About

Hello and welcome to my website!

My name is Mikhail Spektor and I am a behavioral scientist based in Hanoi, Vietnam.

I hold a PhD in Psychology from the University of Basel and I'm currently an Assistant Professor and Acting Program Director (Psychology) at the College of Arts and Sciences at VinUniversity.

My main line of research concerns the psychological processes underlying human decision making. I rely on formal computational models and combine them with evidence from behavioral experiments, psychophysiological recordings, and real-world observational data to obtain a comprehensive understanding of how people process information and make choices in a variety of situations.

Dr. Mikhail Spektor

News

2025 APR 7th
Do people like skewed rewards and if yes, why? In one of our publications last year, we argued that some cognitive processes might hide our intrinsic preferences, and that it is important to consider these effects when drawing conclusions about people's preferences (click here for a summary). Vanunu and Newell proposed a sampling explanation for the results that we observed (find it here), and we think it is an interesting explanation that deserves further exploration, though it cannot explain the full pattern of behaviors that we found in our data. Our reply can be found here (summary).
2025 FEB 27th
One of the core ideas of psychological laboratory experiments is to study real-life phenomena in a tightly controlled setting by using artificial stimuli that still capture the essence of the situation outside the lab. These simplifications require assumptions. One of the most intriguing take-away messages from our recent model-validation attempt is that richer data cast into question some of the simplifying assumptions that we make for simpler experiments, assumptions that cannot be tested in less rich designs. Check it out in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition.
2024 NOV 16th
How do people search for information before making choices? Theoretical approaches suggest that decision makers’ primary aim is reducing the uncertainty surrounding aspects such as an option’s average value; however, this view has rarely been tested using empirical data. This article reports a data-driven analysis of a large-scale, publicly available dataset aiming to identify the drivers of information search. It reveals that people use their prior expectations and environmental knowledge to adaptively reduce at least three types of uncertainty: structural uncertainty concerning features of the decision environment, estimation uncertainty surrounding options’ average rewards, and computational uncertainty arising from the difficulty of information processing. The findings highlight how information search is more complex and adaptive than portrayed by current theoretical accounts. Out now in PNAS. A summary (https://x.com/Mikhail_Spektor/status/1857676982974062671) and a link to the paper (open access; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2311714121)
2024 SEP 4th
Very happy to announce that I joined the College of Arts and Sciences at VinUniversity as an Assistant Professor and Acting Program Director (Psychology)!
2024 JUL 19th
Almost all e-commerce platforms offer the possibility for consumers to express their satisfaction with their purchases by writing product reviews. How do people decide what to write about? We find that people are influenced by other reviews that are visible at the time of review writing, but only if they were rated as helpful by other community members. We show that this process is a product of directed imitation rather than a bottom-up influence, and that reviews that imitate helpful reviews tend to receive more helpfulness ratings themselves. Out now in Decision. A summary (https://x.com/Mikhail_Spektor/status/1814058161684496402)
2024 MAR 15th
What is people's attitude towards the (a)symmetry of outcomes? Depending on which literature you consult, you will get different answers. Research in finance and using risky choices suggests that people like options "lottery-like" options that provide small wins most of the time but sometimes very large wins. On the other hand, experimental research into experience-based choices suggests the exact opposite pattern. We reconcile these seemingly contradictory findings by showing how the comparison of outcomes can mask the intrinsic preferences towards skewness. Very proud of this publication! Out now in PNAS. A summary (https://x.com/Seb_Olschewski/status/1768703691219947709) and press release (https://www.unibas.ch/en/News-Events/News/Uni-Research/How-comparison-options-affect-stock-buys.html)
2023 DEC 7th
"Losses loom larger than gains", or do they? Our investigation into the absolute and relative stability of loss aversion across contexts is out now in Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. A summary: https://twitter.com/Mikhail_Spektor/status/1732810708272779387
2023 JUN 12th
I haven't updated the website in a long while... It should be up-to-date now.
2023 JUN 11th
New preprint: How do people explore options before making a choice? In an analysis of over 1M sampling decisions, Dirk Wulff and I show that people rely on a toolbox of search strategies in an adaptive and dynamic way: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/7ru58
2023 FEB 16th
New preprint: How stable is loss aversion, really? When it changes across different contexts, is the rank order maintained? We investigate this question in our newest preprint: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/cwm2s
2022 MAY 18th
How are context effects in perceptual decision making (such as judging the length of a line) and preferential decision making (such as choosing what to buy for lunch) related to each other? We investigated this question with a focus on information-processing strategies using eye-tracking methodology and computational modeling. Out now in Cognition. A summary: https://twitter.com/Mikhail_Spektor/status/1526970175744008199
2022 APR 1st
Today, I joined the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick as an Assistant Professor. Looking forward to working with many great colleagues!
2022 MAR 30th
In many situations, people have to filter out relevant and ignore irrelevant information. Past research (e.g., the anchoring effect) has shown that even entirely irrelevant information can have an impact on choices. In a new paper, we looked at whether people are able to successfully filter out relevant information in an experience-based learning task, and we found that sometimes they cannot do that effectively. Out now in Judgment and Decision Making: http://journal.sjdm.org/21/210616/jdm210616.pdf (open access).
2021 AUG 20th
How exactly do contextual features affect human decisions? Things are complicated and many findings contradict each other. Our proposal for a solution out now in Trends in Cognitive Sciences. A summary: https://twitter.com/Mikhail_Spektor/status/1429813685342642181
2021 JAN 30th
How do individuals make decisions from experience when reckless behaviors are taxed? Reckless behaviors, such as texting while driving, are in most cases harmless but sometimes lead to catastrophic outcomes. We show that myopic individuals who disregard catastrophic outcomes soon after they have been experienced are particularly affected by over-taxation. A policy targeted at these individuals — for example, by using boosts — could be effective over and beyond omnibus taxation interventions. Out now in Judgment and Decision Making: https://sjdm.org/journal/20/200526a/jdm200526a.pdf (open access).
2020 SEP 28th
Our paper that compares single- and dual-process evidence accumulation models of memory-based decisions out now in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review: https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-020-01794-9 (open access). Also, check out the summary of the paper as a Twitter thread and conference talk.
2020 SEP 23rd
New preprint (together with David Kellen and Karl Christoph Klauer) about the project I'll present at the ViProc available on PsyArXiv: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/hmzsx
2020 SEP 22nd
I will present my recent work about the repulsion effect in preferential and perceptual choice at the Virtual Process Tracing (ViProc) Conference 2020. Also, I will try to update the news section of this website more often.
2020 APR 16th
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 5th EADM summer school has been postponed to next year. More information: ldmss.org
2020 JAN 31st
Save the date for the 5th EADM summer school on the topic of learning and decision making! More information on our website: ldmss.org
2019 JUL 4th
I will present my recent work with the short title "Violations of economic rationality in reinforcement learning are driven by a saliency-dependent reward-prediction-error signal in the ventral striatum" at the Neuroeconomics in Dublin.
2019 JAN 10th
I will be joining the Universitat Pompeu Fabra as an assistant professor in September 2019.
2019 JAN 9th
New website launched!

