Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸

Karma: 381

Research interests: animal advocacy, promoting plant-based choices, possibly with AI, and alternative proteins.

As a Social Psychologist (Ph.D.) at Bar-Ilan University, I explore interventions to promote plant-based choices through research and scientific consultation to nonprofits such as ACE’s recommended charity, the Good Food Institute (GFI).

Our work has been recognized in academia, with a publication in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, ranked 15th out of 228 in multidisciplinary psychology (93.3% percentile) according to the JCR and 19th out of 304 in social psychology (93.8% percentile) in SJR.

I was privileged to present at the ICSD, SPUDM, SJDM, SPSP, and the China Vegan Summit. I have also been a teaching assistant, tutoring a course on Statistics and Jamovi, a free and open-source software for data analysis.

I enjoy sharing my knowledge and skills with students and helping them develop their critical thinking and analytical abilities. The experience I gained designing and conducting experiments, analyzing data, and using various software tools helped me get valuable insights into behavioral science.

Skills: SPSS, Jamovi, and R.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 3 Feb 2026 10:17 UTC
2 points
3 ∶ 0
on: The Vegan Filter: Overcoming the Leading Barrier to Veganism
Feel free to take a look at our earlier forum post and our full report about it!

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 22 Jan 2026 9:17 UTC
5 points
1 ∶ 0
on: Make a short video for your favorite EA charity! (Project for Awesome 2026)
This is such a wonderful opportunity! It’s a highly effective way to raise funds and could be one of the simplest ways to spread the word and gather support for your favorite charity.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 28 Dec 2025 9:10 UTC
5 points
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on: Where did you donate this year?
The Humane League.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 21 Jul 2025 1:55 UTC
1 point
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on: Why I am more optimistic about the animal movement this year
“Focus on the seeds, not the trees. What seeds are you planting today?”

“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”

”If you’re working hard on the right thing, you don’t need to worry about results. The outcome will come. It’s just a matter of time.”

- James Clear

Your post captured it. If we’re focused on the right thing, all we need is time.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 5 Jul 2025 1:03 UTC
9 points
1 ∶ 0
on: How could AI affect different animal advocacy interventions?
An important topic!
Regarding the Symmetric AI Access and Application, to take advantage of it, I think we should adopt an AI culture, as mentioned by @Richie.
Having a special expert for AI in every organization is not enough. We have to be all AI-positive as team members in our own workplace. We cannot leave it to one person. We cannot throw money at the problem.

And adopting an AI culture as a collective is much harder. As I see it, in academia, where I came from, we cannot tell students, “Here is the most powerful tool we ever had—don’t use it.”

As for research, one practical recommendation I have is to use tools like Research Kick to find research gaps. You may not know that numerous researchers, including one from NASA, have discovered that AI can conceive of research ideas that took them years to develop on their own in just minutes. We have to not let our egos prevent us from being effective.

But it happens outside of academia, too (not where I am positioned, luckily). Using AI is seen as cheating. However, it is not cheating if you use it to deliver better results and utilize your own intelligence to accomplish tasks that AI cannot yet do during the rest of your time.

We should be lifelong learners, especially when it comes to new AI tools. I personally learn about new AI platforms every day from YouTube on the go. The AI gap is only widening between the profit and nonprofit sectors, as Kyle Behrend says. Speaking of symmetries and asymmetries, we aim to prevent an asymmetric disadvantage as nonprofits adopt AI.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 3 Jul 2025 1:59 UTC
4 points
1 ∶ 0
on: GoodWallet: turning everyday repayments into high-impact donations
Great, I wish I had it a long time ago! I created an account and a NotebookLM episode about it.
I know we’re all rational people here, but I would suggest adding an option for users to customize their profile picture, background image, and QR code.
We want people to include this on their websites, and many would prefer it to be visually appealing.
As someone in the behavioral science field, I believe these features have a disproportionately influential impact.
Additionally, perhaps adding a web carousel on the main website that showcases specific use cases for requesting donations, rather than limiting this information to the newsletter.

Otherwise, a very user-friendly, simplicity-driven, convenience-first website!

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 19 May 2025 2:21 UTC
3 points
0 ∶ 0
on: Asymmetries, AI and Animal Advocacy
Thanks for brainstorming our comparative advantage!
I think it all depends on whether we’re wise enough to leverage it:

Motivational asymmetry—we need to care enough and encourage others to prioritize it over other priorities. The animal industry has the money, so we need to be equally attractive.

Truth asymmetry—we need to make people care about the truth.

Efficiency asymmetry—agreed.

