Large language models (LLMs) like chatGPT or DeepSeek AI essentially function via probabilistic next-element prediction. That is, they predict the next word in a sequence based on statistical patterns learned from huge datasets. After waking up from a pretty bizarre dream this morning, I thought about odd similarities between LLM confabulations and dreams, both of… Read more »
In a recent interview with Zhixian Lian from the Chinese Social Sciences Today (CSST), I was asked a number of questions about the value of exploratory research. You can find my answers below—the interview is also available online and was translated to Chinese. After a brief brief summary of exploratory and confirmatory research, it leads… Read more »
Two days ago, five Dutch universities announced discontinuing their English-speaking psychology bachelor programs (1, 2, 3). Here I will briefly explain how this decision came to be, why this is such a serious threat to psychological science in the Netherlands, and what we can do about it. 1. Closing down international psychology bachelor programs To… Read more »
“We are all subject to the fates. But we must act as if we are not, or die of despair.” –Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass 1. The darkness that comes before Your life is shaped by a billion moments and processes and experiences. All of these lead up this current moment, where you are sitting… Read more »
We just published a new paper in JoPACS on the importance of socio-environmental causes of psychopathology (PDF), with the brilliant Merlijn Olthof and Anna Lichtwarck-Aschoff. In this brief blog, I will summarize the paper and add some context. Mental health and socio-environmental risk I’ve been thinking a lot about mental health problems as emerging from… Read more »
I also wanted to make a name for myself in the competitive field of alphabet factoring in psychology. G factor. P factor. I factor. D factor. Aaaaall the factors. My recent list is already outdated. So here I’ll introduce the S factor, for satisfaction. Look how satisfied this little student frog is! Seriously though, there… Read more »
When I talk to friends or family members who do not work in academia, they have beliefs about how science works — beliefs that appear entirely sensible. Most published results are correct or at least plausible, because scientific journals are the most thorough outlets. Errors occur very rarely, and if they do, they are corrected… Read more »
This is a brief commentary by Orestis Zavlis (Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, United King) and me on the recent PNAS paper entitled “Impulsivity is a stable, measurable, and predictive psychological trait”. The paper follows the typical structure of alphabet papers — papers that have established factors of C(ognitive dysfunctioning) or D(ark factor… Read more »
A short blog post for a change, with the goal to preempt expected hype around what is basically a null-finding: Nature Medicine just published a new paper on using Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. I don’t have the 4-6 hours it takes me to vet a paper in detail (requires reading the statistical analysis plan, compare… Read more »
As result of a commentary we wrote, Jama Psychiatry recently published a correction of a serious error in a 2023 paper on treating bipolar depression with psilocybin (together with Ioana Cristea and Florian Naudet). This correction included correcting the title of the paper itself. In this blog, I’ll very briefly discuss the core issue in… Read more »
I just saw that the Daws et al. 2022 paper that was heavily discussed in 2022 and 2023 is still online, and Nature Medicine neither published criticism that has been raised, nor did they publish an expression of concern or correction. I originally came across the paper when one of the authors wrote about it… Read more »
The Dutch science funder NWO released information on the Mosaic 2.0 PhD scholarship aimed at the under-represented group of graduates with a migration background from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America and Turkey in the Netherlands. To qualify for the program, among other criteria, you need to 1) have a migration background; 2)… Read more »
I co-wrote this piece with the fantastic Margarita Panayiotou, Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester who’s work focuses on psychometrics, measurement, social media & adolescent mental health who is currently conducting the #So.Me study. The last weeks have seen an increase of discussions surrounding youth mental health and its relationship with social media. This… Read more »
A month ago, I wrote about things that bum me out in academia, and some antidotes against cynicism creep. It was actually one of my best-received blog posts, and I appreciate all the positive feedback, comments, and shares. In the last half year, we’ve had an absolutely terrible experience with a scientific journal, so let… Read more »
A new paper published today in Lancet Psychiatry, led by Christopher Veal, reports findings from a systemic review of 450 clinical trials for unipolar and bipolar depression. Our results can be seen as trying to answer one of the oldest questions in the field of depression measurement: which of the over 200 measures is the… Read more »