Francisco Cruz
@cruzf.bsky.social
SocPsych Ph.D. Student - Princeton Uni, Uni of Lisbon
Lay beliefs about (psych) science
Twitter/X: @cruz_fcorreia
Lay beliefs about (psych) science
Twitter/X: @cruz_fcorreia
Reposted by Francisco Cruz
Can reading one article change your belief in free will? New studies say maybe—but the effect doesn’t last. Our beliefs might be more resilient than they seem
New work by @olivergenschow.bsky.social
@protzko.bsky.social @sebraem.bsky.social 💡
New work by @olivergenschow.bsky.social
@protzko.bsky.social @sebraem.bsky.social 💡
a man pointing to a sign that says believe
ALT: a man pointing to a sign that says believe
media.tenor.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Can reading one article change your belief in free will? New studies say maybe—but the effect doesn’t last. Our beliefs might be more resilient than they seem
New work by @olivergenschow.bsky.social
@protzko.bsky.social @sebraem.bsky.social 💡
New work by @olivergenschow.bsky.social
@protzko.bsky.social @sebraem.bsky.social 💡
New paper! 🚨
Does studying psychology change how people think about psychology (even at an intuitive level)? 🤔
We tracked students across their degree and found shifts in their beliefs about the bases of psychological phenomena and their scientific explainability.
1/5
Does studying psychology change how people think about psychology (even at an intuitive level)? 🤔
We tracked students across their degree and found shifts in their beliefs about the bases of psychological phenomena and their scientific explainability.
1/5
October 15, 2025 at 10:23 AM
New paper! 🚨
Does studying psychology change how people think about psychology (even at an intuitive level)? 🤔
We tracked students across their degree and found shifts in their beliefs about the bases of psychological phenomena and their scientific explainability.
1/5
Does studying psychology change how people think about psychology (even at an intuitive level)? 🤔
We tracked students across their degree and found shifts in their beliefs about the bases of psychological phenomena and their scientific explainability.
1/5
Reposted by Francisco Cruz
Even if you tell people cognitive biases are good & lead to good outcomes, we still think they have the bias less than others.
Only when we see the bias as very desirable we might think we are = to others on it.
From @cruzf.bsky.social & André Mata
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
#psych #phdsky
Only when we see the bias as very desirable we might think we are = to others on it.
From @cruzf.bsky.social & André Mata
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
#psych #phdsky
October 1, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Even if you tell people cognitive biases are good & lead to good outcomes, we still think they have the bias less than others.
Only when we see the bias as very desirable we might think we are = to others on it.
From @cruzf.bsky.social & André Mata
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
#psych #phdsky
Only when we see the bias as very desirable we might think we are = to others on it.
From @cruzf.bsky.social & André Mata
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
#psych #phdsky
Visible light 🔆 or electromagnetic waves 📡: Which helps people understand better?
In a new post for Character & Context (@spspnews.bsky.social), I dive into my work with @tanialombrozo.bsky.social on how jargon shapes scientific understanding. Check it out here!
spsp.org/news/charact...
In a new post for Character & Context (@spspnews.bsky.social), I dive into my work with @tanialombrozo.bsky.social on how jargon shapes scientific understanding. Check it out here!
spsp.org/news/charact...
Using Jargon Can Make Bad Logic Seem Satisfying | SPSP
Although technical language can make something harder to understand, it can have a convenient advantage.
spsp.org
September 13, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Visible light 🔆 or electromagnetic waves 📡: Which helps people understand better?
In a new post for Character & Context (@spspnews.bsky.social), I dive into my work with @tanialombrozo.bsky.social on how jargon shapes scientific understanding. Check it out here!
spsp.org/news/charact...
In a new post for Character & Context (@spspnews.bsky.social), I dive into my work with @tanialombrozo.bsky.social on how jargon shapes scientific understanding. Check it out here!
spsp.org/news/charact...
🇵🇹
Recentemente, estive à conversa com o @tiagoramalho.bsky.social a respeito da investigação que tenho conduzido.
💡 Falámos sobre temas que me entusiasmam: Sobreconfiança e aprendizagem de ciência, como isto é impactado pela inteligência artificial, etc.
Para os interessados👇
Recentemente, estive à conversa com o @tiagoramalho.bsky.social a respeito da investigação que tenho conduzido.