Agility asymmetry—agreed.

Ceiling asymmetry—you can equally say that the animal-based agriculture already has the resources and experience using them, which is an advantage to the other side.

Cooperation asymmetry—if we’re smart enough to overcome infighting.

So, I think that all of these can be our comparative advantage—but only if we seize the opportunity.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 11 May 2025 8:46 UTC
2 points
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on: Plant-Based Defaults: A Missed Opportunity in AI Design
Defaults make a difference. I submitted my form based on your post, and I wanted to say thank you for bringing it to our attention!
By the way, you might want to connect with Robbie Lockie. He’s created an AI tool specifically designed to enhance the form-filling experience, helping to send a pre-filled yet personalized message when sending feedback, petitions, and similar communications. It could be worth reaching out to see if there’s potential to integrate with his AI solution.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 24 Apr 2025 8:13 UTC
2 points
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in reply to: Maxtandy’s comment on: China Vegan Society’s V-March results
Hey @Maxtandy, thanks for the kind words and for your insightful questions!
You’re right, it’s important to be transparent about the data.

To answer your questions:
Participants: The 70,000 engagements refer to the total number of interactions (likes, comments, shares) across all our platforms. The 600+ daily check-ins are from our WeChat Mini Program, which is a separate platform used for tracking individual participation.

Reach: The 7 million people reached refers to the estimated number of individuals who saw our campaign materials across various platforms. This includes social media posts, ads, and media coverage.

Follow-through: You’re right, the follow-through rate is lower than we’d like, but it’s still a significant number of people making changes to their diet.

Non-binary: It’s great to see such a high representation of non-binary individuals in our campaign. It’s possible that there’s a selection effect, as you mentioned, and individuals who are open to plant-based diets are also more likely to be open to diverse identities.

Tree planting: We partnered with the Alashan SEE Ecology Association because we believe that addressing climate change is vital.

Thanks again for your interest and for engaging in this vital conversation!

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 21 Nov 2024 23:21 UTC
2 points
0 ∶ 1
on: Donation Election Discussion Thread
I would really love to see the Good Food Institute (GFI) included on the list as well!

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 1 Sep 2024 11:52 UTC
3 points
0 ∶ 0
on: Where would you donate $100 to animal welfare?
Good Food Institute (GFI), since it has made significant strides, as highlighted in my video based on their report.
In summary, some of GFI’s notable accomplishments include:
1. Receiving President Biden support in setting alternative protein as a focus area
2. Raising awareness to alternative protein at the UN’s COP27 climate conference
3. Collaborating with Upside Foods on chicken substitutes
4. Awarding $4 million in research grants
These achievements demonstrate GFI’s impact on advancing sustainable food solutions.

My answer would remain the same for small and large donations.

We shouldn’t let the “Drop in the ocean” mentality discourage us as much as it often does. Whether you accomplish something on your own and can claim full credit, or as part of a group where you’re one of many contributors, what truly matters is that you achieve your goal.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 25 Aug 2024 10:24 UTC
1 point
1 ∶ 1
on: Are We Leaving the Individual Behind? The Role of Animal Storytelling in the Animal Rights Movement
Thank you for highlighting our research! Check out the post we wrote about it in this forum.
I believe these are several successful applications of the identifiable victim effect: Maxine’s Dash for Freedom, Okja, Babe, and Axel, Calf 269.
Some pitfalls to avoid, in my opinion:
• Some people seem to care specifically for the identified victim, like calf 269, rather than realizing they represent other sentient beings with their own stories and backgrounds.
• The identifiable victim effect doesn’t impact everyone equally: individual differences in analytic processing style affect how different request types influence donations. Less-analytic thinkers donate more to a single identified victim than statistical victims or a combination; more-analytic thinkers showed no differences. This seems to be the story of our (analytical) movement. I think the curse of knowledge prevents us from understanding how little others know about biases, like the identified victim effect. We assume everyone is as rational as us and don’t fully grasp the potential of a story about a single individual with a name and face.
What makes a single individual identifiable?
It can range from simply referring to them as the victim to creating a full-length film, and I suspect the film would be more effective (...)
But we don’t always approach it this way. We often use a description that could apply to any cow in the dairy industry, just changing the name: This is Sarah. She produces nearly 11,000 gallons of milk—more than 200,000 cups—during her lifetime. Her calf will be taken away from her within hours of birth.
For fish, it’s even worse—we describe them as masses and focus on the ecological damage, overlooking the animals themselves.
How many words could you use to describe your pet’s personality?
I can describe two of our rabbits:
Judie is promotion-driven. She’s always looking for treats. She’s intelligent and responds to her name. Her favorite snack is cranberries; while eating, she’s always searching for the source of her treats, not just focusing on what’s in front of her. She’s friendly, seeks company, is peaceful, and gets along with others. She’s self-confident and happy.
Gaya is more prevention-driven. She’s shy and looks for hiding spots. She seeks tunnels and security and doesn’t get along with others. Nevertheless, she was the first to learn to play with a ball and get treats. Ball games became her favorite activity after she successfully found treats during her first play. She’s more reserved and trusts her closer circle of friends.
We should be able to provide that description level for any identified victim.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 24 Jul 2024 0:08 UTC
2 points
0 ∶ 2
on: Peter Singer AMA (July 30th)
Hi, thanks so much for being here! Could you please talk me through the rationale for assigning moral value to non-human animals?

