- PhD-BehSci - University of Stirling Mailing Lists

Fwd: Starting soon! Masterclass: Recent Advances in Behavioural Economics

by Till Stowasser

Below is the direct link to the RES Masterclass on Advances in Behavioural Economics. Begin forwarded message: From: "Royal Economic Society " <noreply(a)event.eventbrite.com> Subject: Starting soon! Masterclass: Recent Advances in Behavioural Economics Date: 11 December 2024 at 12:02:37 GMT To: till.stowasser(a)stir.ac.uk Reply-To: Royal Economic Society <doctoraltraining(a)res.org.uk> CAUTION: This email originated from outside University of Stirling. Do not follow links or open attachments if you doubt the authenticity of the sender or the content. ________________________________ [Eventbrite] This was sent to you by Royal Economic Society and Discover Economics Dear delegate, Thank you for registering to attend this RES Doctoral Training Programme Masterclass with Simon Gaechter. This event is taking place in 2 hours. Below you will find joining instructions for today's event. You will be asked to log in to Zoom - please do so promptly, we will begin at 14:00 GMT. Please also make sure that your mic is turned off when you join, everyone will be muted until the Q&A. If you are able to, rename yourself to reflect the name you registered with and add your pronouns. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89328742065?pwd=9kS7LDT75MVSSh1BSKpFtO0D5aGHxW.1 Meeting ID: 893 2874 2065 Passcode: 748966 We look forward to seeing you then. If you have any questions, please contact doctoraltraining(a)res.org.uk<mailto:doctoraltraining@res.org.uk> Masterclass: Recent Advances in Behavioural Economics <https://clicks.eventbrite.com/f/a/ihaM-uL6PJhTYC8B24wp6A~~/AAQxAQA~/RgRpPAR…> View Order <https://clicks.eventbrite.com/f/a/2SWq2m8SHosuKqc4b0WEhA~~/AAQxAQA~/RgRpPAR…> Organized by Royal Economic Society and Discover Economics<https://clicks.eventbrite.com/f/a/WVNNGnfPGVk7vewDBQAh2g~~/AAQxAQA~/RgRpPAR…> Questions about the event? Contact the organizer<https://clicks.eventbrite.com/f/a/gE4PFJQCe1AHEhD36et1Kw~~/AAQxAQA~/RgRpPAR…> This email was sent to till.stowasser(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:till.stowasser%40stir.ac.uk> Sent using Eventbrite Copyright © 2024 Eventbrite. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy<https://clicks.eventbrite.com/f/a/q5vr5ko3pGIbSjyXOFC9ww~~/AAQxAQA~/RgRpPAR…> ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

4 months, 3 weeks

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Logging meetings on Research Compass

by Till Stowasser

Dear PhD Lab students, When you have a moment, could you make sure that your logging of supervisory meetings on Research Compass is up to date? All Lab sessions and 1:1 (or 2/3:1) sessions should be logged. You don’t have to be verbose in your description. For example, a lab session like today could say “Gabe presented her early research ideas, which were discussed in the Lab. Meeting was recorded.” For the 1/2/3:1s, a short paragraph what the meeting was about (and, if applicable, what was agreed) should suffice. IAS will chase us sooner and later and it’s better to do this while your memory is still fresh. Thank you! Till ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