💡 Falámos sobre temas que me entusiasmam: Sobreconfiança e aprendizagem de ciência, como isto é impactado pela inteligência artificial, etc.
Para os interessados👇
Estudo liderado por investigador português mostra que o jargão pode ser útil para preencher as lacunas numa explicação científica, mas não ajuda a que o público compreenda a informação.
Explicar ciência com palavras caras ajuda a passar a mensagem, mas não ensina
Estudo liderado por investigador português mostra que o jargão pode ser útil para preencher as lacunas numa explicação científica, mas não ajuda a que o público compreenda a informação.
www.publico.pt
September 1, 2025 at 9:29 AM
🇵🇹
Recentemente, estive à conversa com o @tiagoramalho.bsky.social a respeito da investigação que tenho conduzido.
💡 Falámos sobre temas que me entusiasmam: Sobreconfiança e aprendizagem de ciência, como isto é impactado pela inteligência artificial, etc.
Para os interessados👇
Recentemente, estive à conversa com o @tiagoramalho.bsky.social a respeito da investigação que tenho conduzido.
💡 Falámos sobre temas que me entusiasmam: Sobreconfiança e aprendizagem de ciência, como isto é impactado pela inteligência artificial, etc.
Para os interessados👇
Reposted by Francisco Cruz
So grateful for the chance to attend the EASP Summer School organized by @jimaceverett.bsky.social. Huge thanks to @jimaceverett.bsky.social and @mgreinecke.bsky.social for your mentorship in the Moral Psych of AI workstream, and to all of the other amazing students I had the chance to learn from!
August 1, 2025 at 12:39 PM
So grateful for the chance to attend the EASP Summer School organized by @jimaceverett.bsky.social. Huge thanks to @jimaceverett.bsky.social and @mgreinecke.bsky.social for your mentorship in the Moral Psych of AI workstream, and to all of the other amazing students I had the chance to learn from!
Reposted by Francisco Cruz
🚨Check out our new paper with @boissinesther.bsky.social, Alexandra Delmas & @wimdeneys.bsky.social in Acta Psych!
📹 We show that video debiasing training can boost reasoning accuracy - not just deliberation, but intuition too!
🔓 Open access: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Quick summary👇
📹 We show that video debiasing training can boost reasoning accuracy - not just deliberation, but intuition too!
🔓 Open access: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Quick summary👇
June 17, 2025 at 8:21 AM
🚨Check out our new paper with @boissinesther.bsky.social, Alexandra Delmas & @wimdeneys.bsky.social in Acta Psych!
📹 We show that video debiasing training can boost reasoning accuracy - not just deliberation, but intuition too!
🔓 Open access: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Quick summary👇
📹 We show that video debiasing training can boost reasoning accuracy - not just deliberation, but intuition too!
🔓 Open access: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Quick summary👇
Reposted by Francisco Cruz
Research by @cruzf.bsky.social & @tanialombrozo.bsky.social suggests laypeople may find explanations containing jargon more satisfying despite understanding them less well because they assume the jargon fills gaps in explanations that are otherwise incomplete:
buff.ly/FWgSBaZ
buff.ly/FWgSBaZ
June 16, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Research by @cruzf.bsky.social & @tanialombrozo.bsky.social suggests laypeople may find explanations containing jargon more satisfying despite understanding them less well because they assume the jargon fills gaps in explanations that are otherwise incomplete:
buff.ly/FWgSBaZ
buff.ly/FWgSBaZ
🚨 I’m incredibly excited to share this one: Latest paper out in Nature Human Behaviour!
Publishing in Nature has always been a goal of mine, and I’m so happy I got there with work developed at Princeton, where I learned so much and grew as a researcher.
1/9
Publishing in Nature has always been a goal of mine, and I’m so happy I got there with work developed at Princeton, where I learned so much and grew as a researcher.
1/9
June 12, 2025 at 9:27 AM
🚨 I’m incredibly excited to share this one: Latest paper out in Nature Human Behaviour!
Publishing in Nature has always been a goal of mine, and I’m so happy I got there with work developed at Princeton, where I learned so much and grew as a researcher.
1/9
Publishing in Nature has always been a goal of mine, and I’m so happy I got there with work developed at Princeton, where I learned so much and grew as a researcher.
