Burak Sonmez
@buraksonmez.bsky.social
Associate Professor in Quantitative Social Science at UCL. Runs models by day, oscillators by night.
brksnmz.github.io
brksnmz.github.io
I’m a newbie on Substack 🚀
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
October 7, 2025 at 2:39 PM
I’m a newbie on Substack 🚀
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
I show how simulating donation behaviour data through LLMs can generate false positives.
LLMs rationalise, but human behaviour is noisy.
buraksonmez.substack.com/p/silicon-sa...
Boundaries can shift, but unevenly!
Perspective-taking boosts support for asylum rights & faster decisions
However, loss-framed cost info has no effect on rights, just some in charitable giving
Overall, empathy works better to widen moral boundaries!
Perspective-taking boosts support for asylum rights & faster decisions
However, loss-framed cost info has no effect on rights, just some in charitable giving
Overall, empathy works better to widen moral boundaries!
September 11, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Boundaries can shift, but unevenly!
Perspective-taking boosts support for asylum rights & faster decisions
However, loss-framed cost info has no effect on rights, just some in charitable giving
Overall, empathy works better to widen moral boundaries!
Perspective-taking boosts support for asylum rights & faster decisions
However, loss-framed cost info has no effect on rights, just some in charitable giving
Overall, empathy works better to widen moral boundaries!
Spatial preferences mirror these hierarchies: Ukrainians & English-speaking professionals welcomed; Muslim, low-status, non-English-speaking refugees resisted locally
September 11, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Spatial preferences mirror these hierarchies: Ukrainians & English-speaking professionals welcomed; Muslim, low-status, non-English-speaking refugees resisted locally
We found that perceived legitimacy is layered, not just forced vs voluntary
Absent/fake ID erodes legitimacy, especially for Muslim applicants
Symbolic vulnerability (minors, women, kinship) + strategic merit (occupation) → hierarchies of protection
Absent/fake ID erodes legitimacy, especially for Muslim applicants
Symbolic vulnerability (minors, women, kinship) + strategic merit (occupation) → hierarchies of protection
September 11, 2025 at 9:38 AM
We found that perceived legitimacy is layered, not just forced vs voluntary
Absent/fake ID erodes legitimacy, especially for Muslim applicants
Symbolic vulnerability (minors, women, kinship) + strategic merit (occupation) → hierarchies of protection
Absent/fake ID erodes legitimacy, especially for Muslim applicants
Symbolic vulnerability (minors, women, kinship) + strategic merit (occupation) → hierarchies of protection
🚨 New pre-print with @sergioloiacono.bsky.social
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
September 11, 2025 at 9:32 AM
🚨 New pre-print with @sergioloiacono.bsky.social
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
We ran 3 large-scale experiments in 🇬🇧to investigate how perceived asylum-seeking legality, public preferences for refugee relocation, and inclusionary attitudes are shaped by symbolic and strategic boundaries
doi.org/10.31235/osf...
Congrats to the field of Deprecable Model Research aka vibe researching
August 8, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Congrats to the field of Deprecable Model Research aka vibe researching
They are not beard friendly for sure
August 3, 2025 at 5:20 PM
They are not beard friendly for sure
We had our farewell to @aksoyundan.bsky.social at UCL yesterday!
Ozan has been such a big part of our journey, from building our Quant Sociology group to being an incredible mentor and collaborator along the way.
We’ll miss his presence & humour a lot, but we’re excited to see what he does next 👀
Ozan has been such a big part of our journey, from building our Quant Sociology group to being an incredible mentor and collaborator along the way.
We’ll miss his presence & humour a lot, but we’re excited to see what he does next 👀
July 17, 2025 at 3:33 PM
We had our farewell to @aksoyundan.bsky.social at UCL yesterday!
Ozan has been such a big part of our journey, from building our Quant Sociology group to being an incredible mentor and collaborator along the way.
We’ll miss his presence & humour a lot, but we’re excited to see what he does next 👀
Ozan has been such a big part of our journey, from building our Quant Sociology group to being an incredible mentor and collaborator along the way.
