Dr Omidreza Ghasemi
Award for Excellent PhD Thesis in Psychology

Award type: Science

Omid completed his PhD at Macquarie University in 2023, centering his research on the concept of logical intuitions—the intuitive ability to generate responses that align with logical standards (Study 1: Published in QJEP).

However, Omid's research demonstrated that this ability is unrelated to logic (Study 2; published in JEPG), and, therefore, cannot be enhanced through training in logic (Study 3; under review). Instead, it is primarily driven by a fast and frugal heuristic rather than logical rules (Study 4: Published in Cognition).

The implications of his work resonate significantly in both reasoning theories and practice (Study 5: Published in BBS), as underscored by recent theorists in the fields. Recognizing the excellence of his thesis, Omid was awarded the VC’s Commendation for PhD Excellence and the Doris McIlwain Award for the most outstanding PhD thesis in Psychological Sciences at Macquarie University.

He has presented his studies at various national and international conferences and has successfully secured multiple seed grants and prizes from diverse institutes. Currently, Omid is undertaking a postdoc at UNSW's Institute for Climate Risk and Response, where he applies his expertise in reasoning and judgment to contribute to the field of climate change.