Research

Research interests

Decisions under risk and uncertainty

Learning and decision making

Context-dependent preferences

Computational cognitive modeling

Naturalistic decision making

Publications (* = equal contribution)

Olschewski, S.*, Spektor, M. S.*, & Le Mens, G. (2025). Reply to Vanunu and Newell: The frequent-winner effect is necessary to explain experience-based decisions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(15), e2500422122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2500422122

Voormann, A., Spektor, M. S., & Klauer, K. C. (2025). Do models for paired-word recognition capture manipulations in the way they are meant to do? A model validation study. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0001463.

Spektor, M. S.*, & Wulff, D. U.* (2024). Predecisional information search adaptively reduces three types of uncertainty. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(47), e2311714121, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2311714121

Alba, C., Walasek, L., & Spektor, M. S. (2024). Attention-driven imitation in consumer reviews. Decision, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1037/dec0000238

Olschewski, S.*, Spektor, M. S.*, & Le Mens, G. (2024). Frequent winners explain apparent skewness preferences in experience-based decisions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(12), e2317751121, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2317751121

Spektor, M. S.*, Kellen, D.*, Rieskamp, J., & Klauer, K. C. (2024). Absolute and relative stability of loss aversion across contexts. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 153(2), 454-472, https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001513

Spektor, M. S., Kellen, D., & Klauer, K. C. (2022). The repulsion effect in preferential choice and its relation to perceptual choice. Cognition, 225, 105164, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105164

Spektor, M. S., & Seidler, H. (2022). Violations of economic rationality due to irrelevant information during learning in decision from experience. Judgment and Decision Making, 17(2), 425–448. http://journal.sjdm.org/21/210616/jdm210616.pdf

Spektor, M. S., Bhatia, S., & Gluth, S. (2021). The elusiveness of context effects in decision making. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 25(10), 844–857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2021.07.011.

