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matan rubin

Comparing the value of perceived humanversus AI-generated empathy

16 July, 2025

new paper published in Nature Human Behaviour by Matan Rubin, Prof. Anat Perry, and colleagues, explores whether empathic responses are perceived differently when attributed to a human versus artificial intelligence.

Across nine studies with over 6,000 participants, the researchers found that identically generated empathic messages were rated as more empathic, supportive, and authentic when thought to come from a human.

oded leshem

Congratulation to Dr. Oded Adomi Leshem

2 July, 2025

Who won ISPP’s 2025 David O. Sears Best Book Award for his book "Hope Amidst Conflict: Philosophical and Psychological Explorations," Published by Oxford University Press.

Leshem is a senior researcher at the PICR lab and the founder of the new International Hub for Hope Research.

David O. Sears Best Book on Mass Politics Award

Amir Tal

Welcome Dr. Amir Tal

24 June, 2025

The Department of Psychology is excited to welcome Dr. Amir Tal, a new faculty member joining the department in collaboration with the Department of Cognitive Science and the Brain. Amir will join us in the upcoming academic year (2025–2026) and will lead the Computational Psychology cluster.

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Autism spectrum disorder variation as a computational trade-off via dynamic range of neuronal population responses

2 April, 2025
Oded Wertheimer

A study appearing in Nature Neuroscience has linked distinct neural and behavioral characteristics in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to a simple computational principle.

Centered on the "dynamic range" of neurons, which reflects how gradually or sharply they respond to input, the study suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder have an increased dynamic range in their neuronal response, resulting in a more detailed but slower response to changes.

This research defies previous descriptions of ASD as a "broken cog in the machine" and provides a deeper, richer account of the computational basis of ASD.

Researchers Dr. Yuval Hart and Oded Wertheimer have developed a new computational model to explain neural and behavioral differences in autism spectrum disorder.

This model offers fresh insights into information processing in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, opening new avenues for future research and understanding.

Autism spectrum disorder is known to present unique neural and behavioral characteristics compared to neurotypical individuals, but the underlying computational mechanisms remain complex and multifaceted.

The model proposed by Dr. Hart and Wertheimer centers around the concept of "dynamic range" within neuronal populations. Dynamic range refers to the range of signals for which neurons elicit discernible responses. In simpler terms, it reflects how gradually or sharply neurons respond to stimuli—a more gradual response entails an increased dynamic range.

The researchers found that an increased dynamic range, indicating a gradual response of a neuronal population to changes in input, accounts for neural and behavioral variations in individuals diagnosed with ASD across diverse tasks. This gradual response enables more accurate encoding of details but comes with a trade-off: slower adaptation to changes.

By contrast, a narrower dynamic range allows for quick, threshold-based reactions, facilitating fast adaptation but potentially at the expense of fine discrimination.

Testing their model across diverse simulations and behavioral tasks, including finger-tapping synchronization, orientation reproduction, and global motion coherence, the researchers demonstrated that increased dynamic range might underlie certain autism spectrum disorder-related behaviors.

This variation in response could stem from differences in how individual neurons activate. For instance, increased variability in individual neurons' half-activation point, the point where the neuron's response is half of its maximal value, could lead to a broader dynamic range at the population level, influencing how sensory input is processed and interpreted by the brain.

Dr. Hart and Wertheimer's findings also provide insight into why autism spectrum disorder research often yields conflicting results. Differences in the dynamic range within the autism spectrum disorder population may contribute to the variation in findings across studies, highlighting the need for larger participant groups to ensure robust results.

Their model aligns with existing theories that relate autism spectrum disorder to atypical sensory processing, supporting a connection to broader biological and genetic factors. Specific genetic mutations associated with autism spectrum disorder, such as those affecting synaptic regulation, may contribute to this increased dynamic range.

These biological factors could lead to a more variable neuronal response, creating the nuanced, analog-like encoding seen in autism spectrum disorder individuals.

By exploring this computational trade-off, the study not only introduces a new perspective on autism spectrum disorder but also suggests future directions for study. The researchers propose that examining this dynamic range at different developmental stages, or through animal models, could further clarify its impact on autism spectrum disorder-related behaviorsץ

See full article here