Alex Holcombe
@alexh.bsky.social
Science-ing, trying to improve science. Metascience, open access, reforming scholarly authorship practices. Cognitive and perceptual psychologist.
Mastodon: @alexh@fediscience.org
Mastodon: @alexh@fediscience.org
Reposted by Alex Holcombe
1/9 New blog is live! This is part 2 of a series—last time we looked at the Dunning-Kruger effect, now we are digging in to Implicit vs Explicit attitudes and the Implicit Association Test. To start, of course we need a good meme...
haines-lab.com/post/part-2-...
haines-lab.com/post/part-2-...
January 26, 2026 at 5:45 PM
1/9 New blog is live! This is part 2 of a series—last time we looked at the Dunning-Kruger effect, now we are digging in to Implicit vs Explicit attitudes and the Implicit Association Test. To start, of course we need a good meme...
haines-lab.com/post/part-2-...
haines-lab.com/post/part-2-...
Cool! Anything specific e.g. by @dingdingpeng.the100.ci ? Anything come to mind, @dingdingpeng.the100.ci ? Please self-promote!
February 2, 2026 at 1:08 AM
Cool! Anything specific e.g. by @dingdingpeng.the100.ci ? Anything come to mind, @dingdingpeng.the100.ci ? Please self-promote!
Indeed! Ther'es probably some popularization that would be good to pair with e.g. Chabris' take-down letter.
February 1, 2026 at 11:30 PM
Indeed! Ther'es probably some popularization that would be good to pair with e.g. Chabris' take-down letter.
Indeed! About brain training, let me know if you know of a good pairing of some popularization with some take-down (@profsimons.bsky.social paper taking it down for bad controls e.g. no active placebos might be good).
By baby Einstein, are you referring to the Mozart effect?
By baby Einstein, are you referring to the Mozart effect?
February 1, 2026 at 11:30 PM
Indeed! About brain training, let me know if you know of a good pairing of some popularization with some take-down (@profsimons.bsky.social paper taking it down for bad controls e.g. no active placebos might be good).
By baby Einstein, are you referring to the Mozart effect?
By baby Einstein, are you referring to the Mozart effect?
Many of the 75 journals are from the Free Journal Network (freejournals.org), where I am an Advisory Board member, and where a decision was made to support OJC.
Free Journal Network – Nurturing an ecosystem of high quality, open access, scholar-controlled journals with no author-facing charges
freejournals.org
February 1, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Many of the 75 journals are from the Free Journal Network (freejournals.org), where I am an Advisory Board member, and where a decision was made to support OJC.
The Open Journals Collective (@ojcollective.bsky.social) has just launched and already includes 75 journals! www.openjournalscollective.org/catalogue/?q...
I am enthusiastic about the OJC and how well it has been set up to advance diamond (free) open access, working with libraries and funders.
I am enthusiastic about the OJC and how well it has been set up to advance diamond (free) open access, working with libraries and funders.
Free Journal Network – Nurturing an ecosystem of high quality, open access, scholar-controlled journals with no author-facing charges
freejournals.org
February 1, 2026 at 8:39 PM
The Open Journals Collective (@ojcollective.bsky.social) has just launched and already includes 75 journals! www.openjournalscollective.org/catalogue/?q...
I am enthusiastic about the OJC and how well it has been set up to advance diamond (free) open access, working with libraries and funders.
I am enthusiastic about the OJC and how well it has been set up to advance diamond (free) open access, working with libraries and funders.
Reposted by Alex Holcombe
Former Texas Lege reporter here. A Dem hasn't held this seat since 1990. Tarrant is the safest of red suburban counties. There is no way the TX and national GOP aren't in panic mode right now.
JUST IN: Democrats flip a red seat in the Texas Senate.
Taylor Rehmet wins against Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist who helped lead right-wing efforts to take over TX school boards.
With all early vote, and 95% of precincts, in, Dem up 57/43.
Trump won this seat by 17% in Tarrant County.
Taylor Rehmet wins against Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist who helped lead right-wing efforts to take over TX school boards.
With all early vote, and 95% of precincts, in, Dem up 57/43.
Trump won this seat by 17% in Tarrant County.
February 1, 2026 at 5:29 AM
Former Texas Lege reporter here. A Dem hasn't held this seat since 1990. Tarrant is the safest of red suburban counties. There is no way the TX and national GOP aren't in panic mode right now.
Reposted by Alex Holcombe
This is a targeted attack on science media.
