Karlo Doroc
@karlodoroc.bsky.social
PhD Candidate in the Centre for Brain, Mind and Markets, University of Melbourne, views are my own.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of... Cognitive Ageing? 🤠🧠
Wrapping up a big month at #ACNS2025! I presented my work on how healthy ageing impacts decision-making capacity.
📄 Read the full preprint here: osf.io/preprints/ps...
A few highlights from the conference below👇
Wrapping up a big month at #ACNS2025! I presented my work on how healthy ageing impacts decision-making capacity.
📄 Read the full preprint here: osf.io/preprints/ps...
A few highlights from the conference below👇
December 11, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Indiana Jones and the Temple of... Cognitive Ageing? 🤠🧠
Wrapping up a big month at #ACNS2025! I presented my work on how healthy ageing impacts decision-making capacity.
📄 Read the full preprint here: osf.io/preprints/ps...
A few highlights from the conference below👇
Wrapping up a big month at #ACNS2025! I presented my work on how healthy ageing impacts decision-making capacity.
📄 Read the full preprint here: osf.io/preprints/ps...
A few highlights from the conference below👇
Eye-tracking data suggests altered attention as one potential mechanism.
Under stress + time pressure, gaze behaviour shifted:
👁️ More items visited
⏱️ Shorter dwell time per item
These gaze-related results are tentative, but warrant future investigation.
Under stress + time pressure, gaze behaviour shifted:
👁️ More items visited
⏱️ Shorter dwell time per item
These gaze-related results are tentative, but warrant future investigation.
December 4, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Eye-tracking data suggests altered attention as one potential mechanism.
Under stress + time pressure, gaze behaviour shifted:
👁️ More items visited
⏱️ Shorter dwell time per item
These gaze-related results are tentative, but warrant future investigation.
Under stress + time pressure, gaze behaviour shifted:
👁️ More items visited
⏱️ Shorter dwell time per item
These gaze-related results are tentative, but warrant future investigation.
What led to this? Under stress + time pressure, participants didn't become more random. They started to answer "No" more often.
They appeared to become more "pessimistic," incorrectly rejecting satisfiable instances (i.e., missing beneficial opportunities).
They appeared to become more "pessimistic," incorrectly rejecting satisfiable instances (i.e., missing beneficial opportunities).
December 4, 2025 at 2:21 AM
What led to this? Under stress + time pressure, participants didn't become more random. They started to answer "No" more often.
They appeared to become more "pessimistic," incorrectly rejecting satisfiable instances (i.e., missing beneficial opportunities).
They appeared to become more "pessimistic," incorrectly rejecting satisfiable instances (i.e., missing beneficial opportunities).
The headline result: Higher cortisol levels (AUCi) predicted significantly lower decision accuracy and a higher probability of "timing out" (using the maximum time on a trial).
Surprisingly, among cortisol responders, this impairment was observed independently of complexity.
Surprisingly, among cortisol responders, this impairment was observed independently of complexity.
December 4, 2025 at 2:21 AM
The headline result: Higher cortisol levels (AUCi) predicted significantly lower decision accuracy and a higher probability of "timing out" (using the maximum time on a trial).
Surprisingly, among cortisol responders, this impairment was observed independently of complexity.
Surprisingly, among cortisol responders, this impairment was observed independently of complexity.
We used a within-subjects design (N=42). Participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in one session (stress) and placebo in another (control).
The intervention worked: significant increases in salivary cortisol (AUCi), negative affect, and pupil diam. under stress
The intervention worked: significant increases in salivary cortisol (AUCi), negative affect, and pupil diam. under stress
December 4, 2025 at 2:21 AM
We used a within-subjects design (N=42). Participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in one session (stress) and placebo in another (control).
The intervention worked: significant increases in salivary cortisol (AUCi), negative affect, and pupil diam. under stress
The intervention worked: significant increases in salivary cortisol (AUCi), negative affect, and pupil diam. under stress
Most stress research uses simple cognitive tasks (e.g., N-back) or probabilistic tasks that may conflate DM-capacity with risk preferences.
To measure objective decision capacity, we used the Knapsack Decision Task (KDT).
✅ Theoretically grounded
✅ Can modulate complexity
To measure objective decision capacity, we used the Knapsack Decision Task (KDT).
✅ Theoretically grounded
✅ Can modulate complexity
December 4, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Most stress research uses simple cognitive tasks (e.g., N-back) or probabilistic tasks that may conflate DM-capacity with risk preferences.
To measure objective decision capacity, we used the Knapsack Decision Task (KDT).
✅ Theoretically grounded
✅ Can modulate complexity
To measure objective decision capacity, we used the Knapsack Decision Task (KDT).
✅ Theoretically grounded
✅ Can modulate complexity
Loved James Kirby's keynote on the science of compassion. ❤️
His 'Three Circles Scale' looks like a brilliant tool to help people (especially kids!) reflect on and communicate emotions.
Check it out here: research.psy.uq.edu.au/cmrg/three-c...
His 'Three Circles Scale' looks like a brilliant tool to help people (especially kids!) reflect on and communicate emotions.
Check it out here: research.psy.uq.edu.au/cmrg/three-c...
December 2, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Loved James Kirby's keynote on the science of compassion. ❤️
His 'Three Circles Scale' looks like a brilliant tool to help people (especially kids!) reflect on and communicate emotions.
Check it out here: research.psy.uq.edu.au/cmrg/three-c...
His 'Three Circles Scale' looks like a brilliant tool to help people (especially kids!) reflect on and communicate emotions.
Check it out here: research.psy.uq.edu.au/cmrg/three-c...
I presented my own findings on the impairing effects of acute stress on complex decision-making. 📉
🚨 Update: I’m thrilled to share that this work has just been published in Communications Psychology!
🚨 Update: I’m thrilled to share that this work has just been published in Communications Psychology!
December 1, 2025 at 9:00 PM
I presented my own findings on the impairing effects of acute stress on complex decision-making. 📉
🚨 Update: I’m thrilled to share that this work has just been published in Communications Psychology!
🚨 Update: I’m thrilled to share that this work has just been published in Communications Psychology!
It’s been a massive month! 🌪️ Two weeks ago, I spoke at the Monash Business Behavioural Lab (MBBL) Symposium on judgment & decision-making in virtual/physical worlds.
Huge thanks to Kristian Rotaru for pulling together such a stellar lineup, brief thread below 🧠👇
Huge thanks to Kristian Rotaru for pulling together such a stellar lineup, brief thread below 🧠👇
December 1, 2025 at 9:00 PM
It’s been a massive month! 🌪️ Two weeks ago, I spoke at the Monash Business Behavioural Lab (MBBL) Symposium on judgment & decision-making in virtual/physical worlds.
Huge thanks to Kristian Rotaru for pulling together such a stellar lineup, brief thread below 🧠👇
Huge thanks to Kristian Rotaru for pulling together such a stellar lineup, brief thread below 🧠👇