Uri Hertz
@urihertz.bsky.social
PI at the cog-sci dept at the university of Haifa. Social-cognitive-computational psychology, and sometimes neuroscience.
www.socialdecisionlab.net
www.socialdecisionlab.net
Pinned
Uri Hertz
@urihertz.bsky.social
· Nov 26
Adaptive empathic response selection is sensitive to multiple dimensions of social interaction - Communications Psychology
When providing emotional support and deciding on an empathic reaction, responders were sensitive to changes in the person requiring empathy, the emotional state of that person, and the cause of their ...
www.nature.com
New paper! Led by Elena Kozakevitch-Arbel, with Simone Shamay-Tsoory, we used multi-dimensional reinforcement learning approach to examine whether people are sensitive to different dimensions of social scenarios during empathic interactions www.nature.com/articles/s44... 🧵
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Come and do a PhD at Exeter with me and Chico Camargo (Computer Science) on human-genAI coevolution
"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"
www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...
More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"
www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...
More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
www.exeter.ac.uk
November 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Come and do a PhD at Exeter with me and Chico Camargo (Computer Science) on human-genAI coevolution
"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"
www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...
More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"
www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...
More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Excited to share a new preprint, accepted as a spotlight at #NeurIPS2025!
Humans are imperfect decision-makers, and autonomous systems should understand how we deviate from idealized rationality
Our paper aims to address this! 👀🧠✨
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25951
a 🧵⤵️
Humans are imperfect decision-makers, and autonomous systems should understand how we deviate from idealized rationality
Our paper aims to address this! 👀🧠✨
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25951
a 🧵⤵️
Estimating cognitive biases with attention-aware inverse planning
People's goal-directed behaviors are influenced by their cognitive biases, and autonomous systems that interact with people should be aware of this. For example, people's attention to objects in their...
arxiv.org
November 13, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Excited to share a new preprint, accepted as a spotlight at #NeurIPS2025!
Humans are imperfect decision-makers, and autonomous systems should understand how we deviate from idealized rationality
Our paper aims to address this! 👀🧠✨
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25951
a 🧵⤵️
Humans are imperfect decision-makers, and autonomous systems should understand how we deviate from idealized rationality
Our paper aims to address this! 👀🧠✨
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25951
a 🧵⤵️
Reposted by Uri Hertz
What do kids choose to do when they think that someone will help them? What about when no one will help?
New paper: "Young children strategically adapt to unreliable social partners" - led by Kat Shannon, with @hyogweon.bsky.social and Willem Frankenhuis.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
New paper: "Young children strategically adapt to unreliable social partners" - led by Kat Shannon, with @hyogweon.bsky.social and Willem Frankenhuis.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
November 12, 2025 at 6:27 PM
What do kids choose to do when they think that someone will help them? What about when no one will help?
New paper: "Young children strategically adapt to unreliable social partners" - led by Kat Shannon, with @hyogweon.bsky.social and Willem Frankenhuis.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
New paper: "Young children strategically adapt to unreliable social partners" - led by Kat Shannon, with @hyogweon.bsky.social and Willem Frankenhuis.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Expressions of blatantly immoral actions about outgroup members are growing on social media
This leads people to radically overestimate the degree to which political outgroup members support immoral actions
Democrats and Republicans are both off in their estimates. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
This leads people to radically overestimate the degree to which political outgroup members support immoral actions
Democrats and Republicans are both off in their estimates. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
November 10, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Expressions of blatantly immoral actions about outgroup members are growing on social media
This leads people to radically overestimate the degree to which political outgroup members support immoral actions
Democrats and Republicans are both off in their estimates. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
This leads people to radically overestimate the degree to which political outgroup members support immoral actions
Democrats and Republicans are both off in their estimates. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Reposted by Uri Hertz
[1/9] Excited to share our new paper "A Pragmatic View of AI Personhood" published today. We feel this topic is timely, and rapidly growing in importance as AI becomes agentic, as AI agents integrate further into the economy, and as more and more users encounter AI.
October 31, 2025 at 12:32 PM
[1/9] Excited to share our new paper "A Pragmatic View of AI Personhood" published today. We feel this topic is timely, and rapidly growing in importance as AI becomes agentic, as AI agents integrate further into the economy, and as more and more users encounter AI.
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Interestingly, @simondedeo.bsky.social uses exactly this context of apology as a place where people can use "Mental Proof" to overcome the perception of AI use, by *credibly* communicating intentions -- based on proof of shared knowledge and values.
ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AA...
ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AA...
Undermining Mental Proof: How AI Can Make Cooperation Harder by Making Thinking Easier
| Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence
ojs.aaai.org
October 31, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Interestingly, @simondedeo.bsky.social uses exactly this context of apology as a place where people can use "Mental Proof" to overcome the perception of AI use, by *credibly* communicating intentions -- based on proof of shared knowledge and values.
ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AA...
ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AA...
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Ten Simple Rules for AI-Assisted Coding in Science arxiv.org/abs/2510.22254 - our latest, led by @ericwbridgeford.bsky.social
Ten Simple Rules for AI-Assisted Coding in Science
While AI coding tools have demonstrated potential to accelerate software development, their use in scientific computing raises critical questions about code quality and scientific validity. In this pa...
arxiv.org
October 28, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Ten Simple Rules for AI-Assisted Coding in Science arxiv.org/abs/2510.22254 - our latest, led by @ericwbridgeford.bsky.social
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Pleased to share new work with @sflippl.bsky.social @eberleoliver.bsky.social @thomasmcgee.bsky.social & undergrad interns at Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, UCLA.
Algorithmic Primitives and Compositional Geometry of Reasoning in Language Models
www.arxiv.org/pdf/2510.15987
🧵1/n
Algorithmic Primitives and Compositional Geometry of Reasoning in Language Models
www.arxiv.org/pdf/2510.15987
🧵1/n
October 27, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Pleased to share new work with @sflippl.bsky.social @eberleoliver.bsky.social @thomasmcgee.bsky.social & undergrad interns at Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, UCLA.
Algorithmic Primitives and Compositional Geometry of Reasoning in Language Models
www.arxiv.org/pdf/2510.15987
🧵1/n
Algorithmic Primitives and Compositional Geometry of Reasoning in Language Models
www.arxiv.org/pdf/2510.15987
🧵1/n
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Who today is influencing science a la Big Tobacco or Oil and Gas?
In our new preprint we show how tech companies like Meta are capturing research on their product, using mechanisms that subtly (or not so subtly) shape what science gets produced
In our new preprint we show how tech companies like Meta are capturing research on their product, using mechanisms that subtly (or not so subtly) shape what science gets produced
October 24, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Who today is influencing science a la Big Tobacco or Oil and Gas?
In our new preprint we show how tech companies like Meta are capturing research on their product, using mechanisms that subtly (or not so subtly) shape what science gets produced
In our new preprint we show how tech companies like Meta are capturing research on their product, using mechanisms that subtly (or not so subtly) shape what science gets produced
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Well this is sure to be a blockbuster AI article... @jennarussell.bsky.social et al are kicking ass and taking names in journalism, both individuals and organizations.
"AI use in American newspapers is widespread, uneven, and rarely disclosed"
arxiv.org/abs/2510.18774
"AI use in American newspapers is widespread, uneven, and rarely disclosed"
arxiv.org/abs/2510.18774
October 23, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Well this is sure to be a blockbuster AI article... @jennarussell.bsky.social et al are kicking ass and taking names in journalism, both individuals and organizations.
"AI use in American newspapers is widespread, uneven, and rarely disclosed"
arxiv.org/abs/2510.18774
"AI use in American newspapers is widespread, uneven, and rarely disclosed"
arxiv.org/abs/2510.18774
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
AI Surrogates and illusions of generalizability in cognitive science
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have generated enthusiasm for using AI simulations of human research participants to generate new know…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
Reposted by Uri Hertz
How do humans keep inventing tools and technologies that no single person could create alone?
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
October 16, 2025 at 1:49 PM
How do humans keep inventing tools and technologies that no single person could create alone?
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Conversational turn-taking feels effortless, but it's a complex dance. We find social context—who you're talking to and what you're talking about—fundamentally changes conversational dynamics in both autistic & TD children. 1/
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... w @chrismmcox.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... w @chrismmcox.bsky.social
Social Context Matters for Turn‐Taking Dynamics: A Comparative Study of Autistic and Typically Developing Children
Engaging in fluent conversation is a surprisingly complex task that requires interlocutors to promptly respond to each other in a way that is appropriate to the social context. In this study, we dise...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Conversational turn-taking feels effortless, but it's a complex dance. We find social context—who you're talking to and what you're talking about—fundamentally changes conversational dynamics in both autistic & TD children. 1/
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... w @chrismmcox.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... w @chrismmcox.bsky.social
Reposted by Uri Hertz
😍 Our latest is out now in @commspsychol.nature.com. 🤩 We show with Bayesian modelling and experimental manipulation of uncertainty that developmental differences in social influence depend on differences in the internal uncertainty people have about their choice
doi.org/10.1038/s442...
doi.org/10.1038/s442...
