Gordon Pennycook
@gordpennycook.bsky.social
Associate Professor, Psychology @cornelluniversity.bsky.social. Researching thinking & reasoning, misinformation, social media, AI, belief, metacognition, B.S., and various other keywords. 🇨🇦
https://gordonpennycook.com/
https://gordonpennycook.com/
Excited to announce our amazing lineup of speakers for the 2026 JDM preconference at SPSP!
Conference date: Feb 26th
Location: Chicago
Deadline to apply: Oct 23rd.
Application link: spsp.wufoo.com/forms/2026-p...
cc: @sdellavi.bsky.social, @hirshmansam.bsky.social, @vinisingh.bsky.social
Conference date: Feb 26th
Location: Chicago
Deadline to apply: Oct 23rd.
Application link: spsp.wufoo.com/forms/2026-p...
cc: @sdellavi.bsky.social, @hirshmansam.bsky.social, @vinisingh.bsky.social
September 22, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Excited to announce our amazing lineup of speakers for the 2026 JDM preconference at SPSP!
Conference date: Feb 26th
Location: Chicago
Deadline to apply: Oct 23rd.
Application link: spsp.wufoo.com/forms/2026-p...
cc: @sdellavi.bsky.social, @hirshmansam.bsky.social, @vinisingh.bsky.social
Conference date: Feb 26th
Location: Chicago
Deadline to apply: Oct 23rd.
Application link: spsp.wufoo.com/forms/2026-p...
cc: @sdellavi.bsky.social, @hirshmansam.bsky.social, @vinisingh.bsky.social
Coincidentally, several of the main proponents of inoculation recently posted a manuscript that reports an attempt to test the intervention using ads on Twitter. It was not effective. (major props to the authors for writing this up!) scholar.google.ca/scholar_url?...
June 5, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Coincidentally, several of the main proponents of inoculation recently posted a manuscript that reports an attempt to test the intervention using ads on Twitter. It was not effective. (major props to the authors for writing this up!) scholar.google.ca/scholar_url?...
We did several variations on the feed length and we also measured three "real-world" type outcomes: Dwell time, likes, and shares.
The results are pretty straightforward: There were no consistent effects for any outcome. With one exception: sharing in Study 5.
The results are pretty straightforward: There were no consistent effects for any outcome. With one exception: sharing in Study 5.
June 5, 2025 at 7:33 PM
We did several variations on the feed length and we also measured three "real-world" type outcomes: Dwell time, likes, and shares.
The results are pretty straightforward: There were no consistent effects for any outcome. With one exception: sharing in Study 5.
The results are pretty straightforward: There were no consistent effects for any outcome. With one exception: sharing in Study 5.
1) The inoculation videos were presented as a pop-up in a "mock" social media feed (via "Yourfeed" see arxiv.org/abs/2207.07478)
2) We used both real-world content and the "synthetic" materials that are typical of past research on inoculation (good internal validity, but may not be that realistic).
2) We used both real-world content and the "synthetic" materials that are typical of past research on inoculation (good internal validity, but may not be that realistic).
June 5, 2025 at 7:33 PM
1) The inoculation videos were presented as a pop-up in a "mock" social media feed (via "Yourfeed" see arxiv.org/abs/2207.07478)
2) We used both real-world content and the "synthetic" materials that are typical of past research on inoculation (good internal validity, but may not be that realistic).
2) We used both real-world content and the "synthetic" materials that are typical of past research on inoculation (good internal validity, but may not be that realistic).
Psychological inoculation is a very popular intervention against online misinfo, but it hasn't been tested using real-world outcomes in realistic scenarios.
In a new paper just published in PNAS Nexus, this is what we did: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Short version: It didn't really work.
In a new paper just published in PNAS Nexus, this is what we did: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Short version: It didn't really work.
June 5, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Psychological inoculation is a very popular intervention against online misinfo, but it hasn't been tested using real-world outcomes in realistic scenarios.
In a new paper just published in PNAS Nexus, this is what we did: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Short version: It didn't really work.
