Dominik Deffner
@dominikdeffner.bsky.social
Assistant Professor for Computational Modelling of Behaviour @unimarburg.bsky.social | (Social) decision-making and (cultural) evolution | Website: https://www.uni-marburg.de/en/fb04/team-deffner/deffner
Pinned
First-Person Perspective of the Voluntary Payoff-Sharing (VP) Condition
YouTube video by Valerii Chirkov
www.youtube.com
Which processes underlie collective intelligence in naturalistic human groups?
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
This will spark some great papers: an open digital dataset of roads in the Roman Empire
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
‘Google Maps’ for Roman roads reveals vast extent of ancient network
A high-resolution digital map nearly doubles the known length of the ancient road network.
www.nature.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:38 PM
This will spark some great papers: an open digital dataset of roads in the Roman Empire
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
Part of a startup project funded by Max Planck Innovation's MAX!mize program, we're developing next-generation software for automated analysis of animal social behavior. We have this opening:
Software Engineer (m/f/d) (80 - 100 %) Behavioral Analysis Platform Development
Details : lnkd.in/ewXgnBmV
Software Engineer (m/f/d) (80 - 100 %) Behavioral Analysis Platform Development
Details : lnkd.in/ewXgnBmV
November 7, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Part of a startup project funded by Max Planck Innovation's MAX!mize program, we're developing next-generation software for automated analysis of animal social behavior. We have this opening:
Software Engineer (m/f/d) (80 - 100 %) Behavioral Analysis Platform Development
Details : lnkd.in/ewXgnBmV
Software Engineer (m/f/d) (80 - 100 %) Behavioral Analysis Platform Development
Details : lnkd.in/ewXgnBmV
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
The final paper of my dissertation has just been published in Psychometrika (@pmetricsoc.bsky.social). Many thanks to @bsiepe.bsky.social and @danielheck.bsky.social, who co-authored it with me.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
The Interval Consensus Model: Aggregating Continuous Bounded Interval Responses | Psychometrika | Cambridge Core
The Interval Consensus Model: Aggregating Continuous Bounded Interval Responses
www.cambridge.org
November 4, 2025 at 10:03 AM
The final paper of my dissertation has just been published in Psychometrika (@pmetricsoc.bsky.social). Many thanks to @bsiepe.bsky.social and @danielheck.bsky.social, who co-authored it with me.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
Does JavaScript….go hard?!??
October 24, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Does JavaScript….go hard?!??
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
New paper out today with Zhian Chen.
We argue that modern intensive parenting is not only exhausting for parents, but in some cases disrupts healthy child development.
What is 'overparenting'? And can evolutionary theory help us understand how we got here?
academic.oup.com/emph/advance...
We argue that modern intensive parenting is not only exhausting for parents, but in some cases disrupts healthy child development.
What is 'overparenting'? And can evolutionary theory help us understand how we got here?
academic.oup.com/emph/advance...
When parental care hurts: Extended parental care and the evolution of overparenting
Abstract. In recent years, childrearing in high-income countries has become described as ‘relentless’ in its demands on parents. In response to growing del
academic.oup.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:53 PM
New paper out today with Zhian Chen.
We argue that modern intensive parenting is not only exhausting for parents, but in some cases disrupts healthy child development.
What is 'overparenting'? And can evolutionary theory help us understand how we got here?
academic.oup.com/emph/advance...
We argue that modern intensive parenting is not only exhausting for parents, but in some cases disrupts healthy child development.
What is 'overparenting'? And can evolutionary theory help us understand how we got here?
academic.oup.com/emph/advance...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
We built the openESM database:
▶️60 openly available experience sampling datasets (16K+ participants, 740K+ obs.) in one place
▶️Harmonized (meta-)data, fully open-source software
▶️Filter & search all data, simply download via R/Python
Find out more:
🌐 openesmdata.org
📝 doi.org/10.31234/osf...
▶️60 openly available experience sampling datasets (16K+ participants, 740K+ obs.) in one place
▶️Harmonized (meta-)data, fully open-source software
▶️Filter & search all data, simply download via R/Python
Find out more:
🌐 openesmdata.org
📝 doi.org/10.31234/osf...