1/9
🚨 New Research Published! 🚨
"Motivated Bias Blind Spot: People confess to more or less bias depending on its desirability"
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
1/5
"Motivated Bias Blind Spot: People confess to more or less bias depending on its desirability"
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
1/5
Motivated bias blind spot: people confess to more or less bias depending on its desirability - Mind & Society
Though people readily claim that others fall prey to several biases, they are less likely to recognize those same biases in themselves – a tendency termed bias blind spot (Pronin et al. in Personality...
link.springer.com
June 7, 2025 at 9:58 AM
🚨 New Research Published! 🚨
"Motivated Bias Blind Spot: People confess to more or less bias depending on its desirability"
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
1/5
"Motivated Bias Blind Spot: People confess to more or less bias depending on its desirability"
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
1/5
1/
🧠 New research out now!
Why do people think some psychological phenomena (like falling in love) are harder to explain scientifically than others (like reading a map)?
Turns out it depends on the type of explanation people think about!
🧠 New research out now!
Why do people think some psychological phenomena (like falling in love) are harder to explain scientifically than others (like reading a map)?
Turns out it depends on the type of explanation people think about!
June 2, 2025 at 9:15 AM
1/
🧠 New research out now!
Why do people think some psychological phenomena (like falling in love) are harder to explain scientifically than others (like reading a map)?
Turns out it depends on the type of explanation people think about!
🧠 New research out now!
Why do people think some psychological phenomena (like falling in love) are harder to explain scientifically than others (like reading a map)?
Turns out it depends on the type of explanation people think about!
🚨 New paper out! 🚨
"The spirit is noble, but the flesh is corrupt: lay beliefs about the bases of (im)moral behavior"
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
1/4
"The spirit is noble, but the flesh is corrupt: lay beliefs about the bases of (im)moral behavior"
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
1/4
The spirit is noble, but the flesh is corrupt: lay beliefs about the bases of (im)moral behavior | Request PDF
Request PDF | On Apr 23, 2025, Francisco Cruz and others published The spirit is noble, but the flesh is corrupt: lay beliefs about the bases of (im)moral behavior | Find, read and cite all the resear...
www.researchgate.net
April 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
🚨 New paper out! 🚨
"The spirit is noble, but the flesh is corrupt: lay beliefs about the bases of (im)moral behavior"
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
1/4
"The spirit is noble, but the flesh is corrupt: lay beliefs about the bases of (im)moral behavior"
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
1/4
Absolutely thrilled to announce that I've been selected as a recipient of the APA's 2024 Anne Anastasi Graduate Student Research Award!
To me, interdisciplinarity is key to good research -- and being recognized as doing research that embodies that is a dream come true! 1/3
To me, interdisciplinarity is key to good research -- and being recognized as doing research that embodies that is a dream come true! 1/3
November 29, 2024 at 1:30 PM
Absolutely thrilled to announce that I've been selected as a recipient of the APA's 2024 Anne Anastasi Graduate Student Research Award!
To me, interdisciplinarity is key to good research -- and being recognized as doing research that embodies that is a dream come true! 1/3
To me, interdisciplinarity is key to good research -- and being recognized as doing research that embodies that is a dream come true! 1/3
New paper out! 🎓 📝
In previous work, we found that people process faces in paintings like natural faces, even for art styles high on distortion (e.g., Cubism) - using behavioral tasks. Does this hold for neuronal activity? 1/4
In previous work, we found that people process faces in paintings like natural faces, even for art styles high on distortion (e.g., Cubism) - using behavioral tasks. Does this hold for neuronal activity? 1/4
From Perugino to Picasso revisited: Electrophysiological responses to faces in paintings from differ...
Behavioral research (Ventura, et al., 2023) suggested that pictorial representations of faces varying along a realism-distortion spectrum elicit holis…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 14, 2023 at 8:19 PM
New paper out! 🎓 📝
In previous work, we found that people process faces in paintings like natural faces, even for art styles high on distortion (e.g., Cubism) - using behavioral tasks. Does this hold for neuronal activity? 1/4
In previous work, we found that people process faces in paintings like natural faces, even for art styles high on distortion (e.g., Cubism) - using behavioral tasks. Does this hold for neuronal activity? 1/4
Reposted by Francisco Cruz
Join the Princeton Psych dept this summer as part of our inaugural Visiting Internship for PhD Students (VIPS) program! If you have no summer funding, the approval of your advisor, and matching research interests, consider applying. Deets: psych.princeton.edu/diversity/vi...