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 26 May 2024 11:57 UTC
7 points
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on: Open Phil Should Allocate Most Neartermist Funding to Animal Welfare
This is a masterpiece.
These were the key points for me from the article:
- Unitarianism: the view that the moral value of welfare is independent of a being’s species. Even if we value one unit of human welfare one hundred times more than one unit of another animal’s welfare, the conclusion still supports prioritizing animal welfare
- 1$=200 hens: corporate campaigns can spare over 200 hens from cage confinement for each dollar spent, according to GiveWell.
- 1,000: The average cost-effectiveness of cage-free campaigns is on the order of 1,000 times that of GiveWell’s top charities. Even if the campaigns’ marginal cost-effectiveness is ten times worse than the average, it would still be one hundred times more cost-effective
- 17%: Open Philanthropy has allocated an average of only 17% of its neartermist funding to animal welfare each year
- Controversial: Yes, animal welfare is “controversial,” but so is AI risk, which is one of Open Philanthropy’s priorities.
  
  I would like to add that if you perform an intervention to shift society towards a more plant-based diet, you have solved all of the animal’s problems as opposed to the case in which you prevented malaria, for example, in which some problems for the same individual still remain.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 23 May 2024 15:39 UTC
5 points
1 ∶ 0
on: Seeking suggested readings & videos for a new course on ‘AI and Psychology’
I was recommended Perplexity for looking for course materials.

You can search academic databases, as well as perform broad searches on the web or YouTube.
Provide context like ChatGPT does. For your purpose, mention that you are building a course on artificial intelligence and psychology and give details about it.

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 16 Jan 2024 19:26 UTC
1 point
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in reply to: Seth Ariel Green 🔸’s comment on: Giving Farm Animals a Name and a Face: The Power of The Identifiable Victim Effect
Hi Seth, that’s really interesting!
I noticed you’ve included the default effect in your work. I have some article summaries that might be helpful, especially if you’re still in the process of reviewing additional papers.
In fact, we’re planning to measure actual plant-based choices in our next experiment, so your insights are particularly valuable!

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 22 Apr 2019 19:10 UTC
1 point
0 ∶ 0
on: Should EA collectively leave Facebook?
Thumbs up!
I run 3 Facebook pages but I still use now Stay Focused. Recommended!

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 26 Mar 2019 9:18 UTC
7 points
0 ∶ 0
on: Severe Depression and Effective Altruism
Hi,
I’m a Psychology graduate.
If you or anyone else from Effective Altruism is struggling, please contact me! ♥
I’m not a clinical psychologist (I’m currently a social psychology MA student) but I started up my studies because I love people and want to help them. So at least I can listen (on Skype / Whatsapp).
My Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpnCgs

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 2 Feb 2019 13:47 UTC
2 points
0 ∶ 0
on: You Should Write a Forum Bio
Done. Thanks a lot for your post!

Rakefet Cohen Ben-Arye 🔸 2 Feb 2019 13:45 UTC
0 points
0 ∶ 0
on: What Courses Might Be Most Useful for EAs?
I think it also depends on what you already have and how much you think you can improve.
From Social Psychology I know that personality rarely changes. Skills do.
So if you are an inrovert (which is by the way, the most stable characteristic), not agreeable, not consciouscious (meaning not hard working), not open to experience (uncurious) or neurotic, sadly there is a little to be done about it.
You can improve little “islands” in your personality, like setting clear goals as a leader (I guess), but a lot of soft skills are ranging between obvious to easier said than done.
Is the soft skill too easy for you? Is it too hard? I guess the best fit will be a challenging skill—a bit too hard for you to step out of your comfort zone, but not to be overwhelmed.