Internal uncertainty impacts social information use in risky choice across adolescence - Communications Psychology
Adolescents’ choices are influenced by others. A social risky choice experiment and Bayesian modelling reveal that age differences in internal uncertainty, being unsure how to choose, relate to differences in susceptibility to social influence.
doi.org
September 29, 2025 at 9:07 AM
😍 Our latest is out now in @commspsychol.nature.com. 🤩 We show with Bayesian modelling and experimental manipulation of uncertainty that developmental differences in social influence depend on differences in the internal uncertainty people have about their choice
doi.org/10.1038/s442...
doi.org/10.1038/s442...
Reposted by Uri Hertz
We’re hiring!
@sucholutsky.bsky.social and I are seeking a postdoc and RA for a project on trust in AI systems with folks at NYU, Princeton, BU, and Cornell
Positions open until filled. Apply soon! Please share 🔁
postdoc: apply.interfolio.com/175495
RA: apply.interfolio.com/175497
@sucholutsky.bsky.social and I are seeking a postdoc and RA for a project on trust in AI systems with folks at NYU, Princeton, BU, and Cornell
Positions open until filled. Apply soon! Please share 🔁
postdoc: apply.interfolio.com/175495
RA: apply.interfolio.com/175497
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
October 13, 2025 at 6:06 PM
We’re hiring!
@sucholutsky.bsky.social and I are seeking a postdoc and RA for a project on trust in AI systems with folks at NYU, Princeton, BU, and Cornell
Positions open until filled. Apply soon! Please share 🔁
postdoc: apply.interfolio.com/175495
RA: apply.interfolio.com/175497
@sucholutsky.bsky.social and I are seeking a postdoc and RA for a project on trust in AI systems with folks at NYU, Princeton, BU, and Cornell
Positions open until filled. Apply soon! Please share 🔁
postdoc: apply.interfolio.com/175495
RA: apply.interfolio.com/175497
Reposted by Uri Hertz
1st Sharp Lab preprint! 🚨 We tested how anxiety affects task generalization—not how people generalize threat stimuli, but how they reuse action-outcome structures when planning in new contexts.
Worry makes people avoid reusing actions that co-occurred w/ threat!
📄: osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵 1/12
Worry makes people avoid reusing actions that co-occurred w/ threat!
📄: osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵 1/12
October 13, 2025 at 6:30 AM
1st Sharp Lab preprint! 🚨 We tested how anxiety affects task generalization—not how people generalize threat stimuli, but how they reuse action-outcome structures when planning in new contexts.
Worry makes people avoid reusing actions that co-occurred w/ threat!
📄: osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵 1/12
Worry makes people avoid reusing actions that co-occurred w/ threat!
📄: osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵 1/12
Reposted by Uri Hertz
New paper! "Whose agent are you? Relational norms shape expectation from algorithmic and human advisors in social decisions" led by Lior Gazit. We were interested in how people perceive relationships with AI agents, and how flexible these relationships are.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
Redirecting
doi.org
October 11, 2025 at 2:37 PM
New paper! "Whose agent are you? Relational norms shape expectation from algorithmic and human advisors in social decisions" led by Lior Gazit. We were interested in how people perceive relationships with AI agents, and how flexible these relationships are.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
Reposted by Uri Hertz
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Preprint: Jan Pfänder and Hugo Mercier "The rational impression account of trust in science"
Preprint: Jan Pfänder and Hugo Mercier "The rational impression account of trust in science"
October 12, 2025 at 11:03 AM
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Preprint: Jan Pfänder and Hugo Mercier "The rational impression account of trust in science"
Preprint: Jan Pfänder and Hugo Mercier "The rational impression account of trust in science"
New paper! "Whose agent are you? Relational norms shape expectation from algorithmic and human advisors in social decisions" led by Lior Gazit. We were interested in how people perceive relationships with AI agents, and how flexible these relationships are.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
Redirecting
doi.org
October 11, 2025 at 2:37 PM
New paper! "Whose agent are you? Relational norms shape expectation from algorithmic and human advisors in social decisions" led by Lior Gazit. We were interested in how people perceive relationships with AI agents, and how flexible these relationships are.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
This is an amazing project, so happy to be part of it! @anllohernan.bsky.social examined how people transfer experiential knowledge to others, and which communication style is most beneficial to learners, using 2arn bandit task. Very relevant to experience-description, social transmission and more!