November 15, 2023 at 10:30 PM
Join the Princeton Psych dept this summer as part of our inaugural Visiting Internship for PhD Students (VIPS) program! If you have no summer funding, the approval of your advisor, and matching research interests, consider applying. Deets: psych.princeton.edu/diversity/vi...
Reposted by Francisco Cruz
Prejudice Against Social Science
"Group membership in the more prestigious hard sciences is related to a stronger tendency to downplay the intellectual contribution of social science disciplines compared to other hard science disciplines."
#MetaSci #PhilSci #AcademicSky 🧪
"Group membership in the more prestigious hard sciences is related to a stronger tendency to downplay the intellectual contribution of social science disciplines compared to other hard science disciplines."
#MetaSci #PhilSci #AcademicSky 🧪
November 15, 2023 at 12:11 PM
Prejudice Against Social Science
"Group membership in the more prestigious hard sciences is related to a stronger tendency to downplay the intellectual contribution of social science disciplines compared to other hard science disciplines."
#MetaSci #PhilSci #AcademicSky 🧪
"Group membership in the more prestigious hard sciences is related to a stronger tendency to downplay the intellectual contribution of social science disciplines compared to other hard science disciplines."
#MetaSci #PhilSci #AcademicSky 🧪
New paper out!
This time in a different capacity - that of a forecaster! It was an interesting experience to try and harness intuitions and pieces of evidence I was aware of when trying to predict the evolution of discrimination
Interesting - and surprising imo - results below
This time in a different capacity - that of a forecaster! It was an interesting experience to try and harness intuitions and pieces of evidence I was aware of when trying to predict the evolution of discrimination
Interesting - and surprising imo - results below
How has gender bias in hiring changed from 1976 to 2020?
(1) "bias in favor of male over female[s] was eliminated and, if anything, slightly reversed ...starting in 2009 for mixed-gender and male-[typed] jobs in our sample [of] 244 effect sizes from 85...audits and 361,645 ...job applications".
...
(1) "bias in favor of male over female[s] was eliminated and, if anything, slightly reversed ...starting in 2009 for mixed-gender and male-[typed] jobs in our sample [of] 244 effect sizes from 85...audits and 361,645 ...job applications".
...
November 15, 2023 at 2:39 AM
New paper out!
This time in a different capacity - that of a forecaster! It was an interesting experience to try and harness intuitions and pieces of evidence I was aware of when trying to predict the evolution of discrimination
Interesting - and surprising imo - results below
This time in a different capacity - that of a forecaster! It was an interesting experience to try and harness intuitions and pieces of evidence I was aware of when trying to predict the evolution of discrimination
Interesting - and surprising imo - results below
Reposted by Francisco Cruz
When you discover new effects using preregistration, high power, & replicate faithfully with open materials, you get a replication rate of 86% & effect sizes 97% as big!
Our new published paper with so many wonderful researchers:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our new published paper with so many wonderful researchers:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 9, 2023 at 4:11 PM
When you discover new effects using preregistration, high power, & replicate faithfully with open materials, you get a replication rate of 86% & effect sizes 97% as big!
Our new published paper with so many wonderful researchers:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our new published paper with so many wonderful researchers:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Really interesting take on my work by @xphilosopher.bsky.social
It's fascinating to see psychology and philosophy converge to inform one another
If any of you want to discuss this topic further, just reach out to me!
I'd be glad to share data and/or materials, a copy of the paper, etc.
It's fascinating to see psychology and philosophy converge to inform one another
If any of you want to discuss this topic further, just reach out to me!
I'd be glad to share data and/or materials, a copy of the paper, etc.
What are people’s ordinary intuitions about the mind-body problem?
@cruzf.bsky.social and André Mata have an exciting new series of studies showing that people tend to have *conflicting intuitions*. They are drawn to dualism but also drawn to physicalism
@cruzf.bsky.social and André Mata have an exciting new series of studies showing that people tend to have *conflicting intuitions*. They are drawn to dualism but also drawn to physicalism
Why do we find opposing intuitions about philosophical questions?
I argue that recent results suggest a new picture:
- It’s mostly NOT about different people having different intuitions
- It’s about individual people having CONFLICTING INTUITIONS
philpapers.org/archive/JOSC...
