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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU

@centerconflictcooperation.com
53 followers 9 following 40 posts

We conduct cutting-edge research to understand what divides and what unites us. Website: www.centerconflictcooperation.com

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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 23/09/2026
Brain activity let researchers predict which pairs of strangers would feel connected about 67% of the time. Matt Lieberman explores what this reveals about friendship, compatibility, and finding people who click. www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/most-peopl...
powerofusnewsletter.com
Can We Predict Who Will Become Friends?
Brain synchrony, social chemistry, and a new approach to finding connection.
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 17/09/2026
In 1955, 18% of social-science papers were written by teams; by 2000, that figure was 52%. Our new post draws on big-team science to outline four principles for building inclusive, motivated, effective teams: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/the-scienc...
powerofusnewsletter.com
The Science of Making Teams Work
Four principles for building inclusive, motivated, and effective teams.
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 17/09/2026
What makes people cooperate with strangers—or turn against one another? In this plenary from Mind & Life SRI, Dr. Jay Van Bavel explores how identity and digital environments shape conflict and cooperation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFfM...
youtube.com
How Identity and Technology Shape Conflict and Cooperation (Dr. Jay Van Bavel)
Identity drives much of human behavior, fueling both cooperation an...
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 17/09/2026
What draws people into cults—and keeps them there? Watch our short, “Why people join and stay in cults”:
youtube.com
Why people join and stay in cults #cultpsychology
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 31/08/2026
The Power of Us is currently #1 Best Seller in Cognitive Neuroscience & Cognitive Neuropsychology on Amazon! Get it as an e-book today for only $2.99 📖
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Why does everyone seem so mean lately? I joined @oprah to talk about the rise of incivility. The main lesson: humans haven’t suddenly become worse. But the social environment has. The good news: we can change the norms. I listed the key lessons here: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/restoring-...
powerofusnewsletter.com
Restoring Civility in a Mean World: Lessons from our Interview with Oprah
Jay and Oprah discuss why incivility spreads—and how bystanders, leaders, and coworkers can stop it.
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 23/07/2026
What happens when AI always agrees with you? Dr. Jay Van Bavel explains how sycophantic chatbots can intensify beliefs and inflate confidence in “Sycophantic AI Increases Attitude Extremity and Overconfidence.” Watch the presentation + Q&A: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL4u...
youtube.com
Presentation + Q&A: Sycophantic AI Increases Attitude Extremity and Overconfidence
Dr. Jay Van Bavel explains how interacting with overly-affirming, o...
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 25/06/2026
Social media spreads ideas quickly — but we need context to understand them. The updated Power of Us syllabus offers a FREE way to dive deeper into the psychology of social identity and how it shapes our lives. You can explore it below for yourself or your students 👇
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
The cuts to science in the US are decimating the talent pipeline and leading to a brain drain. A survey of biomedical scientists found that only half now say they are likely to remain in academia, down 22 percentage points from how they felt 6 months earlier.
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Moral grandstanding (using moral & political discourse to gain social status) is associated with stronger affective polarization due to dichotomous thinking--seeing complex political issues in black-and-white terms. osf.io/preprints/ps... Moral grandstanding was also linked to civic engagement.
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 04/06/2026
Even after witnessing some of the worst atrocities in human history, Ervin Staub still believes in people's capacity for good. You can read about his remarkable life in this week's Power of US newsletter: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/the-roots-...
powerofusnewsletter.com
The Roots of Goodness
Ervin Staub survived the Holocaust—and spent a lifetime studying how kindness can take hold.
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Is AI created personalized echo chambers? I gave a talk today at the fantatistic NHH Norwegian School of Economics on a major limitation of AI. My talk was called "Inside AI Echo Chambers: How Sycophantic AI Increases Extremism and Overconfidence." Here is our paper: osf.io/preprints/ps...