October 22, 2025 at 7:34 PM
We built the openESM database:
▶️60 openly available experience sampling datasets (16K+ participants, 740K+ obs.) in one place
▶️Harmonized (meta-)data, fully open-source software
▶️Filter & search all data, simply download via R/Python
Find out more:
🌐 openesmdata.org
📝 doi.org/10.31234/osf...
▶️60 openly available experience sampling datasets (16K+ participants, 740K+ obs.) in one place
▶️Harmonized (meta-)data, fully open-source software
▶️Filter & search all data, simply download via R/Python
Find out more:
🌐 openesmdata.org
📝 doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
Fully-funded 4-year #PhD in Cultural Evolution! Join my @erc.europa.eu project exploring how compression & compositionality drive cultural innovation: hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur...
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
ERC funded PhD position on Cultural Evolution
ERC funded PhD position on Cultural Evolution
posted on October 16, 2025
We are currently seeking a highly motivated individual for a ful...
hmc-lab.com
October 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Fully-funded 4-year #PhD in Cultural Evolution! Join my @erc.europa.eu project exploring how compression & compositionality drive cultural innovation: hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur...
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
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 Dominik Deffner
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Analyzing the academic trajectories of 78,216 psychology researchers, we demonstrate a persistent gender attrition gap, with women psychologists dropping out of academia at consistently higher rates than men psychologists.
Preprint: arxiv.org/pdf/2510.13273
Analyzing the academic trajectories of 78,216 psychology researchers, we demonstrate a persistent gender attrition gap, with women psychologists dropping out of academia at consistently higher rates than men psychologists.
Preprint: arxiv.org/pdf/2510.13273
October 16, 2025 at 9:38 AM
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Analyzing the academic trajectories of 78,216 psychology researchers, we demonstrate a persistent gender attrition gap, with women psychologists dropping out of academia at consistently higher rates than men psychologists.
Preprint: arxiv.org/pdf/2510.13273
Analyzing the academic trajectories of 78,216 psychology researchers, we demonstrate a persistent gender attrition gap, with women psychologists dropping out of academia at consistently higher rates than men psychologists.
Preprint: arxiv.org/pdf/2510.13273
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
Great to see this work finally released! Fun fact, Valerii was the winner of the #COSMOS2023 poster prize with an earlier iteration of this project
October 15, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Great to see this work finally released! Fun fact, Valerii was the winner of the #COSMOS2023 poster prize with an earlier iteration of this project
Which processes underlie collective intelligence in naturalistic human groups?
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
First-Person Perspective of the Voluntary Payoff-Sharing (VP) Condition
YouTube video by Valerii Chirkov
www.youtube.com
October 15, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Which processes underlie collective intelligence in naturalistic human groups?
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
Out today in @plosbiology.org (1/5)
Siblings and non-parental adults provide alternative pathways to cultural inheritance in juvenile great tits 🐦🧩
Link to study:
10.0.5.91/journal.pbio...
Co-authors:
@lucymaplin.bsky.social
@galarconnieto.bsky.social
Siblings and non-parental adults provide alternative pathways to cultural inheritance in juvenile great tits 🐦🧩
Link to study:
10.0.5.91/journal.pbio...
Co-authors:
@lucymaplin.bsky.social
@galarconnieto.bsky.social
October 9, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Out today in @plosbiology.org (1/5)
Siblings and non-parental adults provide alternative pathways to cultural inheritance in juvenile great tits 🐦🧩
Link to study:
10.0.5.91/journal.pbio...
Co-authors:
@lucymaplin.bsky.social
@galarconnieto.bsky.social
Siblings and non-parental adults provide alternative pathways to cultural inheritance in juvenile great tits 🐦🧩
Link to study:
10.0.5.91/journal.pbio...
Co-authors:
@lucymaplin.bsky.social
@galarconnieto.bsky.social
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
EHBEA is looking for new PRESIDENT and SECRETARY for 2026-2029! 👀
If you know of anybody who could represent EHBEA, nominate them as president!