I haven't given any news a while, I've been nose deep into this novel preprint with my excellent collaborators @stepalminteri.bsky.social, @urihertz.bsky.social and Bahador Bahrami: "Uncovering the semantics of teaching in
experiential learning with Large Language Models".
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
experiential learning with Large Language Models".
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
OSF
doi.org
October 11, 2025 at 2:25 PM
This is an amazing project, so happy to be part of it! @anllohernan.bsky.social examined how people transfer experiential knowledge to others, and which communication style is most beneficial to learners, using 2arn bandit task. Very relevant to experience-description, social transmission and more!
Reposted by Uri Hertz
I haven't given any news a while, I've been nose deep into this novel preprint with my excellent collaborators @stepalminteri.bsky.social, @urihertz.bsky.social and Bahador Bahrami: "Uncovering the semantics of teaching in
experiential learning with Large Language Models".
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
experiential learning with Large Language Models".
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
OSF
doi.org
October 11, 2025 at 5:32 AM
I haven't given any news a while, I've been nose deep into this novel preprint with my excellent collaborators @stepalminteri.bsky.social, @urihertz.bsky.social and Bahador Bahrami: "Uncovering the semantics of teaching in
experiential learning with Large Language Models".
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
experiential learning with Large Language Models".
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Hello all! 👋 🚨 New Preprint Alert! 🚨
Code World Models for General Game-Playing. ♟️🎲 ♣️♥️♠️♦️
I am pleased to announce our new paper, which provides an extremely sample-efficient way to create an agent that can perform well in multi-agent, partially-observed, symbolic environments!
🧵 1/N
Code World Models for General Game-Playing. ♟️🎲 ♣️♥️♠️♦️
I am pleased to announce our new paper, which provides an extremely sample-efficient way to create an agent that can perform well in multi-agent, partially-observed, symbolic environments!
🧵 1/N
October 9, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Hello all! 👋 🚨 New Preprint Alert! 🚨
Code World Models for General Game-Playing. ♟️🎲 ♣️♥️♠️♦️
I am pleased to announce our new paper, which provides an extremely sample-efficient way to create an agent that can perform well in multi-agent, partially-observed, symbolic environments!
🧵 1/N
Code World Models for General Game-Playing. ♟️🎲 ♣️♥️♠️♦️
I am pleased to announce our new paper, which provides an extremely sample-efficient way to create an agent that can perform well in multi-agent, partially-observed, symbolic environments!
🧵 1/N
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Why do we derogate effective altruists, activists, & other radically prosocial individuals? In new work, we discuss how doing good that deviates from social norms gets stigmatized. New preprint w/ @dcameron.bsky.social @tlau.bsky.social @desmond-ong.bsky.social: osf.io/preprints/ps...
October 8, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Why do we derogate effective altruists, activists, & other radically prosocial individuals? In new work, we discuss how doing good that deviates from social norms gets stigmatized. New preprint w/ @dcameron.bsky.social @tlau.bsky.social @desmond-ong.bsky.social: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Our recent review article "The Psychology of Virality" with @jayvanbavel.bsky.social
is on the front cover of this month's issue of
@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social.
is on the front cover of this month's issue of
@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social.
October 7, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Our recent review article "The Psychology of Virality" with @jayvanbavel.bsky.social
is on the front cover of this month's issue of
@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social.
is on the front cover of this month's issue of
@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social.
Reposted by Uri Hertz
Please spread the word! I am recruiting a PhD student this cycle (Fall 2026 start) to join my team in a new venture: the neuroscience of mood.
If you are curious to learn more, this short talk provides a good overview of why, what and how.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjIK...
If you are curious to learn more, this short talk provides a good overview of why, what and how.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjIK...
Nicole Rust - The representation of mood in the primate insula (May 6, 2025)
YouTube video by Simons Foundation
www.youtube.com
October 7, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Please spread the word! I am recruiting a PhD student this cycle (Fall 2026 start) to join my team in a new venture: the neuroscience of mood.
If you are curious to learn more, this short talk provides a good overview of why, what and how.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjIK...
If you are curious to learn more, this short talk provides a good overview of why, what and how.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjIK...