3) how should we think about old psychology today? one lesson from the replication crisis of 10 years ago is that effects are probably much smaller than the older work made it seem.
aside from in-your-face phenomena like visual illusions, the effects are probably not huge (e.g., semantic priming)
aside from in-your-face phenomena like visual illusions, the effects are probably not huge (e.g., semantic priming)
November 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
3) how should we think about old psychology today? one lesson from the replication crisis of 10 years ago is that effects are probably much smaller than the older work made it seem.
aside from in-your-face phenomena like visual illusions, the effects are probably not huge (e.g., semantic priming)
aside from in-your-face phenomena like visual illusions, the effects are probably not huge (e.g., semantic priming)
the authors concede in a reply to pauer et al. that "skepticism about our [null] results is warranted given the findings related to perceived choice."
so: this was a positive replication of 2 dissonance effects, with some hard-to-interpret data regarding choice. far from the end of dissonance
so: this was a positive replication of 2 dissonance effects, with some hard-to-interpret data regarding choice. far from the end of dissonance
November 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
the authors concede in a reply to pauer et al. that "skepticism about our [null] results is warranted given the findings related to perceived choice."
so: this was a positive replication of 2 dissonance effects, with some hard-to-interpret data regarding choice. far from the end of dissonance
so: this was a positive replication of 2 dissonance effects, with some hard-to-interpret data regarding choice. far from the end of dissonance
so perhaps this was not really a low-choice condition, but "medium-choice".
then, lishner and pauer et al. analyzed the data and found that, despite the lack of difference between conditions, increases in perceived choice across and within conditions significantly correlate with attitude change!
then, lishner and pauer et al. analyzed the data and found that, despite the lack of difference between conditions, increases in perceived choice across and within conditions significantly correlate with attitude change!
November 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
so perhaps this was not really a low-choice condition, but "medium-choice".
then, lishner and pauer et al. analyzed the data and found that, despite the lack of difference between conditions, increases in perceived choice across and within conditions significantly correlate with attitude change!
then, lishner and pauer et al. analyzed the data and found that, despite the lack of difference between conditions, increases in perceived choice across and within conditions significantly correlate with attitude change!
but the "low-choice" participants did not indicate that they felt unfree: instead, they indicated a mean of 4.44 on a scale of 1-9 (9 being the most free), and "high-choice" had a mean of 6.50.
as the authors note in a follow-up paper, this is higher than "low-choice" in *over 90%* of studies (!!)
as the authors note in a follow-up paper, this is higher than "low-choice" in *over 90%* of studies (!!)
November 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
but the "low-choice" participants did not indicate that they felt unfree: instead, they indicated a mean of 4.44 on a scale of 1-9 (9 being the most free), and "high-choice" had a mean of 6.50.
as the authors note in a follow-up paper, this is higher than "low-choice" in *over 90%* of studies (!!)
as the authors note in a follow-up paper, this is higher than "low-choice" in *over 90%* of studies (!!)
croyle & cooper originally found that choice did matter. vaidis et al. did not replicate this: high-choice and low-choice were the same.
however, this was not because there was no evidence for dissonance effects, it was rather because dissonance effects were observed for *both* conditions
however, this was not because there was no evidence for dissonance effects, it was rather because dissonance effects were observed for *both* conditions
November 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
croyle & cooper originally found that choice did matter. vaidis et al. did not replicate this: high-choice and low-choice were the same.
however, this was not because there was no evidence for dissonance effects, it was rather because dissonance effects were observed for *both* conditions
however, this was not because there was no evidence for dissonance effects, it was rather because dissonance effects were observed for *both* conditions
so doubts about the scientific standards of "When Prophecy Fails" are not new, or especially relevant to dissonance theory.
it's not very different from concerns re: the story about ben franklin flying a kite in a lightning storm; relevant for history, not so much for the study of electromagnetism
it's not very different from concerns re: the story about ben franklin flying a kite in a lightning storm; relevant for history, not so much for the study of electromagnetism
November 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
so doubts about the scientific standards of "When Prophecy Fails" are not new, or especially relevant to dissonance theory.
it's not very different from concerns re: the story about ben franklin flying a kite in a lightning storm; relevant for history, not so much for the study of electromagnetism
it's not very different from concerns re: the story about ben franklin flying a kite in a lightning storm; relevant for history, not so much for the study of electromagnetism
the lack of effect of choice is completely consistent with festinger's original theory and some more contemporary versions of dissonance theory, as the authors explicitly say. it is an interesting null result but it is not a troubling one for the core claims of dissonance theory.
