Cillian McHugh
@cillianmchugh.bsky.social
2.4K followers 1.6K following 82 posts
End Genocide now🍉 Associate Professor in Psychology at @unioflimerick.bsky.social #MoralPsychology #OpenScience Interests: music, reading, chess, TV, walking www.cillianmchugh.com
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cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Sorry for the slow reply, summer holidays!
I like that a lot - that's kind of what we were getting at with the humanness/relatableness measures, but absolutely, maybe we were looking at the wrong constructs. Ordinariness/banality seems like a very good alternative, well worth investigating!
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Cool question. Would be interested in hearing more. Would you be able to elaborate some more?
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
This has implications for real world judgments, e.g., it is not uncommon for someone to be described as
“just an ordinary, hard-working person”
in the wake of a political scandal, or even in the courtroom. Our findings show this could be an effective strategy
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
This is true for both good and bad characters.

Though it is more robust for bad than for good characters

It is also distinct from a possible "humanization" effect.
Study 3: Differences in moral perception depending on information type. Forest plot showing effect sizes for each study and pooled effect size.
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
And Published!!!

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

The Moral Dilution effect. Including non-diagnostic (irrelevant) information leads to less extreme evaluations of moral character.
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
This is going slowly. About a third of the way through the suggested reading list (although there's other extra reading needed that was not specifcally named). Feels like progress is being made... slowly...
Reposted by Cillian McHugh
georgetakei.bsky.social
When I was little, the U.S. military came to our home at gunpoint and took me and my family away. We were imprisoned for years in barbed wire camps simply because we were Japanese American. I have spent my life telling that story, hoping it would never be repeated.
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
And Accepted:

The Moral Dilution Effect: Irrelevant Information Influences Judgments of Moral Character

Started writing this one at a writer's retreat in 2022, very happy to get it over the line!

Pre-print available: osf.io/preprints/ps...
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Reviewers and editor were happy. One or two very minor comments to address but they recommend publication! 🎉🎉🎉🥳🥳🥳🪅🪅🪅🎊🎊🎊
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
And submitted!!!! Fingers crossed the Reviewers and Editor are happy with the revised manuscript!
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Been working hard on these revisions over the past few weeks. All R1, and all stats comments addressed. Some theory, and some methods justification still to be done, but the end will be in sight soon (hopefully)
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Got an R&R on this registered report last October. It's been a very busy few months, only starting on the revisions now. Some fairly substantial comments, this could take a while, but we have until this October...
Here goes...
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Made it past the desk and it looks like it is being sent for review!
Still a long way to go, but we'll take this mini win!
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Manuscript Submitted!
Stage 1 Registered Report. Hopefully it is well recieved, and that if any issues are raised they can be addressed in a revision! 🤞🤞🤞
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Wild rabbits in the garden this morning causing great excitement!
Reposted by Cillian McHugh
rogerthegs.bsky.social
Is anyone putting together a symposium for #SESP2025 in 🇵🇹 Lisbon? I would like to go, but the symposium-only format is proving difficult. Looking to present grant-funded research on occupational moral roles, which also fits stereotypes, social categories, etc.
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
And submitted!!!! Fingers crossed the Reviewers and Editor are happy with the revised manuscript!
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Been working hard on these revisions over the past few weeks. All R1, and all stats comments addressed. Some theory, and some methods justification still to be done, but the end will be in sight soon (hopefully)
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Got an R&R this morning on a paper that's been tricky to find a home for, made it to review a few times in the past 2 years, but kept getting rejected. It's a different paper now. Delighted to get this and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the revisions!
Reposted by Cillian McHugh
whatashrinkthinks.com
Want to know why I hate AI?

Because

1) I have no need for it. None.

2) And it is constantly being forced into my online work spaces - which I often need to be professionally confidential

3) and with limited tech skill it has been at least extremely onerous and often impossible to deactivate
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Been working hard on these revisions over the past few weeks. All R1, and all stats comments addressed. Some theory, and some methods justification still to be done, but the end will be in sight soon (hopefully)
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Got an R&R this morning on a paper that's been tricky to find a home for, made it to review a few times in the past 2 years, but kept getting rejected. It's a different paper now. Delighted to get this and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the revisions!
a star trek character says i was triumphant while sitting in front of a computer
ALT: a star trek character says i was triumphant while sitting in front of a computer
media.tenor.com
Reposted by Cillian McHugh
drmeltemyucel.bsky.social
If a model fails to run in R, and crashes it constantly, is it safe to report it as "failing to converge." Or does this have a different name?

#PsychSciSky #socialpsyc #devpsyc #AcademicSky
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Looking forward to this session on Morality machines and AI (with @jimaceverett.bsky.social and colleagues)
Reposted by Cillian McHugh
jimaceverett.bsky.social
Come hear about moral psychology and AI at 11am today at #SPSP2025!

@awad.bsky.social @zoepurcell.bsky.social Anne-Marie Nussberger
jimaceverett.bsky.social
Looking forward to our session tomorrow at #SPSP2025 at the intersection of AI and moral psychology. Be there Saturday at 11am in the Four Seasons Ballroom!
Reposted by Cillian McHugh
jimaceverett.bsky.social
Up bright and early on a Saturday at #SPSP2025 to hear about cool new moral psychology from some of my favourite moral psychologists

@kathrynbfrancis.bsky.social @cillianmchugh.bsky.social Dries Bostyn, & Connie Chu
cillianmchugh.bsky.social
Very excited for our Symposium this morning on context effects in Moral Judgment.
With @kathrynbfrancis.bsky.social Dries Bostyn & Connie Chiu
#SPSP2025