Marc Malmdorf Andersen
@ndersen.bsky.social
Cognitive scientist, associate professor at Aarhus University.
Predictive Processing, Emotion, Play, Recreational Fear, Cognitive Development.
Predictive Processing, Emotion, Play, Recreational Fear, Cognitive Development.
Pinned
Recreational Fear Across Childhood. A Cross-Sectional Study of Scary Activities that Children Enjoy - Child Psychiatry & Human Development
This study investigated the prevalence of children’s engagement in recreational fear activities — i.e., playful engagement with scary stimuli where both fear and enjoyment are experienced. A detailed ...
doi.org
🚨 Kids LOVE fear?!🚨
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Everything is a distraction from this.
‘Change course now’: humanity has missed 1.5C climate target, says UN head
Exclusive: ‘Devastating consequences’ now inevitable but emissions cuts still vital, says António Guterres in sole interview before Cop30
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Everything is a distraction from this.
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Happy to share that our BBS target article has been accepted: “Core Perception”: Re-imagining Precocious Reasoning as Sophisticated Perceiving
With Alon Hafri, @veroniqueizard.bsky.social, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & Brent Strickland
Read it here: doi.org/10.1017/S014...
A short thread [1/5]👇
With Alon Hafri, @veroniqueizard.bsky.social, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & Brent Strickland
Read it here: doi.org/10.1017/S014...
A short thread [1/5]👇
October 9, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Happy to share that our BBS target article has been accepted: “Core Perception”: Re-imagining Precocious Reasoning as Sophisticated Perceiving
With Alon Hafri, @veroniqueizard.bsky.social, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & Brent Strickland
Read it here: doi.org/10.1017/S014...
A short thread [1/5]👇
With Alon Hafri, @veroniqueizard.bsky.social, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & Brent Strickland
Read it here: doi.org/10.1017/S014...
A short thread [1/5]👇
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
somehow I missed this!
Dopamine represents a domain-general teaching signal:
www.science.org/doi/full/10....
Dopamine represents a domain-general teaching signal:
www.science.org/doi/full/10....
Striatal dopamine signals errors in prediction across different informational domains
Dopamine reflects prediction errors not only about reward but also about valueless stimuli, challenging many current theories.
www.science.org
September 16, 2025 at 7:44 PM
somehow I missed this!
Dopamine represents a domain-general teaching signal:
www.science.org/doi/full/10....
Dopamine represents a domain-general teaching signal:
www.science.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Academia.edu is changing its Terms and Conditions, and they're so outrageous (AI training; signing over ownership to them etc) I closed my account today.
A thread with some practical tips if you want to delete your account (5 steps):
A thread with some practical tips if you want to delete your account (5 steps):
September 20, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Academia.edu is changing its Terms and Conditions, and they're so outrageous (AI training; signing over ownership to them etc) I closed my account today.
A thread with some practical tips if you want to delete your account (5 steps):
A thread with some practical tips if you want to delete your account (5 steps):
Danish Media covers our recent study (article in danish):
videnskab.dk/kultur-samfu...
videnskab.dk/kultur-samfu...
September 9, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Danish Media covers our recent study (article in danish):
videnskab.dk/kultur-samfu...
videnskab.dk/kultur-samfu...
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Does the culture you grow up in shape the way you see the world? In a new Psych Review paper, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & I tackle this centuries-old question using the Müller-Lyer illusion as a case study. Come think through one of history's mysteries with us🧵(1/13):
January 25, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Does the culture you grow up in shape the way you see the world? In a new Psych Review paper, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & I tackle this centuries-old question using the Müller-Lyer illusion as a case study. Come think through one of history's mysteries with us🧵(1/13):
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
PsyArXiv is seeking new moderators to help combat an increase in AI submissions! If you've ever posted a preprint to PsyArXiv, please consider joining. Minimum commitment 1h/month, there's a training session this Monday @ 1pm ET. More info here: forms.gle/9LB1rEtxHAeZ... #PsychSciSky
Expression of Interest in Serving as a PsyArXiv Moderator
As you might have heard, PsyArXiv is having some issues with an increase in low-quality submissions, ranging from AI generated manuscripts to inflate citation metrics, incoherent or nonsensical docume...
forms.gle
August 15, 2025 at 5:31 PM
PsyArXiv is seeking new moderators to help combat an increase in AI submissions! If you've ever posted a preprint to PsyArXiv, please consider joining. Minimum commitment 1h/month, there's a training session this Monday @ 1pm ET. More info here: forms.gle/9LB1rEtxHAeZ... #PsychSciSky
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
On the left is a rabbit. On the right is an elephant. But guess what: They’re the *same image*, rotated 90°!