If you know with good organisational skills, nominate them as secretary!
DEADLINE: 16/12/2026
HERE IS THE FORM 👇
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
If you know of anybody who could represent EHBEA, nominate them as president!
If you know with good organisational skills, nominate them as secretary!
DEADLINE: 16/12/2026
HERE IS THE FORM 👇
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
EHBEACommitteeNominationForm_Pres_Sec.doc
EHBEA Committee 2026-2029: Nomination Form The EHBEA Steering Committee is calling for nominations for the following open committee positions for 2026-2029. You are invited to nominate one or more c...
docs.google.com
October 7, 2025 at 4:22 PM
EHBEA is looking for new PRESIDENT and SECRETARY for 2026-2029! 👀
If you know of anybody who could represent EHBEA, nominate them as president!
If you know with good organisational skills, nominate them as secretary!
DEADLINE: 16/12/2026
HERE IS THE FORM 👇
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
If you know of anybody who could represent EHBEA, nominate them as president!
If you know with good organisational skills, nominate them as secretary!
DEADLINE: 16/12/2026
HERE IS THE FORM 👇
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
I am gonna take the option where I get more time to read, understand and write. maybe that AI can go to committee meetings for me?
October 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I am gonna take the option where I get more time to read, understand and write. maybe that AI can go to committee meetings for me?
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
🦅PhD position 🦅 in my new group at @fbm-unil.bsky.social in Switzerland, studying how the social and resource landscapes shape the learning process for soaring flight. Deadline: Oct 30. Pls repost! career5.successfactors.eu/career?caree...
October 6, 2025 at 5:56 AM
🦅PhD position 🦅 in my new group at @fbm-unil.bsky.social in Switzerland, studying how the social and resource landscapes shape the learning process for soaring flight. Deadline: Oct 30. Pls repost! career5.successfactors.eu/career?caree...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
📢🚀 Are you an early-career researcher working on anything related to culture, behaviour or learning? 🧠🌍 Join ESLR, an interdisciplinary research community! We have a NEW website and our membership is now FREE. 👉 Sign up here to get updates and become a member: www.eslrsociety.com/membership
ESLR | Membership
www.eslrsociety.com
October 2, 2025 at 7:43 AM
📢🚀 Are you an early-career researcher working on anything related to culture, behaviour or learning? 🧠🌍 Join ESLR, an interdisciplinary research community! We have a NEW website and our membership is now FREE. 👉 Sign up here to get updates and become a member: www.eslrsociety.com/membership
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
Finally in my hands! A new book from @mgurven.bsky.social on why we age, and how we can age better, through the lens of evolutionary anthropology💙 Very excited to dive in!
October 1, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Finally in my hands! A new book from @mgurven.bsky.social on why we age, and how we can age better, through the lens of evolutionary anthropology💙 Very excited to dive in!
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
Our fragmentation paper is now finally out! I put some of the dumb quips that didn't make the cut in the alt texts.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
September 29, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Our fragmentation paper is now finally out! I put some of the dumb quips that didn't make the cut in the alt texts.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
COSMOS2025 kick started!! And we’ve got the generous support from #ESLR community for the ESLR travel award!! Join ESLR if you are interested in social learning, cultural evolution, collective behaviour, and beyond!!
September 29, 2025 at 7:19 AM
COSMOS2025 kick started!! And we’ve got the generous support from #ESLR community for the ESLR travel award!! Join ESLR if you are interested in social learning, cultural evolution, collective behaviour, and beyond!!
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
How to quantify the impact of AI on long-run cultural evolution? Published today, I give it a go!
400+ years of strategic dynamics in the game of Go (Baduk/Weiqi), from feudalism to AlphaGo!
400+ years of strategic dynamics in the game of Go (Baduk/Weiqi), from feudalism to AlphaGo!
September 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM
How to quantify the impact of AI on long-run cultural evolution? Published today, I give it a go!
400+ years of strategic dynamics in the game of Go (Baduk/Weiqi), from feudalism to AlphaGo!