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 27/05/2026
You might be taking away the wrong lessons from the world's most famous psychology experiments. You can read the latest Power of Us newsletter below: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/debunking-...
powerofusnewsletter.com
Debunking the Five Biggest Myths in Social Psychology
Adding context to the most popular myths in social psychology
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
People prefer to use “sycophantic” AI systems that reinforce their pre-existing beliefs. In a new paper (n=7,227), we found that people enjoyed interacting with sycophantic AI chatbots more than interacting with neutral chatbots or “disagreeable” chatbots that challenged their beliefs.
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Steve Rathje @steverathje.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
🚨 New preprint 🚨 Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions. Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased! osf.io/preprints/ps... Thread 🧵
Abstract and results summary
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 12/05/2026
What is more important, limiting the spread of misinformation or protecting free speech? In our new pre-print, we asked people across the globe what they thought. You can read the pre-print below: osf.io/preprints/ps...
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
We found that the preference for allowing freedom of expression vs. limiting the spread of misinformation is politically polarized: In 32 out of 40 countries, right-leaning participants prioritize protecting free expression more than left-leaning participants (55% vs. 48%). osf.io/preprints/ps...
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 27/04/2026
“Their level of polarization dropped by about a quarter after one month.” Listen to @jayvanbavel.bsky.social talk tribalism, AI, politics, and the future of relationships with @allisonhare.bsky.social on the Culture Changers Podcast. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-upT...
youtube.com
You're Being Programmed: Why You See a Different Reality Than Everyone Else with Dr. Jay Van Bavel
YouTube video by Culture Changers Podcast
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 25/04/2026
A new global study (n = 46,745) shows that open-mindedness, or one's willingness to consider new information, is a powerful predictor of adherence to public health directives, support for public health policies, and lower endorsement of conspiracy theories.
cambridge.org
Open-mindedness predicts support for public health measures and disbelief in conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic across 68 countries | Judgment and Decision Making | Cambridge Core
Open-mindedness predicts support for public health measures and disbelief in conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic across 68 countries - Volume 21
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 02/04/2026
Check out @stefanleach.bsky.social's thread on this great new preprint!
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Stefan Leach @stefanleach.bsky.social · 28/05/2024
📚Preprint📚 /w Jan Nikadon, Chiara Zazzarino, Magda Formanowicz, Aleksandra Cislak, @jayvanbavel.bsky.social, Michal Kosinski, @alekscichocka.bsky.social We analysed politicians' X posts to test the links between national identity rhetoric and political success! osf.io/preprints/ps... 🧵 1/7
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 01/04/2026
Last week, we curated an audience of over 150 experts—ranging from academics, journalists, and tech—to join us for a special screening of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (in theaters now!). Check out our newsletter reflecting on the doc: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/reflection...
powerofusnewsletter.com
Reflections on The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist
Why the Biggest Challenges of AI Technology are Human.
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 22/10/2025
@steverathje.bsky.social and @jayvanbavel.bsky.social's recent review article, “The Psychology of Virality” is on the front cover of this month’s issue of Trends in Cognitive Sciences! 📚 Read the the article here: lnkd.in/eGgPMWqA 📝 And the pre-print here: lnkd.in/ej7-Ma8V
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 06/10/2025
Would you notice if Gemini or ChatGPT was just flattering you? Read @steverathje.bsky.social's new preprint to learn about how people actually feel towards overly agreeable chatbots. OSF: osf.io/preprints/ps... (summary in thread below!)
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 25/09/2025
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 23/09/2025
Can reading a book make you a better person?📚💭 People who receive weekly book excerpts & podcasts (instead of guided meditations) show greater reductions in aggression & larger growth in love, positive attitudes, and altruism. Read our newsletter here: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/can-readin...
powerofusnewsletter.com
Can reading a book make you a better person?
Issue 178: Research from our lab investigates if reading non-fiction books can make us more prosocial and less polarized.