In @currentbiology.bsky.social, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & I show how these images—known as “visual anagrams”—can help solve a longstanding problem in cognitive science. bit.ly/45BVnCZ
In @currentbiology.bsky.social, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & I show how these images—known as “visual anagrams”—can help solve a longstanding problem in cognitive science. bit.ly/45BVnCZ
August 19, 2025 at 4:32 PM
On the left is a rabbit. On the right is an elephant. But guess what: They’re the *same image*, rotated 90°!
In @currentbiology.bsky.social, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & I show how these images—known as “visual anagrams”—can help solve a longstanding problem in cognitive science. bit.ly/45BVnCZ
In @currentbiology.bsky.social, @chazfirestone.bsky.social & I show how these images—known as “visual anagrams”—can help solve a longstanding problem in cognitive science. bit.ly/45BVnCZ
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
AI slop and the destruction of knowledge irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2025/08/12/a...
AI slop and the destruction of knowledge
This week I was looking for info on what cognitive scientists mean when they speak of ‘domain-general’ cognition. I was curious, because the nuances are relevant for something I am researching at t…
irisvanrooijcogsci.com
August 12, 2025 at 10:12 PM
AI slop and the destruction of knowledge irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2025/08/12/a...
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
🧟♂️🚨 Publication alert! 🚨🧟♀️
Holy moly, I'm thrilled to announce our new paper in Emotion! We explored how recreational fear, physiological synchrony, and social closeness interact in a high-intensity haunted house setting. 1/5 🧵
Link: psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
Holy moly, I'm thrilled to announce our new paper in Emotion! We explored how recreational fear, physiological synchrony, and social closeness interact in a high-intensity haunted house setting. 1/5 🧵
Link: psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
August 8, 2025 at 9:25 AM
🧟♂️🚨 Publication alert! 🚨🧟♀️
Holy moly, I'm thrilled to announce our new paper in Emotion! We explored how recreational fear, physiological synchrony, and social closeness interact in a high-intensity haunted house setting. 1/5 🧵
Link: psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
Holy moly, I'm thrilled to announce our new paper in Emotion! We explored how recreational fear, physiological synchrony, and social closeness interact in a high-intensity haunted house setting. 1/5 🧵
Link: psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
🧟♂️🚨 Publication alert! 🚨🧟♀️
Holy moly, I'm thrilled to announce our new paper in Emotion! We explored how recreational fear, physiological synchrony, and social closeness interact in a high-intensity haunted house setting. 1/5 🧵
Link: psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
Holy moly, I'm thrilled to announce our new paper in Emotion! We explored how recreational fear, physiological synchrony, and social closeness interact in a high-intensity haunted house setting. 1/5 🧵
Link: psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
August 8, 2025 at 9:25 AM
🧟♂️🚨 Publication alert! 🚨🧟♀️
Holy moly, I'm thrilled to announce our new paper in Emotion! We explored how recreational fear, physiological synchrony, and social closeness interact in a high-intensity haunted house setting. 1/5 🧵
Link: psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
Holy moly, I'm thrilled to announce our new paper in Emotion! We explored how recreational fear, physiological synchrony, and social closeness interact in a high-intensity haunted house setting. 1/5 🧵
Link: psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Happy to share "The Dynamics of Caregiver Unpredictability Shape Moment-to-Moment Infant Looking During Dyadic Interaction," out now in Child Development thanks to a large team of people I worked on this with! srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
<em>Child Development</em> | SRCD Journal | Wiley Online Library
Cognitive development is associated with how predictable caregivers are, but the mechanisms driving this are unclear. One possibility is caregiver predictability initially shapes how infants gather i...
srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
August 6, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Happy to share "The Dynamics of Caregiver Unpredictability Shape Moment-to-Moment Infant Looking During Dyadic Interaction," out now in Child Development thanks to a large team of people I worked on this with! srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirec...
