Think First, AI Second: Why Human Judgment Still Matters in Psychology

In this episode of Beyond the Couch, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. John Gavazzi, board-certified clinical psychologist, ethics educator, and former President of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, to explore how psychologists can responsibly integrate artificial intelligence into clinical practice without compromising professional judgment or quality of care. 

Drawing decades of experience in ethics, mental health law, and clinical decision-making, Dr. Gavazzi explains why AI should enhance, not replace, the thinking process of psychologists. He introduces the concept of "Think First, AI Second," arguing that clinicians must remain the originators of thought, using AI only after applying their own expertise and clinical reasoning. 

The conversation explores the growing use of AI by both clinicians and clients, examining why people are turning to AI for emotional support, how psychologists can adapt when clients bring ChatGPT into therapy, and what must be preserved as AI becomes increasingly embedded in mental health care. Dr. Gavazzi also discusses cognitive offloading, automation bias, ethical accountability, AI literacy, and practical ways clinicians can redesign their workflows while maintaining professional competence. 

Ultimately, this episode reinforces that while AI is becoming an invaluable tool for psychology, human connection, ethical responsibility, and clinical judgment remain irreplaceable. 

Takeaways 

-Psychologists Should Think First and Use AI Second. 

-AI Can Support Clinical Work, But It Cannot Replace Human Judgment. 

-Cognitive Offloading Can Weaken Clinical Skills Over Time. 

-AI's Fluency Should Never Be Mistaken for Accuracy. 

-Clients Are Already Bringing AI Into Therapy Sessions. 

On the Origins of Diversity in Social Behavior

Young, L.J. & Zhang, Q.

Japanese Journal of Animal Psychology

2021.

Abstract

Here we discuss the origins of diversity in social behavior by highlighting research using the socially monogamous prairie vole. Prairie voles display a rich social behavioral repertoire involving pair bonding and consoling behavior that are not observed in typical laboratory species. Oxytocin and vasopressin play critical roles in regulating pair bonding and consoling behavior. Oxytocin and vasopressin receptors show remarkable diversity in expression patterns both between and within species. Receptor expression patterns are associated with species differences in social behaviors. Variations in receptor genes have been linked to individual variation in expression patterns. We propose that "evolvability" in the oxytocin and vasopressin receptor genes allows for the repurposing of ancient maternal and territorial circuits to give rise to novel social behaviors such as pair bonding, consoling and selective aggression. We further propose that the evolvability of these receptor genes is due to their transcriptional sensitivity to genomic variation. This model provides a foundation for investigating the molecular mechanisms giving rise to the remarkable diversity in social behaviors found in vertebrates.

While this hypothesis remains to be tested, we believe this transcriptional flexibility is key to the origin of diversity in social behavior, and enables rapid social behavioral adaptation through natural selection, and

contributes to the remarkable diversity in social and reproductive behaviors in the animal kingdom.

A pdf is here.