400+ years of strategic dynamics in the game of Go (Baduk/Weiqi), from feudalism to AlphaGo!
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
💙New paper!💙
How is knowledge transmitted across generations in a foraging society?
With @danielredhead.bsky.social
we found: In BaYaka foragers, long-term skills pass in smaller, sparser networks, while short-term food info circulates broadly & reciprocally
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
How is knowledge transmitted across generations in a foraging society?
With @danielredhead.bsky.social
we found: In BaYaka foragers, long-term skills pass in smaller, sparser networks, while short-term food info circulates broadly & reciprocally
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Transmission networks of long-term and short-term knowledge in a foraging society
Abstract. Cultural transmission across generations is key to cumulative cultural evolution. While several mechanisms—such as vertical, horizontal, and obli
academic.oup.com
September 14, 2025 at 7:52 AM
💙New paper!💙
How is knowledge transmitted across generations in a foraging society?
With @danielredhead.bsky.social
we found: In BaYaka foragers, long-term skills pass in smaller, sparser networks, while short-term food info circulates broadly & reciprocally
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
How is knowledge transmitted across generations in a foraging society?
With @danielredhead.bsky.social
we found: In BaYaka foragers, long-term skills pass in smaller, sparser networks, while short-term food info circulates broadly & reciprocally
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
After a very fun summer (👇), some personal updates: I am moving to @mpib-berlin.bsky.social @arc-mpib.bsky.social in Berlin next month with a Humboldt Fellowship @humboldt-foundation.de to join @ralfkurvers.bsky.social for some exciting collective decision-making work😁🐟🚶♀️
Any Berlin/DE tips welcome!
Any Berlin/DE tips welcome!
September 12, 2025 at 7:30 AM
After a very fun summer (👇), some personal updates: I am moving to @mpib-berlin.bsky.social @arc-mpib.bsky.social in Berlin next month with a Humboldt Fellowship @humboldt-foundation.de to join @ralfkurvers.bsky.social for some exciting collective decision-making work😁🐟🚶♀️
Any Berlin/DE tips welcome!
Any Berlin/DE tips welcome!
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
New paper on precise tool use learning in carrion crows @currentbiology.bsky.social. We show that—like New Caledonian crows—expert carrion crows pay close attention to the working end of their tool, suggesting tool integration into their peripersonal space. 🧵 & vids! 👇
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
September 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
New paper on precise tool use learning in carrion crows @currentbiology.bsky.social. We show that—like New Caledonian crows—expert carrion crows pay close attention to the working end of their tool, suggesting tool integration into their peripersonal space. 🧵 & vids! 👇
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
@durhampsych.bsky.social current has 5 (FIVE!!) PhD studentships being advertised!
3 to work with me on children as agents of cultural evolution
2 to work with @drboothroyd.bsky.social on examining school-based body image interventions.
Please share and apply!
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...
3 to work with me on children as agents of cultural evolution
2 to work with @drboothroyd.bsky.social on examining school-based body image interventions.
Please share and apply!
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...
Fees and Funding - Durham University
www.durham.ac.uk
September 11, 2025 at 9:12 AM
@durhampsych.bsky.social current has 5 (FIVE!!) PhD studentships being advertised!
3 to work with me on children as agents of cultural evolution
2 to work with @drboothroyd.bsky.social on examining school-based body image interventions.
Please share and apply!
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...
3 to work with me on children as agents of cultural evolution
2 to work with @drboothroyd.bsky.social on examining school-based body image interventions.
Please share and apply!
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...
Reposted by Dominik Deffner
Great news from the @erc.europa.eu today: I received an ERC Starting Grant to study the cultural evolution of literature 🔥
www.eva.mpg.de/press/news/a...
www.eva.mpg.de/press/news/a...
Charting the evolution of European literature
Oleg Sobchuk has received an ERC Starting Grant to study 200 years of European literary evolution
www.eva.mpg.de
September 4, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Great news from the @erc.europa.eu today: I received an ERC Starting Grant to study the cultural evolution of literature 🔥
www.eva.mpg.de/press/news/a...
www.eva.mpg.de/press/news/a...