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
This was such a fun conversation about childhood, play, and agency across cultures. Thanks for having @sheinalew.bsky.social & I on the show!
New episode!! 🎙️📣
A chat w/ @sheinalew.bsky.social & @dorsaamir.bsky.social about childhood across cultures.
Humans everywhere go through childhood—a time of learning, growth, and play. But this universal stage of life can look very different in different places.
Listen: disi.org/varieties-of...
A chat w/ @sheinalew.bsky.social & @dorsaamir.bsky.social about childhood across cultures.
Humans everywhere go through childhood—a time of learning, growth, and play. But this universal stage of life can look very different in different places.
Listen: disi.org/varieties-of...
July 19, 2025 at 1:50 PM
This was such a fun conversation about childhood, play, and agency across cultures. Thanks for having @sheinalew.bsky.social & I on the show!
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
🚨 Kids LOVE fear?!🚨
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
Recreational Fear Across Childhood. A Cross-Sectional Study of Scary Activities that Children Enjoy - Child Psychiatry & Human Development
This study investigated the prevalence of children’s engagement in recreational fear activities — i.e., playful engagement with scary stimuli where both fear and enjoyment are experienced. A detailed ...
doi.org
June 16, 2025 at 11:51 AM
🚨 Kids LOVE fear?!🚨
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
🚨 Kids LOVE fear?!🚨
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
Recreational Fear Across Childhood. A Cross-Sectional Study of Scary Activities that Children Enjoy - Child Psychiatry & Human Development
This study investigated the prevalence of children’s engagement in recreational fear activities — i.e., playful engagement with scary stimuli where both fear and enjoyment are experienced. A detailed ...
doi.org
June 16, 2025 at 11:51 AM
🚨 Kids LOVE fear?!🚨
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising:
Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun!
📄 doi.org/10.1007/s105...
[1/🧵]
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Our daily lives are packed w complex behaviours: reading a novel & piecing together the plot; negotiating decisions w family... How do we build mathematical models of the underlying cognitive mechanisms? Our new preprint osf.io/d2v54_v1 argues for a community approach A 🧵 1/
May 9, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Our daily lives are packed w complex behaviours: reading a novel & piecing together the plot; negotiating decisions w family... How do we build mathematical models of the underlying cognitive mechanisms? Our new preprint osf.io/d2v54_v1 argues for a community approach A 🧵 1/
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Now is the time to go write 📝 your application for this exciting postdoc position in our project exploring how the shift from animal to human-based research models shapes science and society 🔬🌍
Deadline Monday Apr 27
www.au.dk/om/stillinge...
@interacting-minds.bsky.social
Deadline Monday Apr 27
www.au.dk/om/stillinge...
@interacting-minds.bsky.social
Postdoc in medical anthropology/STS - Ledig stilling på Aarhus Universitet
Ledig stilling ved Institut for Klinisk Medicin - Interacting Minds Centre (IMC), Aarhus Universitet
www.au.dk
April 24, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Now is the time to go write 📝 your application for this exciting postdoc position in our project exploring how the shift from animal to human-based research models shapes science and society 🔬🌍
Deadline Monday Apr 27
www.au.dk/om/stillinge...
@interacting-minds.bsky.social
Deadline Monday Apr 27
www.au.dk/om/stillinge...
@interacting-minds.bsky.social
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Our registered exploratory pilot programme using offline tabletop role-playing games hashtag #TTRPG to mitigate social anxiety and reduce problematic involvement in online video games has just been published at Royal Society Open Science @royalsociety.org
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
April 12, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Our registered exploratory pilot programme using offline tabletop role-playing games hashtag #TTRPG to mitigate social anxiety and reduce problematic involvement in online video games has just been published at Royal Society Open Science @royalsociety.org
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Thrilled to share the publication of "Can playing Dungeons & Dragons be good for you?" led by the brilliant @joelbillieux.bsky.social and his fantastic team. I was lucky to play a small part in this epic quest. 🎲🐉🧟♀️🔥⚔️
Link: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
#DnD #MentalHealth #TTRPG
Link: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
#DnD #MentalHealth #TTRPG
Can playing Dungeons and Dragons be good for you? A registered exploratory pilot programme using offline tabletop role-playing games to mitigate social anxiety and reduce problematic involvement in mu...