November 6, 2025 at 2:57 PM
the lack of effect of choice is completely consistent with festinger's original theory and some more contemporary versions of dissonance theory, as the authors explicitly say. it is an interesting null result but it is not a troubling one for the core claims of dissonance theory.
josh, this is also misleading. they successfully replicated the two central claims of dissonance theory: attitude change, and increased negative affect. the latter is inconsistent with virtually every extant alternative to dissonance theory.
November 6, 2025 at 2:57 PM
josh, this is also misleading. they successfully replicated the two central claims of dissonance theory: attitude change, and increased negative affect. the latter is inconsistent with virtually every extant alternative to dissonance theory.
it's beautiful work, and it's exactly the sort of thing we had in mind as an alternative to model-based planning. rewarding randomly generated activity to build a route in a spacetime attractor network is v different from using an internal model to simulate counterfactuals and select among options
September 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
it's beautiful work, and it's exactly the sort of thing we had in mind as an alternative to model-based planning. rewarding randomly generated activity to build a route in a spacetime attractor network is v different from using an internal model to simulate counterfactuals and select among options
nyc baby, greatest city in the world
September 24, 2025 at 3:55 AM
nyc baby, greatest city in the world
We argue that the data do not support this (surprisingly common) interpretation. Hippocampal replay is often spatially fractured and physically unrealizable, and lacks the small-scale dynamics that would be necessary to support model-based planning. Other functions are more plausible. (3/7)
September 22, 2025 at 4:49 PM
We argue that the data do not support this (surprisingly common) interpretation. Hippocampal replay is often spatially fractured and physically unrealizable, and lacks the small-scale dynamics that would be necessary to support model-based planning. Other functions are more plausible. (3/7)
Many researchers think that cognitive maps in the hippocampus are used for implicit simulations in humans and non-human animals, both during waking states and sleep. This view is based on activation patterns that correspond to spatial information and aid future navigation. (2/7)
September 22, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Many researchers think that cognitive maps in the hippocampus are used for implicit simulations in humans and non-human animals, both during waking states and sleep. This view is based on activation patterns that correspond to spatial information and aid future navigation. (2/7)
this is from the paper. it's also important to think about what the actual plausible rival explanations of the effects are; it's hard to see how an orientation-based story, e.g., can capture the real-world size effects
August 19, 2025 at 6:03 PM
this is from the paper. it's also important to think about what the actual plausible rival explanations of the effects are; it's hard to see how an orientation-based story, e.g., can capture the real-world size effects
you wouldn't understand
August 9, 2025 at 7:46 PM
you wouldn't understand
more random exclamation points in working memory papers please
August 9, 2025 at 2:26 AM
more random exclamation points in working memory papers please
i think core cognitive representations are supposed to be concepts in one sense (they have a certain kind of inferential role and abstract content), but not fully concepts in another sense (they have a different format from, and are more closely tied to perception than, lexical and logical concepts)
August 2, 2025 at 6:38 PM
i think core cognitive representations are supposed to be concepts in one sense (they have a certain kind of inferential role and abstract content), but not fully concepts in another sense (they have a different format from, and are more closely tied to perception than, lexical and logical concepts)
cool photo of me and @noamchompers.bsky.social
June 21, 2025 at 1:47 AM
cool photo of me and @noamchompers.bsky.social
i am being attacked
May 4, 2025 at 12:50 AM
i am being attacked
found this open on my laptop. no idea what it was going to be but i bet it would've been cool
March 24, 2025 at 4:42 PM
found this open on my laptop. no idea what it was going to be but i bet it would've been cool
nobody gets it like david marr
January 29, 2025 at 9:19 PM
nobody gets it like david marr