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 23/09/2025
From the rise of vaccine hesitancy to the success of smoking cessation programs, identity plays a critical role in public health. Read the full paper here: osf.io/preprints/ps... It was led by @rmpillai.bsky.social @LauraGlobig @steverathje.bsky.social @AnniSternisko and @remi-theriault.com
osf.io
OSF
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 13/08/2025
What do we mean when we say something "goes viral?" Is information a virus?
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Rémi Thériault @remi-theriault.com · 10/08/2025
Excited to share that our manifesto for a more globally diverse, equitable, and inclusive open science, led by @sakshighai.bsky.social was selected for a Commendation Award from the Society for @improvingpsych.org ! You can read the open-access paper here: doi.org/10.1038/s442...
doi.org
A manifesto for a globally diverse, equitable, and inclusive open science - Communications Psychology
Psychology must embrace more responsible practices in design, reporting, generalisation, and evaluation of research to counteract the spectre of Questionable Generalisability Practices and the issue o...
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 08/07/2025
Climate change is one of the most pressing crises looming over humanity. But what are the best predictors of climate-friendly beliefs, and how do they compare across countries? In our latest paper, we use machine learning to explore this question across 55 countries. Read below:
nature.com
Machine learning identifies key individual and nation-level factors predicting climate-relevant beliefs and behaviors - npj Climate Action
npj Climate Action - Machine learning identifies key individual and nation-level factors predicting climate-relevant beliefs and behaviors
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 03/07/2025
The 4th of July is among America’s most celebrated holidays, where Americans launch fireworks and fire up the grill to celebrate their national pride. We unpack healthy and harmful forms of national identity, and how they can shape the world. Read below: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/healthy-vs...
powerofusnewsletter.com
Healthy vs Harmful National Identities
Issue 171: This July 4th, we explore different forms of national identity and how they shape democracy, solidarity, and collective responsibility in profoundly different ways.
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 01/07/2025
WE’RE MOVING (OUR NEWSLETTER)! Our Center and The Power of Us are merging newsletters. Follow “The Power of Us | In collaboration with the Center for Conflict & Cooperation” to learn about the science of belonging, conflict, and cooperation in the digital age. Link: www.powerofusnewsletter.com
powerofusnewsletter.com
The Power of Us | Dominic Packer & Jay Van Bavel | Substack
Our newsletter is designed to help people get smarter about groups and make groups smarter. Each week, we share science and the stories of social identity, group dynamics, and collective behavior in o...
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 24/06/2025
As (Natural Language Processing (NLP) becomes a popular analysis technique in the behavioral sciences, it is important to use it wisely. We published a paper in Nature that includes a practical how-to guide You can find the guide in one of our recent newsletters. Link below:
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 20/06/2025
As political conversations move from the kitchen table to social media, we are seeing more intergroup conflict, shaming, and hate speech. Why does moral-emotional content amplify engagement and conflict, and what’s the role of social identity? Read more in our newsletter below:
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 11/06/2025
We recently traveled to Italy where we hosted two conferences at NYU Florence. We gathered with a diverse group of experts, including lab alumni, to reflect on conflict, cooperation, and democracy. Many thanks to @theihs.org NYU Global for sponsoring this event! #IHSFunded
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 09/05/2025
Over thousands of years, evolution has left us with brains that are highly attuned to potential threats in our environment. Alas, our brains occasionally mistake something harmless for a real threat - especially on social media. Read our latest newsletter: jayvanbavellab.substack.com/p/changing-t...
jayvanbavellab.substack.com
Changing the incentive structure of social media to reduce threat and negativity
Our evolutionary instincts are wired to detect threat and social media often exploits these instincts
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Center for Conflict and Cooperation at NYU @centerconflictcooperation.com · 22/04/2025
We’re hiring a full-time Lab Manager to join our team at NYU studying the psychology of intergroup conflict and cooperation. This is an ideal pre-doctoral position for those interested in pursuing a PhD in psychology or related fields. Start date: July/August 2025. Apply: apply.interfolio.com/166620
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Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
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