"In Conversation" Series
Lecturer:
Dr. Meir Barneron (Hebrew University)
Title:
Beyond Background and Experience: The Genetic Roots of Collective Intelligence
Abstract:
Crowds often outperform individuals in judgment and decision-making tasks, a phenomenon known as wisdom-of-crowds. We examine whether genetic diversity within groups enhances this collective accuracy. Across two studies (total N = 602) using twin-based samples, groups with higher genetic diversity produced more accurate aggregate judgments than genetically homogeneous groups. These results suggest that genetic variation contributes uniquely to collective intelligence, extending diversity research beyond demographic and experiential factors.
Short Bio:
Dr. Meir Barneron is a Lecturer at the Seymour Fox School of Education, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Psychology at the Hebrew University, where he specialized at the Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality under the supervision of Prof. Ilan Yaniv.
His research brings together two areas: Psychometrics and Educational Measurement, where he studies how we assess psychological constructs and how demographic changes affect selection tools; and Judgment and Decision-Making, where he examines how cognitive and affective biases shape human choices.
Methodologically, he combines formal modeling, controlled experiments, and large-scale field data to study decision-making in both laboratory and real-world settings.
Dr. Barneron publishes in leading social psychology and methodological journals, and his current projects explore predictive validity, legal decision-making, and the role of diversity in collective intelligence.
Location:
Eilat Hall, Feldman Building, Second Floor, Edmond Safra Campus.