In a new paper just published in PNAS Nexus, this is what we did: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Short version: It didn't really work.
Val Thompson (my UG advisor) & Jon Fugelsang (my PhD advisor) BOTH received awards from the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, & Cognitive Science!
I owe them my life. So glad that their many accomplishments are being recognized!
www.csbbcs.org/awards/dr-va...
www.csbbcs.org/awards/csbbc...
I owe them my life. So glad that their many accomplishments are being recognized!
www.csbbcs.org/awards/dr-va...
www.csbbcs.org/awards/csbbc...
June 5, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Val Thompson (my UG advisor) & Jon Fugelsang (my PhD advisor) BOTH received awards from the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, & Cognitive Science!
I owe them my life. So glad that their many accomplishments are being recognized!
www.csbbcs.org/awards/dr-va...
www.csbbcs.org/awards/csbbc...
I owe them my life. So glad that their many accomplishments are being recognized!
www.csbbcs.org/awards/dr-va...
www.csbbcs.org/awards/csbbc...
If you're curious, here's the retracted article: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Major props to Duckworth et al. for this retraction
Major props to Duckworth et al. for this retraction
June 2, 2025 at 1:56 PM
If you're curious, here's the retracted article: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Major props to Duckworth et al. for this retraction
Major props to Duckworth et al. for this retraction
Learned something new today: Zotero has a feature where it informs you if an article in your reference library has been retracted. Very cool!
June 2, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Learned something new today: Zotero has a feature where it informs you if an article in your reference library has been retracted. Very cool!
This tendency to overestimate agreement among believers (the largest false consensus effect that I've seen) is consistent across a wide range of conspiracies. There's basically little calibration with reality: Conspiracy believers (particularly overconfident ones) think that most agree with them
May 29, 2025 at 5:18 PM
This tendency to overestimate agreement among believers (the largest false consensus effect that I've seen) is consistent across a wide range of conspiracies. There's basically little calibration with reality: Conspiracy believers (particularly overconfident ones) think that most agree with them
Key component of this paper is that we measure overconfidence as a general trait. Conspiracy believers aren't merely overconfident in their beliefs (that much is obvious). We argue that people who overrate their abilities in random tasks also tend to believe conspiracies (particularly fringe ones).
May 29, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Key component of this paper is that we measure overconfidence as a general trait. Conspiracy believers aren't merely overconfident in their beliefs (that much is obvious). We argue that people who overrate their abilities in random tasks also tend to believe conspiracies (particularly fringe ones).
New paper in PSPB! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Well, actually, not "new". We first put this paper online way back Dec 2022... in any case, we think it's really cool!
We find that conspiracy believers tend to be overconfident & really don't seem to realize that most disagree with them
Well, actually, not "new". We first put this paper online way back Dec 2022... in any case, we think it's really cool!
We find that conspiracy believers tend to be overconfident & really don't seem to realize that most disagree with them
May 29, 2025 at 5:18 PM
New paper in PSPB! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Well, actually, not "new". We first put this paper online way back Dec 2022... in any case, we think it's really cool!
We find that conspiracy believers tend to be overconfident & really don't seem to realize that most disagree with them
Well, actually, not "new". We first put this paper online way back Dec 2022... in any case, we think it's really cool!
We find that conspiracy believers tend to be overconfident & really don't seem to realize that most disagree with them
The transition is almost complete
May 19, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The transition is almost complete
The primary result is straightforward: The effect was ~identical across conditions.
Believers updated their beliefs according to counterevidence. Doesn't matter if they thought they were talking to a human or an AI.
Making the AI seem more "human-like" also had no effect. osf.io/preprints/ps...
Believers updated their beliefs according to counterevidence. Doesn't matter if they thought they were talking to a human or an AI.
Making the AI seem more "human-like" also had no effect. osf.io/preprints/ps...
May 15, 2025 at 3:54 PM
The primary result is straightforward: The effect was ~identical across conditions.