Voormann, A., Spektor, M. S., & Klauer, K. C. (2021). The simultaneous recognition of multiple words: A process analysis. Memory & Cognition, 49(4), 787–802. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-020-01082-w.

Spektor, M. S., & Wulff, D. U. (2021). Myopia drives reckless behavior in response to over-taxation. Judgment and Decision Making, 16(1), 114–130. https://sjdm.org/journal/20/200526a/jdm200526a.pdf

Kraemer, P., Fontanesi, L., Spektor, M. S., & Gluth, S. (2020). Response time models separate single- and dual-process accounts of memory-based decisions. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 28(1), 304–323. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-020-01794-9

Fontanesi, L., Gluth, S., Spektor, M. S., & Rieskamp, J. (2019). A reinforcement learning diffusion decision model for value-based decisions. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 26(4), 1099–1121. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-018-1554-2

Spektor, M. S., Gluth, S., Fontanesi, L., & Rieskamp, J. (2019). How similarity between choice options affects decisions from experience: The accentuation of differences model. Psychological Review, 126(1), 52–88. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000122

Gluth, S.*, Spektor, M. S.*, & Rieskamp, J. (2018). Value-based attentional capture affects multi-alternative decision making. eLife, 7, 1–36. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.39659

Spektor, M. S., Kellen, D., & Hotaling, J. M. (2018). When the good looks bad: An experimental exploration of the repulsion effect. Psychological Science, 29(8), 1309–1320. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797618779041

Spektor, M. S., & Kellen, D. (2018). The relative merit of empirical priors in non-identifiable and sloppy models: Applications to models of learning and decision-making. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 25(6), 2047–2068. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-018-1446-5.

Other publications

Olschewski, S.*, Spektor, M. S.*, & Le Mens, G. Reply to Vanunu and Newell: The frequent-winner effect is necessary to explain experience-based decisions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2500422122

Spektor, M. S., & Yuan, T. (2020). Digitalisierung in der Juristenausbildung. Neue Juristische Wochenschrift, 15, 52–88.

Teaching

Thesis supervision

I offer supervision of theses. If you are interested in working on any of my research topics, feel free to contact me.

Current courses

I am currently teaching the following courses:

Research Methods in Psychology

Undergraduate course for BA students in psychology (3 credits)

Course learning objectives:

  • Understanding of key research methods concepts of psychology
  • Critical evaluation of published research in psychology
  • Development of testable research hypotheses
  • Understanding and application of appropriate research designs
  • Know-how of ethical principles in research
  • Design and implementation of a quantitative psychological study
  • Testing of hypotheses using data obtained from quantitative psychological studies
Social Psychology

Undergraduate course for BA students in psychology (3 credits)

Course learning objectives:

  • Understanding of key theories and concepts in social psychology
  • Analysis of how social contexts influence individual behavior and thought processes
  • Critical evaluation of research methods used in social psychology
  • Application of social psychological principles to everyday life and societal issues
Cognitive Psychology

Undergraduate course for BA students in psychology (3 credits)

Course learning objectives:

  • Understanding of fundamental theories and concepts in cognitive psychology
  • Ability to conduct and interpret cognitive psychology experiments
  • Critical evaluation of research methods used in cognitive psychology
  • Application of cognitive psychological principles to everyday life and societal issues

Curriculum Vitae

Summary

  • 16 peer-reviewed publications, including top journals such as PNAS, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Psychological Review, and Psychological Science
  • 674 citations (630 since 2020)
  • Obtained over 200,000 Euro in competitive external research funding
  • Ad-hoc reviewer for over 25 journals in psychology, economics, and neuroscience
  • Developed and taught 11 distinct courses in psychology and economics
  • Supervision of 2 PhD students (of which one is ongoing)
  • Member of several university committees, including IRB, educational, and hiring committees
Download CV

Contact:

Dr. Mikhail Spektor
College of Arts and Sciences
VinUniversity
VinHomes Ocean Park
Hanoi
Email: mikhail@spektor.ch