Curriculum Vitae
Employment
Senior Advisor for Innovation, Strategic Engagements, and Partnerships, Social, Behavioral, & Economic Sciences Directorate, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA (2022 - )
Advances partnerships with industry, academia, and government
Oversees directorate engagement with and outreach to external allies
Provides scientific direction and oversight to the directorate's Office of Multidisciplinary Activities
Participates as a member of the directorate's senior leadership team and as a directorate executive
Director of Government Relations, Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington, DC (2019 - 2022)
Represented APS and psychological science in the science policy arena
Developed and implemented strategies for achieving APS's advocacy goals
Publicized APS advocacy initiatives to the APS membership
Served as psychological science adviser to APS staff
Assistant Director for Policy, Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington, DC (2016 - 2019)
Methodology Fellow, APS, Washington, DC (2015 - 2016)
Education
Washington University in St. Louis, MO (2009 - 2015)
Ph.D. in Psychology, concentration in Behavior, Brain, & Cognition (2015)
M.A. in Psychology, concentration in Behavior, Brain, & Cognition (2011)
Major professor: Henry L. Roediger, III
The College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA
The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, VA
Research Interests
The relationship between memory confidence and memory accuracy
Metacognition and metamemory
Applying principles of cognitive psychology to education
Collective memory
The intersection of psychology and technology
Concept and category learning
Metascience
Honors and Awards
Dissertation Research Award, American Psychological Association (2014)
Dissertation Research Award, Washington University Department of Psychology (2014)
Dean's Dissertation Fellowship (2014 - 2015)
Second Place in Social Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis Annual Graduate Research Symposium (2014)
Recipient, Society for Computers in Psychology Birnbaum Award (2013)
Recipient, Lee and Ann Liberman Graduate Fellowship (2011)
Honorable Mention, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (2010)
Publications
Putnam, A. L., Deng, W., & DeSoto, K. A. (in press). Confidence ratings are better predictors of future performance than delayed judgments of learning. Memory.
Isager, P. M., van Aert, R. C. M., Bahník, Š., Brandt, M. J., DeSoto, K. A., Giner-Sorolla, R., … Lakens, D. (in press). Deciding what to replicate: A decision model for replication study selection under resource and knowledge constraints. Psychological Methods.
DeSoto, K. A. (2022). I advocate on behalf of psychological science before the US Congress. In C. Madan (Ed.), Academia and the world beyond: Navigating life after a PhD (p. 129-136). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82606-2_14
Putnam, A. L., Drake, S. M., Wang, S. Y., & DeSoto, K. A. (2021). Collective memory for American leaders: Measuring recognition for the names and faces of the US presidents. PLoS ONE, 16: e0255209. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255209
Tekin, E., DeSoto, K. A., Wixted, J. H., & Roediger, H. L. (2021). Applying confidence accuracy characteristic plots to old/new recognition memory experiments. Memory. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2021.1901937
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2019). Remembering the presidents. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28, 138-144. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721418815685
DeSoto, K. A., & Schweinsberg, M. (2017). Replication data collection highlights value in diversity of replication attempts. Scientific Data, 4, 170028. http://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.28
Roediger, H. L., & DeSoto, K. A. (2016). Recognizing the presidents: Was Alexander Hamilton president? Psychological Science, 27, 644-650. http://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616631113
DeSoto, K. A., & Votta, C. M. (2016). Psychology data on the effects of study schedules on category-member classification. Journal of Open Psychology Data, 4: e3. http://doi.org/10.5334/jopd.26
Fu, M., Xue, Y., DeSoto, K. A., & Yuan, T. (2016). Remembering the leaders of China. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(373). http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00373
Wahlheim, C. N., & DeSoto, K. A. (2016). Study preferences for exemplar variability in self-regulated category learning. Memory. http://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2016.1152378
Roediger, H. L., & DeSoto, K. A. (2015). The psychology of reconstructive memory. In J. Wright (Ed.), International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences, 2e. Oxford, UK: Elsevier. http://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.51016-2
DeSoto, K. A. (2014). Collecting confidence ratings in cognitive psychology experiments: Investigating the relationship between confidence and accuracy in memory. In SAGE research methods cases. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. http://doi.org/10.4135/978144627305013507683
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2014). Positive and negative correlations between confidence and accuracy for the same events in recognition of categorized lists. Psychological Science, 25, 781-788. http://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613516149
Roediger, H. L., & DeSoto, K. A. (2014). Confidence in memory: Assessing positive and negative correlations. Memory, 22, 76-91. http://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2013.795974
Roediger, H. L., & DeSoto, K. A. (2014). Forgetting the presidents. Science, 346, 1106-1109. http://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259627
Roediger, H. L., & DeSoto, K. A. (2014). Understanding the relation between confidence and accuracy in reports from memory. In D. S. Lindsay, C. M. Kelley, A. P. Yonelinas, & H. L. Roediger (Eds.), Remembering: Attributions, processes, and control in human memory (pp. 347-367). New York, NY: Psychology Press.
