Speaker

Dr. Christopher Urban
Department of Psychology – Behavioral Science
The University of Rhode Island

Dr. Chris Urban is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. His research centers on developing statistical models to understand and predict complex behavioral processes, with a particular emphasis on machine learning techniques. Currently, his work integrates psychometrics and deep learning to construct probabilistic models for analyzing rich behavioral datasets, including smartphone and wearable sensor data, social media activity, and electronic health records.

Title

Deep Psychometrics: Modeling Human Behavior in the Age of AI

Abstract

Deep learning continues to reshape modern AI, driven by flexible nonlinear function classes, scalable optimization and inference, and increasingly sharp tools for evaluating predictive and generative performance. These advances create a natural point of convergence with psychometrics. Deep learning offers flexible model architectures and scalable methods for fitting them, while psychometric theory supplies the structure needed to identify models and make their components meaningfully interpretable. This talk will review the essentials of deep learning from a statistical modeling standpoint, highlight recent work at this interface, and sketch a forward-looking agenda — lightly echoing Asimov’s psychohistory —for developing deep psychometric models that can capture, forecast, and ultimately help shape real-world behavioral processes.