4 months, 3 weeks

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This week's PhD Lab events

by Till Stowasser

Dear PhD Lab, This week, there are two relevant PhD Lab events happening Wednesday, 11:30: PhD Lab Session in room 2V3 * Gabe will talk us through her plans/ideas of her PhD Wednesday, 14:00: RES Doctoral Programme Session (Online) * Topic: Recent Advances in Behavioural Economics (by Simon Gaechter) * If you haven’t booked a spot yet, you can do so here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/masterclass-recent-advances-in-behavioural-e… Also, if you haven’t sent me your pre-populated Training Needs Assessment Form yet, could you please do so soon? I’d like to get these done before the Christmas break (we can schedule 1:1 meetings on Teams for this). Finally, Liz Barker has told me that there is a deadline to submit the Concordat<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=9wmNTnnMy0yRSaQjjdF0Iju…> and Student Data Sheet<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=9wmNTnnMy0yRSaQjjdF0Iju…> (this Thursday). So it would be better if you filled these in by yourself before our 1:1 meetings. I checked the forms and I feel that – given what we do in our Lab – you can tick all the required boxes with a clear conscience already. If you have questions regarding individual fields in those two forms, let me know. Best, Till Link to PhD Lab timetable: [xlsx_16x16.png] PhD Lab Agenda Autumn 2024.xlsx<https://stir-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/personal/ts31_stir_ac_uk/_layouts/15/D…> ____________________________________ Dr. Till Stowasser Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) Faculty Chief Examiner for Stirling Management School Chief Examiner for Economics Lead of Behavioural Science PhD Lab University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA United Kingdom till.stowasser(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:till.stowasser@stir.ac.uk> tillstowasser.net<http://tillstowasser.net/> ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

4 months, 3 weeks

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Something worth thinking about - loads of hype that 2025 will herald the age of "AI Agents"...