Roediger, H. L., Wixted, J. T., & DeSoto, K. A. (2012). The curious complexity between confidence and accuracy in reports from memory. In L. Nadel & W. Sinnott-Armstrong (Eds.), Memory and law (p. 84-118). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. http://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199920754.001.0001
Weinstein, Y. (with contributions by DeSoto, K. A.). (2012). Flash programming for the social and behavioral sciences: A sophisticated guide to online surveys and experiments. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. http://doi.org/10.4135/9781452244099
Projects, Registrations, Preprints, Data
DeSoto, K. A., & Selmeczy, D. (2016). Audio recording of female speaker reading items from semantic categories. figshare. http://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3466163.v1
Putnam, A. L., & DeSoto, K. A. (2016). Are retrospective confidence ratings better predictors of future performance than judgments of learning? http://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5E67P
Roediger, H. L., & DeSoto, K. A. (2016). Recognizing the presidents: Supplemental materials. http://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/8Z2AN
DeSoto, K. A. (2015). Computerized methods for collecting confidence ratings: Task influences on patterns of responding. PeerJ PrePrints 3:e1786. http://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.1432v1
DeSoto, K. A. (2015): Computerized methods for collecting confidence ratings: Task influences on patterns of responding: Dataset. figshare. http://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1572182.v1
DeSoto, K. A., & Votta, C. M. (2015). Psychology data on the effects of study schedules on category-member classification: Dataset. figshare. http://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1570940.v7
DeSoto, K. A., & Simons, D. J. (2015). General knowledge question norming. http://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Y4B9R
In the Media
Collective memory research
The Atlantic: You won't remember the pandemic the way you think you will
Oprah Magazine: After 2016, people are rethinking how they'll spend election night this year
Scientific American: The power of collective memory
The New York Times: Study on cultural memory confirms: Chester A. Arthur, we hardly knew ye
The Washington Post: The presidents we remember—and the ones we’ve almost entirely forgotten
Scientific American: When will Obama be forgotten? Study reveals cultural memory patterns
Scientific American: How does your memory for U.S. presidents stack up?
TIME: How memory links the presidency, Ferguson and the Cosby mess
Daily Mail: Forgotten in 50 years: Experts reveal just how quickly the American public forgets their presidents
St. Louis On The Air: How long do we remember a president's legacy?
Confidence-accuracy research
The New York Times: Why our memory fails us
Presentations
National Conferences
Tekin, E., DeSoto, K. A., Wixted, J. T., & Roediger, H. L. (2018, November). Two ways of calculating confidence accuracy characteristic plots in yes/no recognition memory experiments. Talk given at the 59th meeting of the Psychonomic Society, New Orleans, LA.
Yokum, D. V., Hatzimasoura, C., Minnich, K., & DeSoto, K. A. (2018, May). Applying behavioral science to improve decision making in Washington, DC. Panel at the 30th meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA.
Shaffer, R. A., Gilmore, A. W., DeSoto, K. A., & McDermott, K. B. (2017, November). Recollection, familiarity, and the testing effect over time. Poster presented at the 58th meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
DeSoto, K. A. (2017, May). Naked truth IV: You're working where? Panel at the 29th meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Boston, MA.
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2017, March). How leaders are remembered and forgotten. Talk given at the 2nd International Convention for Psychological Science, Vienna, Austria.
DeSoto, K. A. (2016, May). Naked truth III: Navigating the job market. Panel at the 28th meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2016, May). Effects of qualitative and quantitative bases of memory on old/new recognition and source decision accuracy. Poster presented at the 28th meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2015, November). Confidence-accuracy correlations for remembered, known, and guessed memories. Poster presented at the 56th meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Chicago, IL.
Roediger, H. L., & DeSoto, K. A. (2014, November). Forgetting the presidents. Talk given at the 55th Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Long Beach, CA.