Believers updated their beliefs according to counterevidence. Doesn't matter if they thought they were talking to a human or an AI.
Making the AI seem more "human-like" also had no effect. osf.io/preprints/ps...
Believers updated their beliefs according to counterevidence. Doesn't matter if they thought they were talking to a human or an AI.
Making the AI seem more "human-like" also had no effect. osf.io/preprints/ps...
Recent research shows that AI can durably reduce belief in conspiracies. But does this work b/c the AI is good at producing evidence, or b/c ppl really trust AI?
In a new working paper, we show that the effect persists even if the person thinks they're talking to a human: osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵
In a new working paper, we show that the effect persists even if the person thinks they're talking to a human: osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵
May 15, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Recent research shows that AI can durably reduce belief in conspiracies. But does this work b/c the AI is good at producing evidence, or b/c ppl really trust AI?
In a new working paper, we show that the effect persists even if the person thinks they're talking to a human: osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵
In a new working paper, we show that the effect persists even if the person thinks they're talking to a human: osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵
Sweet. This is going to end well
April 4, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Sweet. This is going to end well
Here's the top comment on Fox News' reporting about the security failure. Seems like this, finally, may be a bridge too far.
Very curious to see if anyone will be fired.
Very curious to see if anyone will be fired.
March 25, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Here's the top comment on Fox News' reporting about the security failure. Seems like this, finally, may be a bridge too far.
Very curious to see if anyone will be fired.
Very curious to see if anyone will be fired.
Ahh, it's a misunderstanding. I chose the waterfall picture because my last lab picture (a bit out dated) was in front of a waterfall. I didn't want the hassle of photoshopping them out, nor did I want to just post a blank background, so I chose a generic photo of one of Ithaca's many waterfalls.
March 20, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Ahh, it's a misunderstanding. I chose the waterfall picture because my last lab picture (a bit out dated) was in front of a waterfall. I didn't want the hassle of photoshopping them out, nor did I want to just post a blank background, so I chose a generic photo of one of Ithaca's many waterfalls.
Here's a picture of my Cornell lab with all the immigrants removed (all of us).
March 19, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Here's a picture of my Cornell lab with all the immigrants removed (all of us).
The Heritage Foundation, authors of Project 2025! I.e., the playbook for the current constitutional crisis... fun!
February 28, 2025 at 7:32 PM
The Heritage Foundation, authors of Project 2025! I.e., the playbook for the current constitutional crisis... fun!
What makes American exceptional you wonder? You'll never guess who wrote this! (source revealed below)
February 28, 2025 at 7:32 PM
What makes American exceptional you wonder? You'll never guess who wrote this! (source revealed below)
Oh and look at this: 4(!) clinical psych positions at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon (where I did undergrad): universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?...
January 31, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Oh and look at this: 4(!) clinical psych positions at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon (where I did undergrad): universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?...
Well, maybe... but if people are building houses that can't withstand temperatures that are 7 degrees lower than average, I think there's a problem
January 20, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Well, maybe... but if people are building houses that can't withstand temperatures that are 7 degrees lower than average, I think there's a problem
Additional context: current weather in Regina Saskatchewan (glad I'm in Ithaca at the moment)
January 20, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Additional context: current weather in Regina Saskatchewan (glad I'm in Ithaca at the moment)
I totally understand that they aren't used to this weather in D.C., but calling -5°Cish "brutally cold" is so funny to me as a Saskatchewanian
(Context: It was around -5 in SK at Christmas and we were beside ourselves with the amazing weather. Went skating on the lake.)
(Context: It was around -5 in SK at Christmas and we were beside ourselves with the amazing weather. Went skating on the lake.)
January 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM
I totally understand that they aren't used to this weather in D.C., but calling -5°Cish "brutally cold" is so funny to me as a Saskatchewanian
(Context: It was around -5 in SK at Christmas and we were beside ourselves with the amazing weather. Went skating on the lake.)
(Context: It was around -5 in SK at Christmas and we were beside ourselves with the amazing weather. Went skating on the lake.)