Doby Rahnev
@dobyrahnev.bsky.social
Perceptual decision making, visual metacognition, computational cognition, cognitive neuroscience, neuroAI. Associate professor at Georgia Tech. Director of Computations of Subjective Perception lab: https://rahnevlab.gatech.edu
Pinned
Doby Rahnev
@dobyrahnev.bsky.social
Β· Jan 16
A comprehensive assessment of current methods for measuring metacognition - Nature Communications
Measuring metacognitive ability is one of the enduring challenges in cognitive science. The current paper develops formal tests of the quality of different measures and assesses how current metrics pe...
www.nature.com
My article "A comprehensive assessment of current methods for measuring metacognition" is finally out in Nature Communications π If you work on metacognition and think you know the psychometric properties of your favorite measure, you may be surprised.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This paper started almost a decade ago in collaboration with the amazing @racheldenison.bsky.social. Marshall Green and Mingjia Hu did the actual work.
February 5, 2026 at 3:01 PM
This paper started almost a decade ago in collaboration with the amazing @racheldenison.bsky.social. Marshall Green and Mingjia Hu did the actual work.
These results don't mean that ANNs are a good model of internal evidence for all visual tasks (far from it), but they do show that this is likely to be the case for simple visual spaces.
February 5, 2026 at 3:01 PM
These results don't mean that ANNs are a good model of internal evidence for all visual tasks (far from it), but they do show that this is likely to be the case for simple visual spaces.
Critically, artificial neural networks (ANNs) trained on the orientation task reproduced both the fine- and coarse scale results as emergent properties, without any special training or fine-tuning. This was the same for 3-, 4-, and 5-layer networks.
February 5, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Critically, artificial neural networks (ANNs) trained on the orientation task reproduced both the fine- and coarse scale results as emergent properties, without any special training or fine-tuning. This was the same for 3-, 4-, and 5-layer networks.
At the same time, increasing the stimulus tilt in coarse-scale increments had a highly non-linear transformation with a plateau beyond 14 degrees. This difference between fine- and coarse-scale results isn't predicted a priori from most standard models.
February 5, 2026 at 3:01 PM
At the same time, increasing the stimulus tilt in coarse-scale increments had a highly non-linear transformation with a plateau beyond 14 degrees. This difference between fine- and coarse-scale results isn't predicted a priori from most standard models.
In a task where subjects judged if Gabors were tilted clockwise or counterclockwise, we examined how orientation is transformed into internal evidence. We found that increasing the stimulus tilt in fine-scale increments resulted in a linear increase in sensitivity.
February 5, 2026 at 3:01 PM
In a task where subjects judged if Gabors were tilted clockwise or counterclockwise, we examined how orientation is transformed into internal evidence. We found that increasing the stimulus tilt in fine-scale increments resulted in a linear increase in sensitivity.
How do you know how visual stimuli are represented internally for decision making? This is perhaps the central question in perceptual decision making. In a new paper, we show that one can use artificial neural networks to crack this problem. #NeuroAi #VisionScience
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
Using Artificial Neural Networks to Relate External Sensory Features to Internal Decisional Evidence
Abstract. All theories of perceptual decision-making postulate that external sensory information is transformed into the internal evidence that is used to judge the identity of the stimulus. However, ...
direct.mit.edu
February 5, 2026 at 3:01 PM
How do you know how visual stimuli are represented internally for decision making? This is perhaps the central question in perceptual decision making. In a new paper, we show that one can use artificial neural networks to crack this problem. #NeuroAi #VisionScience
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
Great work by the whole team: Medha Shekhar, @herrickfung.bsky.social, Krish Saxena, and Farshad Rafiei. Code and data posted as always.
January 26, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Great work by the whole team: Medha Shekhar, @herrickfung.bsky.social, Krish Saxena, and Farshad Rafiei. Code and data posted as always.
More generally, our work represents the power of ANNs to uncover how humans represent and operate on perceptual information.
January 26, 2026 at 7:18 PM
More generally, our work represents the power of ANNs to uncover how humans represent and operate on perceptual information.
We found clear evidence that the Top2Diff model provided the best quantitative and qualitative fits to the data, suggesting that it most closely mimics the human confidence computation.
January 26, 2026 at 7:18 PM
We found clear evidence that the Top2Diff model provided the best quantitative and qualitative fits to the data, suggesting that it most closely mimics the human confidence computation.
We then compared 7 confidence strategies: positive evidence (PE), Bayesian Confidence Hypothesis (BCH), Top-2 Difference in raw evidence (Top2Diff) or probability (ProbTop2Diff), Top Minus Average (ProbAvgRes), Entropy and Softmax. These are all the main competitors for multi-alternative decisions.
January 26, 2026 at 7:18 PM
We then compared 7 confidence strategies: positive evidence (PE), Bayesian Confidence Hypothesis (BCH), Top-2 Difference in raw evidence (Top2Diff) or probability (ProbTop2Diff), Top Minus Average (ProbAvgRes), Entropy and Softmax. These are all the main competitors for multi-alternative decisions.
Human subjects performed an 8-choice digit categorization task based on noisy MNIST images. We used RTNet - a network we developed recently that is known to show the signature of human perceptual decisions (Rafiei et al., 2024, Nat Hum Beh) - to model the internal activation produced by each image.
January 26, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Human subjects performed an 8-choice digit categorization task based on noisy MNIST images. We used RTNet - a network we developed recently that is known to show the signature of human perceptual decisions (Rafiei et al., 2024, Nat Hum Beh) - to model the internal activation produced by each image.
How do people compute a sense of confidence? This question is usually addressed using very simple images because we don't know how complex stimuli are represented internally. In a new paper, we addressed this question using artificial neural networks (ANNs).
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
Using artificial neural networks to reveal the human confidence computation
Author summary Human decisions are accompanied by a sense of confidence which reflects the decision accuracy. Conventionally, human confidence has been studied using two-choice tasks with simple stimu...
journals.plos.org
January 26, 2026 at 7:18 PM
How do people compute a sense of confidence? This question is usually addressed using very simple images because we don't know how complex stimuli are represented internally. In a new paper, we addressed this question using artificial neural networks (ANNs).
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
Reposted by Doby Rahnev
It won't actually exist for another month or so, but because it now 'exists' on amazon, I'll humbly observe that, after working through this book, your student/trainee would be able to read and understand all but two or three papers in this week's J. Neurosci. Check it out:
January 16, 2026 at 10:38 PM
It won't actually exist for another month or so, but because it now 'exists' on amazon, I'll humbly observe that, after working through this book, your student/trainee would be able to read and understand all but two or three papers in this week's J. Neurosci. Check it out:
New preprint: Confidence-accuracy dissociations in perceptual decision making. A review I was supposed to write 3 years ago for my VSS Young Investigator Award. Better late than never π
I tried to organize the literature and explore the likely mechanisms. Feedback welcome!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
January 13, 2026 at 6:13 PM
New preprint: Confidence-accuracy dissociations in perceptual decision making. A review I was supposed to write 3 years ago for my VSS Young Investigator Award. Better late than never π
I tried to organize the literature and explore the likely mechanisms. Feedback welcome!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Doby Rahnev
New paper: Transcranial Focused Ultrasound for Identifying the Neural Substrate of Conscious Perception. With Dan Freeman, @brianodegaard.bsky.social, and Seung-Schik Yoo. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Transcranial Focused Ultrasound for Identifying the Neural Substrate of Conscious Perception
Identifying what aspects of brain activity are responsible for conscious perception remains one of the most challenging problems in science. While proβ¦
www.sciencedirect.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:03 PM
New paper: Transcranial Focused Ultrasound for Identifying the Neural Substrate of Conscious Perception. With Dan Freeman, @brianodegaard.bsky.social, and Seung-Schik Yoo. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Congrats Chaz!!! Also, lovely kids :)
November 7, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Congrats Chaz!!! Also, lovely kids :)
Reposted by Doby Rahnev
No two humans behave exactly alike. But what about neural networks? We found early evidence that human-like individual differences in behavior emerge from networks trained with different initializations. Hereβs a peek at our resultsβto be presented at UniReps & DBM @NeurIPS. Full paper on the way!
Human-like individual differences emerge from random weight initializations in neural networks
Much of AI research targets the behavior of an average human, a focus that traces to Turing's imitation game. Yet, no two human individuals behave exactly alike. In this study, we show that artificial...
www.biorxiv.org
October 26, 2025 at 11:39 PM
No two humans behave exactly alike. But what about neural networks? We found early evidence that human-like individual differences in behavior emerge from networks trained with different initializations. Hereβs a peek at our resultsβto be presented at UniReps & DBM @NeurIPS. Full paper on the way!
Reposted by Doby Rahnev
My lab at Boston University has open positions for a postdoc and PhD students. We study visual perception, attention, and decision making with a focus on temporal dynamics. Check out our recent work here sites.bu.edu/denisonlab/ and email me if you're interested in learning more
November 5, 2025 at 2:05 PM
My lab at Boston University has open positions for a postdoc and PhD students. We study visual perception, attention, and decision making with a focus on temporal dynamics. Check out our recent work here sites.bu.edu/denisonlab/ and email me if you're interested in learning more
Reposted by Doby Rahnev
π£ BIG NEWS EVERYONE. I am so excited to announceβ¦
π Iβm moving to University College London @ucl.ac.uk to join the Experimental Psychology department in @uclpals.bsky.social! π
The big move happens in spring/summer. So Iβm already exploring recruiting staff & students at UCL for fall 2026!
π Iβm moving to University College London @ucl.ac.uk to join the Experimental Psychology department in @uclpals.bsky.social! π
The big move happens in spring/summer. So Iβm already exploring recruiting staff & students at UCL for fall 2026!
October 13, 2025 at 4:29 PM
π£ BIG NEWS EVERYONE. I am so excited to announceβ¦
π Iβm moving to University College London @ucl.ac.uk to join the Experimental Psychology department in @uclpals.bsky.social! π
The big move happens in spring/summer. So Iβm already exploring recruiting staff & students at UCL for fall 2026!
π Iβm moving to University College London @ucl.ac.uk to join the Experimental Psychology department in @uclpals.bsky.social! π
The big move happens in spring/summer. So Iβm already exploring recruiting staff & students at UCL for fall 2026!
It looks like stimulus manipulations can be divided into "task-defining" and "auxiliary". The manipulations from each group have very different effects on accuracy vs. confidence. And all auxiliary manipulations seem to work in basically the same way. Really cool stuff by @herrickfung.bsky.social.
Glad to see my first-year project is out!
In two experiments, we manipulated multiple stimulus features in a perception task, yet their effects on confidence and accuracy fell into just two distinct behavioral patterns, offering a way to predict the effects of novel stimulus manipulations.
1/n
In two experiments, we manipulated multiple stimulus features in a perception task, yet their effects on confidence and accuracy fell into just two distinct behavioral patterns, offering a way to predict the effects of novel stimulus manipulations.
1/n
Similarities and differences in the effects of different stimulus manipulations on accuracy and confidence
Visual stimuli can vary in multiple dimensions that affect accuracy and confidence in a perceptual decision-making task. However, previous studies havβ¦
www.sciencedirect.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:09 PM
It looks like stimulus manipulations can be divided into "task-defining" and "auxiliary". The manipulations from each group have very different effects on accuracy vs. confidence. And all auxiliary manipulations seem to work in basically the same way. Really cool stuff by @herrickfung.bsky.social.
Reposted by Doby Rahnev
Glad to see my first-year project is out!
In two experiments, we manipulated multiple stimulus features in a perception task, yet their effects on confidence and accuracy fell into just two distinct behavioral patterns, offering a way to predict the effects of novel stimulus manipulations.
1/n
In two experiments, we manipulated multiple stimulus features in a perception task, yet their effects on confidence and accuracy fell into just two distinct behavioral patterns, offering a way to predict the effects of novel stimulus manipulations.
1/n
Similarities and differences in the effects of different stimulus manipulations on accuracy and confidence
Visual stimuli can vary in multiple dimensions that affect accuracy and confidence in a perceptual decision-making task. However, previous studies havβ¦
www.sciencedirect.com
October 12, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Glad to see my first-year project is out!
In two experiments, we manipulated multiple stimulus features in a perception task, yet their effects on confidence and accuracy fell into just two distinct behavioral patterns, offering a way to predict the effects of novel stimulus manipulations.
1/n
In two experiments, we manipulated multiple stimulus features in a perception task, yet their effects on confidence and accuracy fell into just two distinct behavioral patterns, offering a way to predict the effects of novel stimulus manipulations.
1/n
Reposted by Doby Rahnev
World models are a highly speculative topic in AI as well as in cognitive science. Iβm excited to share my manuscript on investigating internal world models using imagination networks in humans and LLMs! π§΅1/n
arxiv.org/abs/2510.04391
arxiv.org/abs/2510.04391
Internal World Models as Imagination Networks in Cognitive Agents
What is the computational objective of imagination? While classical interpretations suggest imagination is useful for maximizing rewards, recent findings challenge this view. In this study, we propose...
arxiv.org
October 7, 2025 at 2:01 PM
World models are a highly speculative topic in AI as well as in cognitive science. Iβm excited to share my manuscript on investigating internal world models using imagination networks in humans and LLMs! π§΅1/n
arxiv.org/abs/2510.04391
arxiv.org/abs/2510.04391
Reposted by Doby Rahnev
Introducing hMFC: A Bayesian hierarchical model of trial-to-trial fluctuations in decision criterion! Now out in @plos.org Comp Bio.
led by Robin Vloeberghs with @anne-urai.bsky.social Scott Linderman
Paper: desenderlab.com/wp-content/u... Thread βββ
#PsychSciSky #Neuroscience #Neuroskyence
led by Robin Vloeberghs with @anne-urai.bsky.social Scott Linderman
Paper: desenderlab.com/wp-content/u... Thread βββ
#PsychSciSky #Neuroscience #Neuroskyence
September 25, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Introducing hMFC: A Bayesian hierarchical model of trial-to-trial fluctuations in decision criterion! Now out in @plos.org Comp Bio.
led by Robin Vloeberghs with @anne-urai.bsky.social Scott Linderman
Paper: desenderlab.com/wp-content/u... Thread βββ
#PsychSciSky #Neuroscience #Neuroskyence
led by Robin Vloeberghs with @anne-urai.bsky.social Scott Linderman
Paper: desenderlab.com/wp-content/u... Thread βββ
#PsychSciSky #Neuroscience #Neuroskyence
Do you ever compute d' in detection tasks? Because of unequal variance, d' is biased in such tasks and you can't fix the bias without confidence ratings. In this preprint led by Kiyo Miyoshi and @hakwan.bsky.social, we show how to use RT instead of confidence to fix the d'.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
September 25, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Do you ever compute d' in detection tasks? Because of unequal variance, d' is biased in such tasks and you can't fix the bias without confidence ratings. In this preprint led by Kiyo Miyoshi and @hakwan.bsky.social, we show how to use RT instead of confidence to fix the d'.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Our work showing human-like individual differences in perceptual decisions emerge from random weight initializations in deep neural networks has been accepted in two NeurIPS workshops! π Awesome job by my student @herrickfung.bsky.social in collaboration with the amazing @apurvaratan.bsky.social.
September 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Our work showing human-like individual differences in perceptual decisions emerge from random weight initializations in deep neural networks has been accepted in two NeurIPS workshops! π Awesome job by my student @herrickfung.bsky.social in collaboration with the amazing @apurvaratan.bsky.social.