DeSoto, K. A. (2013, November). Collecting confidence ratings in cognitive psychology experiments: Effects of scale and entry method. Poster presented at the Meeting of the Society for Computers in Psychology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2013, November). Effects of study and test repetitions on false memory for category items. Poster presented at the 54th Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
DeSoto, K. A., Nestojko, J. F., & Roediger, H. L. (2012, November). Effects of free recall testing on immediate and delayed recognition. Poster presented at the 53rd Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Minneapolis, MN.
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2012, May). Effects of repeated study and test on recognition memory for categorized lists. Poster presented at the 24th Meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2010, November). Confidence and accuracy in recognition memory: positive, negative, and zero correlations. Poster presented at the 51st Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, St. Louis, MO.
Weinstein, Y., & DeSoto, K. A. (2010, November). Teaching Flash programming for psychology. Poster presented at the 40th Meeting of the Society for Computers in Psychology, St. Louis, MO.
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2010, May). The confidence-accuracy correlation. Poster presented at the 22nd Meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Boston, MA.
Ball, C. T., & DeSoto, K. A. (2009, November). Eye movements while zoning out during reading. Paper presented at the 50th Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Boston, MA.
Regional and Local Conferences
DeSoto, K. A., & Roediger, H. L. (2014, February). Collective memory for U.S. presidents. Poster presented at the Washington University in St. Louis Graduate Research Symposium, St. Louis, MO.
Roediger, H. L., & DeSoto, K. A. (2013, May). Confidence and accuracy in reports from memory: Obtaining positive and negative correlations. Paper presented at the Festschrift in Honor of Larry Jacoby, St. Louis, MO.
DeSoto, K. A. (2011, May). Often wrong but never in doubt: Effects of category typicality on false memory and confidence ratings. Talk given at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.
DeSoto, K. A. (2011, February). Often wrong but never in doubt: Typicality relates to confident false memories. Poster presented at the Washington University in St. Louis Graduate Research Symposium, St. Louis, MO.
DeSoto, K. A. (2010, June). Driving factors of the confidence-accuracy correlation. Paper presented at the Show Me Mental Life Conference, St. Louis, MO.
DeSoto, K. A. (2010, February). The confidence-accuracy correlation: implications for eyewitness and basic psychological research. Poster presented at the Washington University in St. Louis Graduate Research Symposium, St. Louis, MO.
Other Publications and Talks
DeSoto, K. A. (2023, March). Barking up the right tree: How psychologists and societies can participate in science policy and advocacy. Presentation to the Society for Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Science (American Psychological Association Division 3), Virtual.
Minnich, K., & DeSoto, K. A. (2019, March). I’m feeling inclined: Leveraging behavioral science for effective governance. Presentation at the Office of Personnel Management Design School, Washington, DC.
DeSoto, K. A. (2017, September). Navigating alt-academic positions. Presentation to the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, MO.
DeSoto, K. A. (2017, April). Strengthening reproducibility in science. Presentation to Psychology Department, Carleton College, MN.
DeSoto, K. A. (2017, April). How leaders are remembered and forgotten. Presentation for memory processes course, Carleton College, MN.
DeSoto, K. A. (2016). Finding a home for your science. Observer, 29(5), 24-26.
DeSoto, K. A. (2016). Under the hood of Mechanical Turk. Observer, 29(3).
DeSoto, K. A. (2015). Report points to need for improved reproducibility. Observer, 28, 13.
DeSoto, K. A. (2014, May). Memory. Presentation for introductory psychology course, Lindenwood University, St. Louis, MO.
DeSoto, K. A. (2013, November). Confidence and accuracy in memory: Theory, methods, and application. Presentation for the Psychology Department Behavior, Brain, and Cognition Colloquium, Washington University in St. Louis, MO.
DeSoto, K. A. (2012, February). Managing your academic PDFs. Talk given for the Graduate Student Brown Bag series, Washington University in St. Louis, MO.
DeSoto, K. A. (2011). Student notebook news. Observer, 24, 37.
As a member of the News Team at the Association for Psychological Science, I also helped produce blog posts and announcements for the website and magazine.
Training, Editorial, & Other Activities
Graduate, Leadership for a Democratic Society, Federal Executive Institute (Fall 2023)
Fellow, The Lab @ DC (2016 - 2022)
Apply behavioral science to improve city government policies
Develop scientific community of practice across Washington, DC region
Committee Member, Open Science Badges Committee
Editorial Board Member, Scientific Data
Reviewer
Addiction
Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics
Cognition
Memory
Memory & Cognition
Open Psychology
Psychological Science
Psychology & Neuroscience
Psychology of Consciousness
The Psychological Record
Translational Issues in Psychological Science
Panelist, National Science Foundation