Brandon C Davidson

My first paper, out in PsychReview!!

Along with @orbenamy.bsky.social, Nik & @jaeggiadrian.bsky.social, @realadamhunt.bsky.social & I revisit an old theoretical question using concepts from evo psychiatry and anthro:

Why do mixed associations exist b/w social media & mental health?

A 🧵

🚨 New Preprint 🚨

Some people are at greater risk of experiencing negative mental health outcomes of social media use than others, but why?

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We examined whether individual differences in cognitive processes shape risk and resilience to mental health effects on social media: osf.io/preprints/ps...

🚨Out now in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social 🚨

We explore the use of cognitive theories/models with real-world data for understanding mental health.

We review emerging studies and discuss challenges and opportunities of this approach.

With @yaelniv.bsky.social and @eriknook.bsky.social

Thread ⬇️

An interoceptive model of energy allostasis linking metabolic and mental health Interactions between metabolic interoception and regulation may drive comorbidity between mental and metabolic ill-health.

Mental and metabolic health are closely linked - but what drives this connection? In our new theory paper, we (w/ @camillanord.bsky.social & @hugofleming.bsky.social g.bsky.social) propose dysregulation of interoceptive energy allostasis as a key mechanism.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🧵 1/n

Check out @bcdavidson.bsky.social's preprint (w/ @georgiaturner.bsky.social @orbenamy.bsky.social @livia-tomova.bsky.social and co.) about the (computational) consequences of social isolation in social media use during covid!

Huge thank you to the co-author team: @stepalminteri.bsky.social, @livia-tomova.bsky.social, Johannes Eichsteadt, Aadesh Salecha, Shashanka Subrahmanya and, most importantly, the incredible supervisor trio of @orbenamy.bsky.social, @georgiaturner.bsky.social @lukasgunschera.com

Read the preprint below:
osf.io/preprints/ps...

This work brings together two lines of research: (1) evidence that social needs may be homeostatic, similar to hunger or thirst, and (2) findings that social media posting can be modelled using a reinforcement learning framework: an approach that can be used to answer key research questions.

Figure showing a significant difference between 'habit weight' in high and low social isolation. Habit weight is a component of the RL model that weights a model-free RL posting policy and a habitual posting policy.

In a preregistered study of 535 US Twitter users, we found that people learn more from social rewards during periods of high isolation. That is, when isolated, they weigh 'Likes' more heavily in deciding how often to post.

🚨 New Preprint 🚨

Prolonged Isolation is associated with an increased behavioural sensitivity to ‘Likes’ on social media.

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Social media rewards are inherently social—but does posting change during social isolation, when in-person social rewards are limited?

It turns out, yes!

Great time in London watching intern @sineadcleary.bsky.social and research assistant Brandon Davidson give a fantastic presentation to the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology - what superstars I get to work with!

I'm hiring 2+ 2.5-year postdocs over the next few months.

Job 1: looking for someone with deep expertise in computational modelling (reinforcement learning, agent based modelling) on real-world/complex data (closing: 18 August, starting: October-December), www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/52059/

This is incredible, huge congratulations - so well deserved. 🎉🎉

The impacts of loneliness in young people £1.5 million investment into the impacts of loneliness on the brains of young people.

Absolutely thrilled to have been awarded an 8-year Wellcome Career Development Award to investigate how loneliness affects young people's brains and minds!! Grateful for the support and excited for the road ahead!
@wellcometrust.bsky.social

www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/29...

🚨New preprint 🚨

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬: 𝐀 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞-𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨-𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲

osf.io/preprints/ps...

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Using a novel micro-narrative method, we collected ~ 900 first-person accounts of social media harms from young people across the UK and US.

My undergraduate project has finally been preprinted! We explore how cognitive development as early as age 3 acts as a mediating pathway for the association of genes with academic achievement into adolescence.

Huge thanks to my incredible team of collaborators for their support.

PLEASE SHARE: The second (and final) application cycle for the Improving Research Community Builder Awards is now open! Find out more here: www.orben.group/improving-re...

Deadline: 14 January 2025