Gamers with poor self-concept, high social anxiety and high loneliness are more at
risk of problematic involvement in video games, such as massively multiplayer online
role-playing games. There is a r...
doi.org
April 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Thrilled to share the publication of "Can playing Dungeons & Dragons be good for you?" led by the brilliant @joelbillieux.bsky.social and his fantastic team. I was lucky to play a small part in this epic quest. 🎲🐉🧟♀️🔥⚔️
Link: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
#DnD #MentalHealth #TTRPG
Link: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
#DnD #MentalHealth #TTRPG
Thrilled to share the publication of "Can playing Dungeons & Dragons be good for you?" led by the brilliant @joelbillieux.bsky.social and his fantastic team. I was lucky to play a small part in this epic quest. 🎲🐉🧟♀️🔥⚔️
Link: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
#DnD #MentalHealth #TTRPG
Link: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
#DnD #MentalHealth #TTRPG
Can playing Dungeons and Dragons be good for you? A registered exploratory pilot programme using offline tabletop role-playing games to mitigate social anxiety and reduce problematic involvement in mu...
Gamers with poor self-concept, high social anxiety and high loneliness are more at
risk of problematic involvement in video games, such as massively multiplayer online
role-playing games. There is a r...
doi.org
April 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Thrilled to share the publication of "Can playing Dungeons & Dragons be good for you?" led by the brilliant @joelbillieux.bsky.social and his fantastic team. I was lucky to play a small part in this epic quest. 🎲🐉🧟♀️🔥⚔️
Link: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
#DnD #MentalHealth #TTRPG
Link: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
#DnD #MentalHealth #TTRPG
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Very cool modelling work by @drelenamiu.bsky.social @ndersen.bsky.social @sheinalew.bsky.social @felixthehauskat.bsky.social, on how childhood exploration drives population-level innovation in cultural evolution
(C.O.I: I have a horse in that race: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36845441/)
(C.O.I: I have a horse in that race: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36845441/)
www.biorxiv.org
April 1, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Very cool modelling work by @drelenamiu.bsky.social @ndersen.bsky.social @sheinalew.bsky.social @felixthehauskat.bsky.social, on how childhood exploration drives population-level innovation in cultural evolution
(C.O.I: I have a horse in that race: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36845441/)
(C.O.I: I have a horse in that race: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36845441/)
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
New pre-print out with @ndersen.bsky.social @sheinalew.bsky.social @felixthehauskat.bsky.social on how childhood exploration drives population-level innovation in cultural evolution www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
April 1, 2025 at 4:48 PM
New pre-print out with @ndersen.bsky.social @sheinalew.bsky.social @felixthehauskat.bsky.social on how childhood exploration drives population-level innovation in cultural evolution www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen
Has global warming accelerated?
„At that rate (0.1 °C every 3 years), after we blow past 1.5 °C (this year or next?) it’ll take just 15 more years to reach 2 °C.“
tamino.wordpress.com/2025/03/23/r...
„At that rate (0.1 °C every 3 years), after we blow past 1.5 °C (this year or next?) it’ll take just 15 more years to reach 2 °C.“
tamino.wordpress.com/2025/03/23/r...
Recent Global Temperature: Acceleration or Surge?
RealClimate has an excellent post about how exceptional the years 2023 and 2024 were (in terms of global temperature). Here are annual averages since 1970, data from NASA:
tamino.wordpress.com
March 23, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Has global warming accelerated?
„At that rate (0.1 °C every 3 years), after we blow past 1.5 °C (this year or next?) it’ll take just 15 more years to reach 2 °C.“
tamino.wordpress.com/2025/03/23/r...
„At that rate (0.1 °C every 3 years), after we blow past 1.5 °C (this year or next?) it’ll take just 15 more years to reach 2 °C.“
tamino.wordpress.com/2025/03/23/r...