I argue that recent results suggest a new picture:
- It’s mostly NOT about different people having different intuitions
- It’s about individual people having CONFLICTING INTUITIONS
philpapers.org/archive/JOSC...
November 9, 2023 at 6:18 PM
Really interesting take on my work by @xphilosopher.bsky.social
It's fascinating to see psychology and philosophy converge to inform one another
If any of you want to discuss this topic further, just reach out to me!
I'd be glad to share data and/or materials, a copy of the paper, etc.
It's fascinating to see psychology and philosophy converge to inform one another
If any of you want to discuss this topic further, just reach out to me!
I'd be glad to share data and/or materials, a copy of the paper, etc.
Reposted by Francisco Cruz
Princeton Language and Intelligence Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for people who have recently received or are about to receive a Ph.D. or doctorate degree and work on large AI models! pli.princeton.edu/about-pli/em...
pli.princeton.edu/about-pli/em... post-docs at PLI
Princeton Language and Intelligence Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
The Princeton Language and Intelligence Research Fellowship is a newly established postdoctoral research fellowship for people who have recently received or are about to receive a Ph.D. or doctorate d...
pli.princeton.edu
November 1, 2023 at 1:33 PM
Princeton Language and Intelligence Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for people who have recently received or are about to receive a Ph.D. or doctorate degree and work on large AI models! pli.princeton.edu/about-pli/em...
Really interesting take!
👉 Opens the door to research focused on when people go for one intuition or its opposite
Also, aligns with my own (TBPublished) research: People are intuitive dualists, but attribute more material basis for psych phenomena when recruiting their more deliberate beliefs!
👉 Opens the door to research focused on when people go for one intuition or its opposite
Also, aligns with my own (TBPublished) research: People are intuitive dualists, but attribute more material basis for psych phenomena when recruiting their more deliberate beliefs!
Why do we find opposing intuitions about philosophical questions?
I argue that recent results suggest a new picture:
- It’s mostly NOT about different people having different intuitions
- It’s about individual people having CONFLICTING INTUITIONS
philpapers.org/archive/JOSC...
I argue that recent results suggest a new picture:
- It’s mostly NOT about different people having different intuitions
- It’s about individual people having CONFLICTING INTUITIONS
philpapers.org/archive/JOSC...
October 23, 2023 at 7:46 PM
Really interesting take!
👉 Opens the door to research focused on when people go for one intuition or its opposite
Also, aligns with my own (TBPublished) research: People are intuitive dualists, but attribute more material basis for psych phenomena when recruiting their more deliberate beliefs!
👉 Opens the door to research focused on when people go for one intuition or its opposite
Also, aligns with my own (TBPublished) research: People are intuitive dualists, but attribute more material basis for psych phenomena when recruiting their more deliberate beliefs!
Mug: Obtained 👌
Onboarding: Complete ✅️
Looking forward tk the months to come, as a Visiting Student at Princeton University
Onboarding: Complete ✅️
Looking forward tk the months to come, as a Visiting Student at Princeton University
October 5, 2023 at 4:12 PM
Mug: Obtained 👌
Onboarding: Complete ✅️
Looking forward tk the months to come, as a Visiting Student at Princeton University
Onboarding: Complete ✅️
Looking forward tk the months to come, as a Visiting Student at Princeton University
Late to the party, only got to read this piece today. Great journalism though: It focuses not only on the allegations, but also on the parallel development of the field (extra points for mentioning the replication crisis)! Way communicate about science to a general audience
The Harvard Professor and the Bloggers
When Francesca Gino, a rising academic star, was accused of falsifying data — about how to stop dishonesty — it didn’t just torch her career. It inflamed a crisis in behavioral science.
www.nytimes.com
October 1, 2023 at 1:58 PM
Late to the party, only got to read this piece today. Great journalism though: It focuses not only on the allegations, but also on the parallel development of the field (extra points for mentioning the replication crisis)! Way communicate about science to a general audience
Starting tomorrow, I will be attending Princeton University as a visiting student! I will have the opportunity to conduct research in one of the world's leading Psychology departments, surrounded by researchers and professors I look up to - still feels surreal!
September 27, 2023 at 6:27 PM
Starting tomorrow, I will be attending Princeton University as a visiting student! I will have the opportunity to conduct research in one of the world's leading Psychology departments, surrounded by researchers and professors I look up to - still feels surreal!