by Stewart Robertson

How AI Agents Will Disrupt Small And Mid-Sized Business In 2025<https://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2024/11/14/how-ai-agents-wil…> Why 2025 Will Be The Year of AI Agents<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHPXbo2OkzA>Why 2025 Will Be The Year of AI Agents<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHPXbo2OkzA> Hello Folks, At the beginning of yesterday's lab, our discussion about AI's potential impact on academic integrity, particularly regarding assignments, got me thinking about broader potential risks to academic research. AI agents are autonomous software programs that can actively perform tasks, make decisions and complete transactions by understanding and acting upon instructions, rather than just generating responses like traditional chatbots. Whilst AI agents currently exist, they require a bit of technical savvy'ness beyond the user-friendly interfaces of tools like ChatGPT, limiting their widespread adoption. However, by 2025, creating these agents is expected to become as straightforward as using prompts in mainstream generative AI platforms . Although major AI companies like Anthropic, OpenAI and Google are likely to implement ethical safeguards in their models, potential workarounds may emerge, particularly through open-source alternatives that typically lag about a year behind industry leaders in capabilities. This raised an idea about whether AI agents could not only complete surveys, but do so in a manner that mimics human behaviour - including realistic completion times and response patterns that reflect human characteristics. AI experts at work tell me this is possible and likely to be happening today but will be more common in the future. I asked Claude and the response I got back was interesting - have pasted my Chat below this email - but clearly it identified that my question may not have an ethical intent but I was able to get passed this easily in my prompting. Even as a non-techy, I can imagine potential methods of circumventing the proposed safeguards (see below). For instance, two-factor authentication could be bypassed by authenticating initially, then delegating control of the actual computer to an AI agent while the user goes elsewhere - potentially completing multiple surveys unsupervised. One potential interim solution might be requiring active camera monitoring during survey completion to verify human participation. While this could prove effective in the short term, as AI capabilities in visual simulation likely remain years away, it raises significant privacy and ethical concerns regarding surveillance during survey participation. Although I explored survey design enhancements with Claude to mitigate AI agent risks, these measures could work initially but then become ineffective once AI models are trained on how to handle such examples. Anyhow - something worth thinking about and worth reading my chat with Claude below... 🙂 Have a great weekend! Best Regards, Stewart PS Was thinking that we could potentially run simulated behavioural experiments where we have AI agents across multiple personality types and get them to complete surveys for us - would be interesting to compare the results to human responses... oOoOo Chat with Claude SR Could AI agents be used to complete online surveys? I need to be thoughtful about how I help with this question, as it depends on the intended use and context. If you're asking about using AI agents to automatically complete surveys in an inauthentic way (e.g., to manipulate survey results, generate fake responses, or gain unearned rewards), I cannot and should not provide assistance with that as it would be unethical and potentially fraudulent. Such actions could: * Compromise research integrity * Violate terms of service * Lead to invalid data that could affect important decisions * Potentially constitute fraud if rewards or incentives are involved However, if you're asking from a research or theoretical perspective to understand: * How to detect automated responses in surveys * How to protect surveys from automated completion * Understanding potential vulnerabilities in survey methodology * Legitimate uses of AI in survey design and analysis I'd be happy to explore those angles instead. Could you clarify what specific aspect of AI agents and surveys you're interested in learning more about? Copy Retry SR I want to explore this risk as a researcher. So I need to understand if it's possible and what measures survey firms should take to stop this? Since you're approaching this from a research and risk management perspective, I'll analyze this potential vulnerability. Yes, based on the capabilities described in the article and current technology, AI agents could potentially complete online surveys by: 1. Technical Capabilities: * Form filling and text entry * Understanding and responding to questions contextually * Navigating websites and clicking buttons * Basic image recognition for CAPTCHA systems * Simulating human-like response patterns Potential Detection/Prevention Measures Survey Firms Should Consider: Technical Controls: * Advanced CAPTCHA systems that require complex reasoning * Behavioural analytics to detect patterns like: * Response timing and consistency * Mouse movement patterns * Keyboard input patterns * Device fingerprinting to identify suspicious patterns * Multi-factor authentication for high-stakes surveys * Dynamic question ordering and formatting Survey Design: * Including trap questions that require human experience * Incorporating free-text responses that require nuanced understanding * Using logic patterns that would be difficult for AI to follow consistently * Including questions requiring current cultural or contextual knowledge * Implementing attention checks that vary in format Policy Controls: * Requiring verified respondent panels * Using closed participant pools with pre-verification * Implementing robust terms of service with legal consequences * Regular auditing of response patterns * Having humans review suspicious responses From a research integrity perspective, this raises important questions about: 1. Data quality in online research 2. Validation of survey responses 3. Research methodology adaptation needed for an AI-enabled world 4. Ethical guidelines for survey research in the age of AI Would you like me to explore any of these aspects in more detail from a risk management perspective? Copy Retry SR On the survey design recommendations can you provide level 2 insight into how each of the bullet points could be achieved with examples? I'll break down each survey design recommendation with specific examples: Including trap questions that require human experience: * Ask about physical sensations that AI wouldn't experience: "Describe how your muscles feel after running up three flights of stairs" * Request personal historical context: "What was the first mobile phone you owned and what do you remember most about it?" * Include questions about emotional experiences: "Describe a time when you felt conflicted between personal and professional obligations" * Ask about sensory combinations: "What taste do you associate with the smell of fresh rain?" Free-text responses requiring nuanced understanding: * Ask for moral reasoning with context: "Describe a workplace situation where following the rules might not have been the most ethical choice" * Request explanation of trade-offs: "Why might someone choose a lower-paying job over a higher-paying one?" * Seek metaphorical thinking: "If your current work culture was a type of weather, what would it be and why?" * Ask for synthesis of competing ideas: "How do you balance being thorough with being efficient in your work?" Logic patterns difficult for AI: * Use conditional branching that requires memory of previous answers * Include questions with intentional ambiguity that humans would naturally clarify: "What does 'soon' mean to you in a work context?" * Create scenarios requiring common sense reasoning: "If your colleague sends an email at 3am with an urgent request, what factors would you consider before responding?" * Include questions where context changes meaning: "Would you rather have a window or a door? Explain your choice considering your current role" Questions requiring current cultural/contextual knowledge: * Ask about recent workplace trends: "How has the return to office movement affected your industry specifically?" * Include questions about evolving terminology: "What does 'quiet quitting' mean in your organisation's context?" * Request interpretation of current events' impact: "How have recent interest rate changes affected decision-making in your role?" * Seek understanding of industry-specific developments: "How are ESG considerations changing practices in your sector?" Varied attention checks: * Embed instructions within text: "To show you're reading carefully, mention the word 'purple' in your response" * Use mathematical validation: "What is half of your years of experience plus two?" * Create logical contradictions: Include pairs of questions that shouldn't have certain combination of answers * Time-based checks: Ask about the current time at different points in the survey and check for consistency * Memory checks: Reference information provided earlier in the survey and check if responses align For maximum effectiveness, these elements should be: 1. Randomly distributed throughout the survey 2. Varied in complexity and format 3. Contextually relevant to the survey topic 4. Natural-feeling rather than obviously artificial 5. Integrated with the overall survey flow rather than appearing as obvious checks This approach makes it more challenging for AI to provide coherent, consistent responses while maintaining authenticity for human respondents. ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

