Kwon et al. (2018): Hypothetical reaction on discovery of microbial ETL tends to be positive Bains & Petowski (2021): Astrobiologist adjust probability assessment of ETL but not in a baysian way Routledge et al. (2017): Paranormal belief in ET satisfy the search for meaning Niklas A. Döbler and Claus-Christian Carbon University of Bamberg, Departement of General Psychology and Methodology Exopsychology and the human perspective on the extraterrestrial (mind) Contact: Niklas A. Döbler: niklas.doebler@uni-bamberg.de - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7935-727X Exopsychology How do extraterrestrials think? Theoretically investigating cognition, behavior, affects, and motives of extraterrestrial agents How do we think extraterrestrials? Empirical focus on human beliefs, attitudes, and representations Exopsychology rejects the notion of intelligence due to the concept‘s inadmissible anthropocentric normativity. Yet, it acknowledges the importance of it when thinking and talking SETI and extraterrestrials Employs admissible over inadmissible anthropocentricism to generalize our condition to the stars but trades definitional acuity for applicability Extraterrestrial intelligence Extraterrestrials seen as: Methods N=75 persons (50F, 24M, 1 NA, MAge = 28.27) rated 54 pictures of cinematic depictions of ETs on different scales (1-5) Prediction of trustworthiness as central outcome Prior µ = 0, SD = 1 Findings Psychological similarity is more important than physical human-likeness Liking as strong positive, aggressiveness as strong negative predictor Intelligence plays subordinate role Limitations Comparability between images Missing values due to decision not to answer (M = 5.30%, SD = 0.54) High-cognitive Cognition as basic mental processes to organize, employ and utilize knowledge Continuum, inherent to every instance of life „Higher“ cognition: Thinking about thinking Meta-cognitive execution of behavioral and mental protocols and monitoring the outcomes Agents „Behavior governed by thought“[2] Purposefully interact and engage with the environment Download Döbler & Raab (2021): „Thinking ET – A discussion of exopsychology“[1] Implications  SETI is first and foremost looking for higher cognition and agency – not plain intelligence  Responsible for any technosignature, extraterrestrials must utilize their knowledge to purposefully adapt the environment to their demands  Success of any first contact requires reciprocal psychological compatibility Mere engagement is not enough. Necessary skills and abilities, depending on socio-material and individual characteristics to exploit multiple relevant affordances must be present to engage with space research Organisms respond to relevant affordances to improve their grip on the situation and reduce an internal disequilibrium[3] Open questions: Which environmental and individual features bring forth relevant affordances for technology and space research? How can METI create a relevant affordance and evoke action readiness to respond? Which quality has the internal disequilibrium? Think about yourself: Why are you interested in space and its inhabitants? What do you need to pursue your research? One small step further Depending on physical attributes, abilities, and social- material environment of ET, a planet affords actions ET picks up affordances and creates behavioral outcomes detectable by SETI  Planet may afford requirements for technologization, but ET does not have relevant skills and abilities or affordances lack relevance  Planet does not afford actions necessary for space research Further research on how we think about ET Information from space exploration and SETI efforts. Edited to be understandable Hypothetical prevalence of extraterrestrial with overwhelmingly unknown characteristics. Information about our existence as cognitive agents in the universe Accessible information, limited by our physical position in the universe and technological and scientific