The Psychology of Metrics

Metrics and indicators have infiltrated every part of academia from our decisions on what to read and where to publish, to who we hire and what we fund. They are ubiquitous. This talk explores why we have become so addicted to metrics: the mechanics behind how they are constructed and what makes an appealing metric. We look at why they are bad for us, why AI could make it worse, and how we can break the cycle of dependency.