Psychology Professor at TU Dresden. One of five speakers of Network for Sustainable Research (@nnwiss.bsky.social) [views my own].
The next important step on this journey will be to develop clearer theoretical ideas of the individual descriptor properties, and of the ways in which they are functionally related to one another. Exciting, but challenging. We're working on it...
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
The next important step on this journey will be to develop clearer theoretical ideas of the individual descriptor properties, and of the ways in which they are functionally related to one another. Exciting, but challenging. We're working on it...
Despite their (current) shortcomings, LLM-based ratings of descriptor properties may soon help us overcome this grave limitation because *any set of items* (e.g., from an already published study) may be easily assessed this way, a posteriori.
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Despite their (current) shortcomings, LLM-based ratings of descriptor properties may soon help us overcome this grave limitation because *any set of items* (e.g., from an already published study) may be easily assessed this way, a posteriori.
However, to this day, most psychometric research still ignores them, making data analyses a lot less informative than they could be.
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
However, to this day, most psychometric research still ignores them, making data analyses a lot less informative than they could be.
Descriptor properties have been the subject of psychological research for decades, including seminal contributions by (e.g.) Edwards (1953), Funder & Dobroth (1987), and John & Robins (1993).
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Descriptor properties have been the subject of psychological research for decades, including seminal contributions by (e.g.) Edwards (1953), Funder & Dobroth (1987), and John & Robins (1993).
Going beyond previous work, we also used LLM-based ratings of the same properties, finding that they resemble human-based ratings quite a bit, but should not (yet) be treated as being entirely interchangeable with them.
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Going beyond previous work, we also used LLM-based ratings of the same properties, finding that they resemble human-based ratings quite a bit, but should not (yet) be treated as being entirely interchangeable with them.
Using a new sample of participants who generated a new sample of terms, most of the previous findings that we targeted were indeed replicated (e.g., the pattern of correlations among the six descriptor properties).
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Using a new sample of participants who generated a new sample of terms, most of the previous findings that we targeted were indeed replicated (e.g., the pattern of correlations among the six descriptor properties).
Investigating these, and the ways in which they interact with other factors (e.g., in the perceiver, the target, or in the relationship between perceiver and target), is crucial because most psychometric assessment (e.g., by means of questionnaires or interviews) uses natural-language items.
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Investigating these, and the ways in which they interact with other factors (e.g., in the perceiver, the target, or in the relationship between perceiver and target), is crucial because most psychometric assessment (e.g., by means of questionnaires or interviews) uses natural-language items.
We looked into a variety of properties that distinguish person-descriptive terms in the natural language ("person descriptors") from each other: Social Desirability, Observability, Abstractness, Stability, Importance, and Base Rate.
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
We looked into a variety of properties that distinguish person-descriptive terms in the natural language ("person descriptors") from each other: Social Desirability, Observability, Abstractness, Stability, Importance, and Base Rate.
The paper presents the outcome of a pre-registered replication study.
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
The paper presents the outcome of a pre-registered replication study.
Probably true. Also unsurprising in a field in which almost no-one has sufficient expertise in developing, describing, and evaluating theories. A limitation that we really, really have to overcome if we want to be able to take ourselves seriously (should have happened decades ago).
November 27, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Probably true. Also unsurprising in a field in which almost no-one has sufficient expertise in developing, describing, and evaluating theories. A limitation that we really, really have to overcome if we want to be able to take ourselves seriously (should have happened decades ago).
If you're interested, I have a whole list of relevant movies / documentations that I am using as learning materials in our Master's program Human Performance in Socio-Technical Systems.
You will find 30 examples here
osf.io/preprints/ps...
You will find 30 examples here
osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
November 26, 2025 at 6:44 AM
If you're interested, I have a whole list of relevant movies / documentations that I am using as learning materials in our Master's program Human Performance in Socio-Technical Systems.
You will find 30 examples here
osf.io/preprints/ps...
You will find 30 examples here
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Both screenings are open to the public, will begin at 7:30 pm, and be preceded by a brief introduction into the general topic. Admission is free.
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Both screenings are open to the public, will begin at 7:30 pm, and be preceded by a brief introduction into the general topic. Admission is free.