We’ll miss his presence & humour a lot, but we’re excited to see what he does next 👀
In-house house vibes for the department, keeping the energy on beat all week at SRI 🪩
February 25, 2025 at 11:43 AM
In-house house vibes for the department, keeping the energy on beat all week at SRI 🪩
Baudrillard would go mental if he saw this alternative hyperreality. One may argue that language became a self-referential system, where meaning is replaced by the illusion of meaning
February 18, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Baudrillard would go mental if he saw this alternative hyperreality. One may argue that language became a self-referential system, where meaning is replaced by the illusion of meaning
With this logo you can even get some seed-corn money from Turkish presidency
December 5, 2024 at 10:20 AM
With this logo you can even get some seed-corn money from Turkish presidency
This is a great ad, but not sure we should encourage swapping post-work pints with a couple of glasses of rakı in the UK, just for the sake of public order
December 3, 2024 at 9:58 AM
This is a great ad, but not sure we should encourage swapping post-work pints with a couple of glasses of rakı in the UK, just for the sake of public order
This was indeed a pre-registered hypothesis ⛴️
November 27, 2024 at 10:56 PM
This was indeed a pre-registered hypothesis ⛴️
“Empirical results in several policy relevant fields in economics are correlated with the predicted political ideology of the author(s)” academic.oup.com/ej/article-p...
November 27, 2024 at 8:59 PM
“Empirical results in several policy relevant fields in economics are correlated with the predicted political ideology of the author(s)” academic.oup.com/ej/article-p...
Much of the literature on debunking misinformation uses correcting false information as a treatment. However, this method is often vulnerable to cognitive dissonance. One example of this issue is the misuse of graphs (like one used on the other site to dump on higher education in social sciences)
November 26, 2024 at 10:25 AM
Much of the literature on debunking misinformation uses correcting false information as a treatment. However, this method is often vulnerable to cognitive dissonance. One example of this issue is the misuse of graphs (like one used on the other site to dump on higher education in social sciences)
These results may just be the tip of the iceberg, given that self-medication (e.g., drugs, alcohol consumption) is not involved
September 20, 2024 at 2:18 PM
These results may just be the tip of the iceberg, given that self-medication (e.g., drugs, alcohol consumption) is not involved
I’m one of those who only immigrate with point-based systems
September 17, 2024 at 10:49 AM
I’m one of those who only immigrate with point-based systems
Any theory to explain this way of disposal?
August 29, 2024 at 11:21 AM
Any theory to explain this way of disposal?
🙌 The best time of year! Join us for the 4th Workshop on Experimental Sociology (🗓️11-12 Sep 2024)
📢Call for the extended abstracts:
📝Submission deadline: 14 Aug 2024
Keynote lecture by Bianca Manago
See for all details and submission👇 experimentalsociology.github.io
📢Call for the extended abstracts:
📝Submission deadline: 14 Aug 2024
Keynote lecture by Bianca Manago
See for all details and submission👇 experimentalsociology.github.io
July 19, 2024 at 1:58 PM
🙌 The best time of year! Join us for the 4th Workshop on Experimental Sociology (🗓️11-12 Sep 2024)
📢Call for the extended abstracts:
📝Submission deadline: 14 Aug 2024
Keynote lecture by Bianca Manago
See for all details and submission👇 experimentalsociology.github.io
📢Call for the extended abstracts:
📝Submission deadline: 14 Aug 2024
Keynote lecture by Bianca Manago
See for all details and submission👇 experimentalsociology.github.io
I wonder what German politicians do in their state visits to Italy, adding pineapple on pizza in trattorias?
April 23, 2024 at 9:44 AM
I wonder what German politicians do in their state visits to Italy, adding pineapple on pizza in trattorias?
(4) As the proportion of locals supporting the abusive policy increases, respondents’ willingness to shelter the target population from the harm of sanctions decreases
January 30, 2024 at 12:16 PM
(4) As the proportion of locals supporting the abusive policy increases, respondents’ willingness to shelter the target population from the harm of sanctions decreases
(3) Respondents are sensitive to incurring costs when imposing sanctions, and their unwillingness to incur higher costs remains remarkably consistent irrespective of the harm that falls on the target population
January 30, 2024 at 12:15 PM
(3) Respondents are sensitive to incurring costs when imposing sanctions, and their unwillingness to incur higher costs remains remarkably consistent irrespective of the harm that falls on the target population
Some major findings: (1) Individuals differentiate the target population from the leadership and show a clear preference toward punishing the latter more severely while sheltering the former from the harms of economic sanctions
January 30, 2024 at 12:14 PM
Some major findings: (1) Individuals differentiate the target population from the leadership and show a clear preference toward punishing the latter more severely while sheltering the former from the harms of economic sanctions