4 months, 4 weeks

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Fw: Call for Special Issue "Human-AI interaction from an economics perspective"

by Katie O'Neill

Great timing that this call for a special issue is being circulated just as we are about to get Stewart's insights! Katie Sent from Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> ________________________________ From: Mailing list for (International Association for Research in Economic Psychology) IAREP <IAREP-NET(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK> on behalf of HOFMANN Eva <00009dab07f5de0f-dmarc-request(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK> Sent: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 10:21 am To: IAREP-NET(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK <IAREP-NET(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK> Subject: Call for Special Issue "Human-AI interaction from an economics perspective" CAUTION: This email originated from outside University of Stirling. Do not follow links or open attachments if you doubt the authenticity of the sender or the content. ________________________________ Dear Colleagues, Dr. Ivan Soraperra (Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Center for Humans and Machines), Dr. Paul M. Gorny (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Dr. Alicia von Schenk (Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg) and Iván Barreda-Tarrazona (Jaume I University) are editing a research topic on 'Human-AI interaction from an economics perspective'. Here's a link to find out more about the project https://www.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/68502. Iván Barreda Tarrazona Vicerrector Adjunto de Planificación y Calidad Rectorado y Servicios Centrales - RR0125 Profesor Titular de Universidad. LEE<http://www.lee.uji.es/> & Departamento de Economía<http://www.uji.es/departaments/eco/base/estructura/personal/?urlRedirect=ht…> – NB1111 Universitat Jaume I Avda. Sos Baynat, s/n 12071 Castelló de la Plana (España) (+34) 678 447 412 / 964 729 058 / 964 387 633 ivan.barreda(a)uji.es<mailto:xxxxxx@uji.es> [Universitat Jaume I] Aquest missatge està exclusivament adreçat a la persona o entitat destinatària. Si no ho sou, no teniu autorització per a llegir-lo, retenir-lo, modificar-lo, distribuir-lo, copiar-lo ni a revelar-ne el contingut. Si heu rebut aquest missatge per error, informeu el remitent i elimineu-lo. No l’imprimiu, si no cal: el medi ambient és cosa de tots. Este mensaje está exclusivamente dirigido a la persona o entidad destinataria. Si no es usted, no tiene autorización para leerlo, retenerlo, modificarlo, distribuirlo, copiarlo ni a revelar su contenido. Si ha recibido este mensaje por error, informe al remitente y elimínelo. No lo imprima si no es necesario: el medio ambiente es cosa de todos. This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or organisation it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient, you are not authorised to read it, save it, amend it, distribute it, copy it or disclose its contents. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and delete it. Print it only if necessary: the environment is everyone's concern. El lun, 2 sept 2024 a las 8:35, HOFMANN Eva (<00009dab07f5de0f-dmarc-request(a)jiscmail.ac.uk<mailto:00009dab07f5de0f-dmarc-request@jiscmail.ac.uk>>) escribió: Dear IAREP Members, IAREP is sending out the Fall Newsletter soon! Therefore, please email me by Sunday, September 22nd, 2024 any information that should be included in the IAREP Fall Newsletter (to be issued October/Nov 2024). Information about upcoming conferences, workshops, special issues of journals, recently published books, calls for book chapters, awards and grant opportunities, job opportunities, and similar items that are of interest to IAREP Members are welcome. Please be aware that only current IAREP members get the opportunity to post their texts. In case you want to become a IAREP member please visit the IAREP website (https://www.iarep.org/index.php/membership)! Please submit the following information: 1) Header: 2) Author: 3) Text: I am looking forward to receiving your news and updates. Thanks a lot! Best wishes, Eva Priv.-Doz. Dr. Eva Hofmann Principal Investigator | IAREP Honorary Secretary [Ein Bild, das Text, Uhr enthält. Automatisch generierte Beschreibung] Wir befreien das Studieren von Ort und Zeit! Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH Ferdinand Porsche Ring 3 | 2700 Wiener Neustadt | Austria T +43 2622 32600-800 E eva.hofmann(a)fernfh.ac.at<mailto:eva.hofmann@fernfh.ac.at> W www.fernfh.ac.at<http://www.fernfh.ac.at/> [cid:ii_1938d7456855b006a2]<https://www.instagram.com/fernfh_wn/>[cid:ii_1938d7456856917eb3]<https://www.facebook.com/porschefernfh> [cid:ii_1938d745685772f6c4] <https://www.linkedin.com/school/ferdinand-porsche-fernfh/> [cid:ii_1938d7456858546ed5] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCGUBVpcQpMD15z9TFUnHQQ> [cid:ii_1938d745685935e6e6] <https://www.xing.com/pages/ferdinandporschefernfh> HG Wiener Neustadt FN 274853x ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the IAREP-NET list, click the following link: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/WA-JISC.exe?SUBED1=IAREP-NET&A=1 ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the IAREP-NET list, click the following link: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/WA-JISC.exe?SUBED1=IAREP-NET&A=1 ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

5 months

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This week's PhD Lab events: Wednesday AND Thursday

by Till Stowasser

Dear PhD Lab, This week, we'll have two PhD Lab Sessions. Wednesday, 11:30 on MSTeams [Link<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3a8QjhAG78wXYGugtvgAljYXfvfBvi…>] * Stewart will demonstrate some of the AI-powered research tools he has been telling us about Thursday, 14:00 in Room 3B91 * We will discuss the final chapter of Doing Economics: Chapter 7—Advising Students * Liz Barker will give the discussion-starter presentation * Please read Chapter 7 before the lab session Best, Till Link to PhD Lab timetable: [https://res.cdn.office.net/assets/mail/file-icon/png/xlsx_16x16.png] PhD Lab Agenda Autumn 2024.xlsx<https://stir-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/personal/ts31_stir_ac_uk/_layouts/15/D…> ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

5 months

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This Week,..

by Stewart Robertson

Hey Folks, If anyone is looking for me this week then I'm afraid I'll not be physically in Stirling - I had planned on coming in on Thursday but received a text message from my GP surgery - I have asthma clinic just before our lab meeting. Assuming my appointment runs on time then I'll have plenty time to get back home to dial into the lab via teams. See you next Wednesday in person (have my work's Christmas party next Thursday - it's all go)! Cheers, Stewart ________________________________ Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

5 months

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Christmas Dinner - Thursday 19DEC

by Stewart Robertson

Hello all, 7 people are confirmed for the 19th, so think we'll stick with that date. If you haven't yet responded and can make the 19th, please let me know as soon as possible. Planning to book a local venue from around 4 PM, with the idea of heading there directly from the lab. Best Regards, Stewart [cid:243303c1-a80e-46b5-8bba-a32efde1e594] ________________________________ Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

5 months

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{VIRUS?} This week's PhD Lab (Wednesday)

by Till Stowasser

Warning: This message has had one or more attachments removed Warning: (favicon_a_eupayfgghqiai7k9sol6lg2.ico). Warning: Please read the "stir.ac.uk-Attachment-Warning.txt" attachment(s) for more information. Dear PhD Lab, This week's PhD Lab session takes place on Wednesday, 27th of October at 11:00 in room 2V3 . Stewart will present his ideas for his PhD. For an overview see here: <https://stir-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/personal/ts31_stir_ac_uk/_layouts/15/d…> Sign in to your account<https://stir-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/personal/ts31_stir_ac_uk/_layouts/15/d…> stir-my.sharepoint.com<https://stir-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/personal/ts31_stir_ac_uk/_layouts/15/d…> [favicon_a_eupayfgghqiai7k9sol6lg2.ico]<https://stir-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/personal/ts31_stir_ac_uk/_layouts/15/d…> Other events this week * Wednesday: RES Doctoral Programme Session * Thursday: Economics Seminar (Leo will present) Best, Till ________________________________ Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

5 months, 1 week

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Today’s lab

by Till Stowasser

Dear Phd lab, Something has come up at home, so I won’t be able to come in to Stirling today. I will be joining today’s lab remotely. Can someone set up things on the screen so people can dial in? If in doubt, ask Stewart, our IT champion. Connecting the hdmi and usb calendars simultaneously to Kevin’s adapter worked great last week. See you later. Till ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159

5 months, 1 week

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2025

2024

2023