Bhattacharya has slammed science media for what he calls biased coverage, but how are our readers — the global scientific community — supposed to understand his new agency priorities if we can't even get in the door?
Bhattacharya has slammed science media for what he calls biased coverage, but how are our readers — the global scientific community — supposed to understand his new agency priorities if we can't even get in the door?
January 30, 2026 at 6:08 PM
This is a targeted attack on science media.
Bhattacharya has slammed science media for what he calls biased coverage, but how are our readers — the global scientific community — supposed to understand his new agency priorities if we can't even get in the door?
Bhattacharya has slammed science media for what he calls biased coverage, but how are our readers — the global scientific community — supposed to understand his new agency priorities if we can't even get in the door?
About the video, I agree it doesn't focus on this type of evidence; tends to jump straight to neuroscience but I haven't gone through it carefully yet.
January 29, 2026 at 11:02 PM
About the video, I agree it doesn't focus on this type of evidence; tends to jump straight to neuroscience but I haven't gone through it carefully yet.
characteristics or some other reason. But it seems a big part of the motivation is to provide evidence to support the causal inference that comparing people to animals results in capacity to treat them badly. Do you think I got all this correct?
January 29, 2026 at 11:02 PM
characteristics or some other reason. But it seems a big part of the motivation is to provide evidence to support the causal inference that comparing people to animals results in capacity to treat them badly. Do you think I got all this correct?
primary emotions (more shared with animals) versus secondary (allegedly uniquely human), and the secondary emotion exposure makes people like the corresponding group more.
I'm not clear on whether social psychologists chose to study it in this way to reduce the chance of demand
I'm not clear on whether social psychologists chose to study it in this way to reduce the chance of demand
January 29, 2026 at 11:02 PM
primary emotions (more shared with animals) versus secondary (allegedly uniquely human), and the secondary emotion exposure makes people like the corresponding group more.
I'm not clear on whether social psychologists chose to study it in this way to reduce the chance of demand
I'm not clear on whether social psychologists chose to study it in this way to reduce the chance of demand
comes to the rescue with experiments. Which purport to provide evidence for the causal inference.
Agree, however, that this paper is about literature that doesn't manipulate whether people are referred to as humans versus animals. Instead they tend to manipulate whether people are exposed to
Agree, however, that this paper is about literature that doesn't manipulate whether people are referred to as humans versus animals. Instead they tend to manipulate whether people are exposed to
January 29, 2026 at 11:02 PM
comes to the rescue with experiments. Which purport to provide evidence for the causal inference.
Agree, however, that this paper is about literature that doesn't manipulate whether people are referred to as humans versus animals. Instead they tend to manipulate whether people are exposed to
Agree, however, that this paper is about literature that doesn't manipulate whether people are referred to as humans versus animals. Instead they tend to manipulate whether people are exposed to
The causal claim I see in the passage I highlighted (which isn't super-explicit, as in many psychology papers, unfortunately) is that propaganda comparing a group to animals results in people dehumanizing them, which enables atrocities.
While history documented the propaganda, psychology
While history documented the propaganda, psychology
January 29, 2026 at 11:02 PM
The causal claim I see in the passage I highlighted (which isn't super-explicit, as in many psychology papers, unfortunately) is that propaganda comparing a group to animals results in people dehumanizing them, which enables atrocities.
While history documented the propaganda, psychology
While history documented the propaganda, psychology
Good point but apparently this research on more subtle forms is what is invoked to support the causal claim.
This screenshot is from that paper I linked (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...)
This screenshot is from that paper I linked (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...)
January 29, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Good point but apparently this research on more subtle forms is what is invoked to support the causal claim.
This screenshot is from that paper I linked (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...)
This screenshot is from that paper I linked (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...)
“If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer” “a people... is deprived not only of its capacity to act but also of its capacity to think and to judge.” -Hannah Arendt theconversation.com/repeated-gov...
Repeated government lying, warned Hannah Arendt, makes it impossible for citizens to think and to judge
When officials lie time and again, people don’t know what to trust. And when this happens, citizens cannot deliberate, approve or dissent coherently, because a shared world no longer exists.
theconversation.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:44 PM
“If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer” “a people... is deprived not only of its capacity to act but also of its capacity to think and to judge.” -Hannah Arendt theconversation.com/repeated-gov...
