Research Seminar - Video, Bias, Action. Mitigating Cognitive Biases through Role-Play Video Scenarios

Video, Bias, Action. Mitigating Cognitive Biases through Role-Play Video Scenarios

Presented by: Dr Lemi Baruh

Date: Friday 6 June 2025
Time: 12-1pm
Location: Online via Zoom and in-person at the SCA Writer's Studio (Level 6, Michie Building)

Abstract

In this presentation, I'll talk about a project (https://dbias.eu/home/) within which we used short video clips to explore reducing cognitive biases. Participants from various countries were asked to step into characters' roles in short video scenarios and make decisions. Critically, participants were randomly assigned to view videos either with or without a de-biasing segment. This randomized experiment allowed us to compare the impact of these interventions across 25 biases that are common in higher education settings. I'll discuss our research design, show examples of the videos, and talk about some of our initial findings. 

Presenter

Lemi Baruh (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School for Communication, 2007) is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Communication and Arts, The University of Queensland, and the co-director of the Social Interaction and Media Lab at Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey. His research focuses on digital media and communication technologies, exploring issues such as interpersonal relationships, online safety and security, privacy, surveillance, and decision-making.