On February 4th, I will present the movie "Spotlight" (2015), recapitulating the Boston Globe's reporting into the pervasive sexual abuse by priests within the Catholic Church.
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
On February 4th, I will present the movie "Spotlight" (2015), recapitulating the Boston Globe's reporting into the pervasive sexual abuse by priests within the Catholic Church.
On January 7th, I will present the movie "She said" (2022), detailing the groundbreaking investigative reporting by Megan Twohey and Jody Kantor (New York Times) in the Weinstein case.
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
On January 7th, I will present the movie "She said" (2022), detailing the groundbreaking investigative reporting by Megan Twohey and Jody Kantor (New York Times) in the Weinstein case.
I would like to sincerely thank the cinema's staff for making this possible.
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
I would like to sincerely thank the cinema's staff for making this possible.
To help raise awareness of this ubiquitous, unsolved problem, I will present two movies highlighting high-profile cases from the recent past. This I do in collaboration with TU Dresden's student cinema "Kino im Kasten" (KiK).
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
To help raise awareness of this ubiquitous, unsolved problem, I will present two movies highlighting high-profile cases from the recent past. This I do in collaboration with TU Dresden's student cinema "Kino im Kasten" (KiK).
When stakes are especially high, the fear of harming one's institution, and the fear of being ostracized in return, may easily trump all other considerations (e.g., accountability, honesty).
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
When stakes are especially high, the fear of harming one's institution, and the fear of being ostracized in return, may easily trump all other considerations (e.g., accountability, honesty).
And because fear of retaliation and fear of harming the organization increase with how scandalous the matter is. The problem is exacerbated in times of heightened inter-institutional competition (e.g., over funding).
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
And because fear of retaliation and fear of harming the organization increase with how scandalous the matter is. The problem is exacerbated in times of heightened inter-institutional competition (e.g., over funding).
And, no, it is *not* just the milder cases that are shoved under the rug this way. In fact, the motive to stay silent often *increases* with the severity of the case: Because victims who are more heavily traumatized avoid the topic more.
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
And, no, it is *not* just the milder cases that are shoved under the rug this way. In fact, the motive to stay silent often *increases* with the severity of the case: Because victims who are more heavily traumatized avoid the topic more.
Regardless of the motivation, a typical outcome is that misconduct goes on undetected and unsanctioned for years, or decades. Many victims and witnesses choose to remain silent long after they have left the organization.
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Regardless of the motivation, a typical outcome is that misconduct goes on undetected and unsanctioned for years, or decades. Many victims and witnesses choose to remain silent long after they have left the organization.
Employee silence may be explained quite well in terms of factors such as (a) fear of retaliation, (b) loyalty to the organization or some of its members, (c) uncertainty about ethical standards, (d) lack of trust in the existing oversight mechanisms, etc. (Knoll & van Dick, 2013; Brinsfield, 2013).
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Employee silence may be explained quite well in terms of factors such as (a) fear of retaliation, (b) loyalty to the organization or some of its members, (c) uncertainty about ethical standards, (d) lack of trust in the existing oversight mechanisms, etc. (Knoll & van Dick, 2013; Brinsfield, 2013).
Such behaviour is not a rare exception. In many institutions, it is actually the norm. This includes most of the academic institutions that I know - and I have visited several dozen of those in the past two years.
November 25, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Such behaviour is not a rare exception. In many institutions, it is actually the norm. This includes most of the academic institutions that I know - and I have visited several dozen of those in the past two years.
Mehr Tenure Track ist keine gute Idee. Das führt, wie ich selbst beobachten konnte, nur zu maximaler Anpassungsbereitschaft an die höchst problematischen Parameter des aktuellen Systems. Und Angepasstheit haben wir in der Deutschen Wissenschaft weiß Gott genug.
November 24, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Mehr Tenure Track ist keine gute Idee. Das führt, wie ich selbst beobachten konnte, nur zu maximaler Anpassungsbereitschaft an die höchst problematischen Parameter des aktuellen Systems. Und Angepasstheit haben wir in der Deutschen Wissenschaft weiß Gott genug.