Exciting to see this launch. Been in the works for a long time, with dozens or possibly hundreds of journals involved, and major library institutions, banding together for sustained support of free to read, free to publish in, open access journals. #openaccess
We've officially launched! With our new #DiamondOpenAccess investment campaign to help libraries build a sustainable, community‑led future for scholarly publishing & support journals flipping away from costly subscription models. Read the Press release here drive.google.com/file/d/10Hgf...
January 29, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Exciting to see this launch. Been in the works for a long time, with dozens or possibly hundreds of journals involved, and major library institutions, banding together for sustained support of free to read, free to publish in, open access journals. #openaccess
Thanks for all that! Something here might work out great
January 29, 2026 at 9:10 AM
Thanks for all that! Something here might work out great
@simine.com suggested Luke Smilie’s blogpost on a voter turnout intervention www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-... . What is the chance that you would sort out these issues – where do you think the average consumer of this literature ends up? How do we make criticism better?
On Being 'a Voter' in the 2020 U.S. Election
After two apparent failures to replicate, evidence for a simple voter-turnout intervention resurfaces. I retrace the steps of this controversy to find out what we have learned.
www.psychologytoday.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:49 AM
@simine.com suggested Luke Smilie’s blogpost on a voter turnout intervention www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-... . What is the chance that you would sort out these issues – where do you think the average consumer of this literature ends up? How do we make criticism better?
Neonatal imitation is also a possibility, e.g. Oostenbroek et al Current Biology and Nielsen and Slaughter.
Please send me other recommendations! #metascience
Please send me other recommendations! #metascience
January 29, 2026 at 5:49 AM
Neonatal imitation is also a possibility, e.g. Oostenbroek et al Current Biology and Nielsen and Slaughter.
Please send me other recommendations! #metascience
Please send me other recommendations! #metascience
Also a lot of premature neural reductionism claims in the video and perhaps the original papers (I haven't checked).
Not psychology, but I also like this video showing how not paying attention to what the comparison group / intervention is leads everyone astray (www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZIV...).
Not psychology, but I also like this video showing how not paying attention to what the comparison group / intervention is leads everyone astray (www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZIV...).
The Truth About the Famous Norwegian 4×4 Intervals
YouTube video by Göran Winblad
www.youtube.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:49 AM
Also a lot of premature neural reductionism claims in the video and perhaps the original papers (I haven't checked).
Not psychology, but I also like this video showing how not paying attention to what the comparison group / intervention is leads everyone astray (www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZIV...).
Not psychology, but I also like this video showing how not paying attention to what the comparison group / intervention is leads everyone astray (www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZIV...).
An example is this popular video series (eagleman.com/podcast/what...) claiming that calling people 'rats' or 'vermin' etc. is a major contributor to crimes against humanity, but the underlying research is highly confounded or has other major flaws (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...)
To what extent is research on infrahumanization confounded by intergroup preference?
The most prominent social psychological account of dehumanization, infrahumanization theory, argues outgroups are dehumanized to the extent they are denied uniquely human emotions. Recent critiques have identified a confound in previous research ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
January 29, 2026 at 5:49 AM
An example is this popular video series (eagleman.com/podcast/what...) claiming that calling people 'rats' or 'vermin' etc. is a major contributor to crimes against humanity, but the underlying research is highly confounded or has other major flaws (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...)
For a weekly seminar class, I'm looking for pairings of psych popularization with scholarly take-downs of the underlying research. I want students to see examples of how shoddy research gets hyped.
January 29, 2026 at 5:49 AM
For a weekly seminar class, I'm looking for pairings of psych popularization with scholarly take-downs of the underlying research. I want students to see examples of how shoddy research gets hyped.
They published from 2000-2005 and were: Australasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine, Australasian Journal of General Practice, Australasian Journal of Neurology, Australasian Journal of Cardiology, Australasian Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, and Australasian Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine.
January 29, 2026 at 5:08 AM
They published from 2000-2005 and were: Australasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine, Australasian Journal of General Practice, Australasian Journal of Neurology, Australasian Journal of Cardiology, Australasian Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, and Australasian Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine.
Was the idea that Australia was far enough away from everything that nobody would figure this out / that Aussies are too laid back to mind? 🤣
#scholarlyPublishing
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsevier
#scholarlyPublishing
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsevier
Elsevier - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
January 29, 2026 at 5:08 AM
Was the idea that Australia was far enough away from everything that nobody would figure this out / that Aussies are too laid back to mind? 🤣
#scholarlyPublishing
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsevier
#scholarlyPublishing
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsevier