Lisa Starr
@lisastarr.bsky.social
Clinical psychological scientist at U of Rochester with interests in depression, life stress, interpersonal factors, daily processes, clinical affective science. Mom of 2. Probably tired right now.
Opinions my own
Opinions my own
Nothing bad could possibly come of this. Nope, no way for bad actors to corrupt AI's judgement, nor for its training sets to be flooded by poor quality research in pay-for-play journals. Thinking is hard, machine do better. All is well.
November 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Nothing bad could possibly come of this. Nope, no way for bad actors to corrupt AI's judgement, nor for its training sets to be flooded by poor quality research in pay-for-play journals. Thinking is hard, machine do better. All is well.
Reposted by Lisa Starr
I wrote a little bit about the "missing heritability" question and several recent studies that have brought it to a close. A short 🧵
The missing heritability question is now (mostly) answered
Not with a bang but with a whimper
theinfinitesimal.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I wrote a little bit about the "missing heritability" question and several recent studies that have brought it to a close. A short 🧵
Envisioning a near-future where gold standard survey research means pen & paper.
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 19, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Envisioning a near-future where gold standard survey research means pen & paper.
Reposted by Lisa Starr
There are no words for how evil this is
November 7, 2025 at 1:36 AM
There are no words for how evil this is
Reposted by Lisa Starr
SAS will hold FIVE different preconferences this year🤩 Of note, each will be a half-day event, so you could even go to 2 if you want! Catch them on March 12th, 2025. For more info: society-for-affective-science.org/2026-sas-ann...
November 6, 2025 at 3:33 PM
SAS will hold FIVE different preconferences this year🤩 Of note, each will be a half-day event, so you could even go to 2 if you want! Catch them on March 12th, 2025. For more info: society-for-affective-science.org/2026-sas-ann...
Technology is cyclical.
November 6, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Technology is cyclical.
Any guesses on the ratio of 2025 psychology faculty searches targeting AI-focused expertise to the number of psychology PhDs on the 2025 market that genuinely have AI expertise?
October 17, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Any guesses on the ratio of 2025 psychology faculty searches targeting AI-focused expertise to the number of psychology PhDs on the 2025 market that genuinely have AI expertise?
I just googled the title of a paper of mine that hasn't even been published yet (as a lazy way to find the preprint) and Gemini popped out an AI summary of it. So I guess preprints on PsyArXiv are being used in AI training sets? 🤔
October 8, 2025 at 10:30 PM
I just googled the title of a paper of mine that hasn't even been published yet (as a lazy way to find the preprint) and Gemini popped out an AI summary of it. So I guess preprints on PsyArXiv are being used in AI training sets? 🤔
Could not endorse this more. We’re clinical psychologists. Guiding people empathetically towards adaptive change is supposed to be our thing.
I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Open science discussions that are largely hostile and condescending toward non-adopters will not motivate behavior change. Are we doing altruism, or antagonism?
Signed, someone who practices open science
Signed, someone who practices open science
October 2, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Could not endorse this more. We’re clinical psychologists. Guiding people empathetically towards adaptive change is supposed to be our thing.
WTF. This is HORRENDOUS news, and horribly misguided.
Clinical science is science.
Clinical science is science.
Announcing such a major change to NSF GRFP this late in the cycle is incredibly cruel. 2nd yr students (mine included) have been working so hard on their proposals despite ongoing uncertainty. They are driven and passionate about being outstanding scientists and helping those coming up behind them.
September 26, 2025 at 7:23 PM
WTF. This is HORRENDOUS news, and horribly misguided.
Clinical science is science.
Clinical science is science.
As expected I am feeling major FOMO for missing SRP this year. 😭😭😭
September 25, 2025 at 6:33 PM
As expected I am feeling major FOMO for missing SRP this year. 😭😭😭
Oh, WaPo. Please don't give a forum for dangerous, ignorant charlatans to spout pseudoscience.
September 11, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Oh, WaPo. Please don't give a forum for dangerous, ignorant charlatans to spout pseudoscience.
Reposted by Lisa Starr
From this paper:
(Holy Cow! Reminds me also of how Bullshit Receptivity items can glom together!)
(Holy Cow! Reminds me also of how Bullshit Receptivity items can glom together!)
September 10, 2025 at 7:53 PM
From this paper:
(Holy Cow! Reminds me also of how Bullshit Receptivity items can glom together!)
(Holy Cow! Reminds me also of how Bullshit Receptivity items can glom together!)
Reposted by Lisa Starr
Vaccines are safe and effective. RFK Jr. isn’t.
August 28, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Vaccines are safe and effective. RFK Jr. isn’t.
Reposted by Lisa Starr
New from my lab, lead by stellar grad student Elizabeth Marsh (open access)
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Dependent Stressor Occurrence, Stressor Severity Appraisals & Stressor Controllability Appraisals Link Attentional Control Deficits To Engagement in Repetitive Negative Thinking in Daily Life - Journa...
Worry and rumination share a common process of repetitive negative thinking (RNT). RNT is a transdiagnostic risk factor for internalizing psychopathology. Theoretical models suggest deficits in cognit...
link.springer.com
August 19, 2025 at 8:16 PM
New from my lab, lead by stellar grad student Elizabeth Marsh (open access)
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
It's not just that this dilutes education. It's that it promotes the toxic practice of spouting ideas from the gut, and then retrofitting the evidence around them.
Also: “Grammarly is releasing a citation finder agent that automatically generates correctly formatted citations backing up claims in a piece of writing.”
So not just formatting. But finding evidence to support your argument after you’ve made it and without you reading the cited source.
So not just formatting. But finding evidence to support your argument after you’ve made it and without you reading the cited source.
What the actual fucking fuck. www.theverge.com/news/760508/...
August 18, 2025 at 9:27 PM
It's not just that this dilutes education. It's that it promotes the toxic practice of spouting ideas from the gut, and then retrofitting the evidence around them.
Reposted by Lisa Starr
‼️Academic job alert‼️ Our dept at Queen's University (Canada!) is looking to hire a TT assistant prof in clinical psychology... Applications due end of Sept! Re-posts very much appreciated www.queensu.ca/psychology/n...
Employment Opportunities | Department of Psychology
Available Positions Position Title Position Details Posting Date Closing Date Assistant Professor - Tenure-Track Appointment in Psychology
www.queensu.ca
August 15, 2025 at 5:26 PM
‼️Academic job alert‼️ Our dept at Queen's University (Canada!) is looking to hire a TT assistant prof in clinical psychology... Applications due end of Sept! Re-posts very much appreciated www.queensu.ca/psychology/n...
Reposted by Lisa Starr
ChatGPT shows signs of the same biases that arise in audit studies of human beings.
When you give ChatGPT resumes, it's biased in how it evaluates minorities.
When you ask ChatGPT to generate resumes for women & minorities, it generates systematically different types of resumes
When you give ChatGPT resumes, it's biased in how it evaluates minorities.
When you ask ChatGPT to generate resumes for women & minorities, it generates systematically different types of resumes
August 13, 2025 at 2:57 PM
ChatGPT shows signs of the same biases that arise in audit studies of human beings.
When you give ChatGPT resumes, it's biased in how it evaluates minorities.
When you ask ChatGPT to generate resumes for women & minorities, it generates systematically different types of resumes
When you give ChatGPT resumes, it's biased in how it evaluates minorities.
When you ask ChatGPT to generate resumes for women & minorities, it generates systematically different types of resumes
Reposted by Lisa Starr
I cannot emphasize enough that the playbook being used against mRNA vaccines (and vaccines in general) is IDENTICAL to the playbook used to restrict voting rights after the 2020 election: actively sow public distrust, then cite the distrust you sowed as an independent reason for your desired policy
Opinion | Jay Bhattacharya: Why the NIH is pivoting away from mRNA vaccines
As a vaccine for broad public use, mRNA technology has failed to earn the public’s trust.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 12, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I cannot emphasize enough that the playbook being used against mRNA vaccines (and vaccines in general) is IDENTICAL to the playbook used to restrict voting rights after the 2020 election: actively sow public distrust, then cite the distrust you sowed as an independent reason for your desired policy
Reposted by Lisa Starr
I will be reviewing applications for the University of Michigan Clinical Psychology doctoral program this fall. If you are interested in applying, here’s some info I prepared for applicants: sites.lsa.umich.edu/aidangcw-lab...
2026 Applicants – Personality Processes and Outcomes Laboratory
sites.lsa.umich.edu
August 12, 2025 at 1:44 PM
I will be reviewing applications for the University of Michigan Clinical Psychology doctoral program this fall. If you are interested in applying, here’s some info I prepared for applicants: sites.lsa.umich.edu/aidangcw-lab...
Reposted by Lisa Starr
I will be interviewing for a clinical psychology PhD student in the Precision Psychopathology + Dynamic Immunopsychiatry Lab this interview cycle.
Please see our website for more info about what we do + share with applicants you think might be a good fit.
share.google/uJRyS3NY9Kdo...
Please see our website for more info about what we do + share with applicants you think might be a good fit.
share.google/uJRyS3NY9Kdo...
Precision Psychopathology + Dynamic Immunopsychiatry Lab – University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychology
share.google
August 7, 2025 at 11:23 AM
I will be interviewing for a clinical psychology PhD student in the Precision Psychopathology + Dynamic Immunopsychiatry Lab this interview cycle.
Please see our website for more info about what we do + share with applicants you think might be a good fit.
share.google/uJRyS3NY9Kdo...
Please see our website for more info about what we do + share with applicants you think might be a good fit.
share.google/uJRyS3NY9Kdo...
Reposted by Lisa Starr
Does PsyArXiv go down a lot? People are having trouble accessing our paper (and I can't get there anymore either)
July 30, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Does PsyArXiv go down a lot? People are having trouble accessing our paper (and I can't get there anymore either)
After nearly 2 years of debating and redrafting, the preprint is out:
Towards Next-Generation Stress Generation Research: Expert Consensus Methodological Guidelines
With a legit superstar team
Here’s how it could transform research on stress generation (& beyond) 🧵
Towards Next-Generation Stress Generation Research: Expert Consensus Methodological Guidelines
With a legit superstar team
Here’s how it could transform research on stress generation (& beyond) 🧵
Towards Next-Generation Stress Generation Research: Expert Consensus Methodological Guidelines: https://osf.io/7nq92
July 30, 2025 at 5:44 PM
After nearly 2 years of debating and redrafting, the preprint is out:
Towards Next-Generation Stress Generation Research: Expert Consensus Methodological Guidelines
With a legit superstar team
Here’s how it could transform research on stress generation (& beyond) 🧵
Towards Next-Generation Stress Generation Research: Expert Consensus Methodological Guidelines
With a legit superstar team
Here’s how it could transform research on stress generation (& beyond) 🧵
Because of the non-scientific NY state "bell-to-bell" internet-abled device school ban, my kids can't even wear an Apple Watch or FitBit to school in the fall, and can't even use a device when it's educationally indicated or when they are off-campus during school hours.
July 15, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Because of the non-scientific NY state "bell-to-bell" internet-abled device school ban, my kids can't even wear an Apple Watch or FitBit to school in the fall, and can't even use a device when it's educationally indicated or when they are off-campus during school hours.