iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 12h

Partisans have wildly inaccurate perceptions of outgroup members. But a 10 minute conversation with a “outgroup” chatbot can correct these false beliefs and reduce partisan hostility. We summarize 7 new intergroup studies in our latest newsletter www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/september-...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Most people oppose ant-democratic practices, but a fair number of people are neutral about them. New research (N > 48,000) finds that neutrality is a threat to democracy--this large segment of the public tolerates anti-democratic elites www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Helping others is a universal behavior that is subtly shaped by local norms A study of 4-9 yr old kids (N = 336) helping in 6 diverse populations finds that children reliably helped their peers in all cultures (with some types of helping higher in urban settings). www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yes, the Trump admin is shredding science funding. It's a catastrophe for social and behavioral science.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I just learned that Threads has approximately 141.5 million to 150 million daily active users, X has around 125 million daily mobile users (with total daily active users estimated higher), and Bluesky has roughly 1.5 million to 3.5 million daily active users What happened to Bluesky?

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

This is a disaster Funding from the National Science Foundation's directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) has dropped by 90%. This is doing massive damage to crucially important scientific fields and is going to ruin many young scientific careers in these fields.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Liberals & conservatives behave differently--conservatives are out with others while liberals stay home and doomscroll Conservatives were at parties, noisy places, frats & religious activities. Liberals were at home, resting, doing chores, & browsing social media. psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...

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Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD

ProPublica @propublica.org · 06/10/2026

The government *still* isn’t tracking how often immigration agents detain U.S. citizens. We are. 500+ Americans have been handcuffed, held at gunpoint or held against their will in Trump’s second term. Our tally is almost certainly an undercount. THREAD (content warning: violence) ⬇️

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Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD

julia kamin @juliakamin.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

A few field experiments test how feed algorithms can improve social outcomes like partisan animosity - but this is the first I've seen showing that healthier feeds can also improve individual wellbeing. Young women in 3 conditions showed improved body image: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD

Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The most common outcome of a report to Title IX is that nothing happens. That’s by design. According to school policies (and now, Trump’s 2020 federal regulation), a report is just a way for schools to receive information about violence. It does not require any action from the school.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Most social media research has failed policy-makers Research on social media use and adolescent mental health has shown mixed results, and has often yielded no evidence of a strong relationship. But such studies have largely ignored the social cost of not belonging. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Social cohesion is key to the well-being of society but is increasingly weakened by fragmentation & polarization A study in India (n=8,648) finds that identification with all humanity helps people broaden inclusion, reduce discrimination, and bolster civic attitudes www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

My daughter (age 14) tells me about this. When her friends go for lunch, many of them are just on their phones the entire time and it's even socially alienating when they are out in a group. They've had to make a no phone policy so they actually connect even when they are together.

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Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD

Society for Personality and Social Psychology @spspnews.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Writing a gratitude list is a well-studied tool for boosting well-being, but can the topics that you focus on influence the effectiveness of the exercise? New #PSPB research finds that writing about family or nature is linked to greater positivity. 📚: ow.ly/YOhJ50ZUtxz

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Flights have become much more accessible for people and global travel went from extremely exclusive to very mainstream. So some things have changed in positive directions for sure (notwithstanding the negative impact on the climate of all the extra travel).

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I think a big chunk of this is due to COVID.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I'll be giving a talk at @PopTech in DC this week on "Rage bait: are a few ruining the Internet for the rest of us?" If you'll be there, let's connect. Here's an article on my talk: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j... To register for PopTech: civil.poptech.org?sourceid=108...

theguardian.com

Are a few people ruining the internet for the rest of us?

Why does the online world seem so toxic compared with normal life? Our research shows that a small number of divisive accounts could be responsible – and offers a way out

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Life has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. We all use the internet far more, and are far less likely to read books, host friends, attend parties, play cards, attend classes, join clubs, go to picnics, and stay late to work. www.derekthompson.org/p/the-death-...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

"Americans are more likely to have placed a bet than to have read a book in the past year" Online sports betting increases the likelihood of bankruptcy and cientists view gambling addiction as a public health issue, linked to anxiety, depression & suicidal ideation www.npr.org/2026/10/02/n...

npr.org

After bankruptcy, he was banned from sports betting sites. Then he discovered Kalshi

The dark side of the prediction market boom is becoming more clear: Experts say the sites have become go-to outlets for gambling addicts to relapse as the companies avoid state consumer protections.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

People dehumanize AI users People denied humanness to AI advice seekers vs human advice seekers. This is because people perceived less similarity between themselves and AI advice seekers. In turn, they were less likely to provide support to AI users. psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...

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Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD

Lisa Fazio @lkfazio.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Devistating. And against Congress's directive. SBE was included in the 26 budget and the NSF section states that "no directorate shall receive more than a 5 percent reduction relative to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level."

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Will A.I. Make Your Brain Lazy? When people become accustomed to skipping the productive struggle of analytical tasks by using AI, they give up on hard questions that they could otherwise figure out. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Happiness is plummeting, especially among young people. When I see demoralizing data like this over and over again (e.g., test scores dropping, loneliness on the rise, etc), I just think we need to change course. Defending the status quo seems like such a bad option.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Higher education is facing a serious crisis. Enrollment is starting to crater. The public has lost faith in the value of our institution. Business as usual is not an option.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Exactly--this is the cultural problem at that frat (and on many campuses, in general). None of those bystanders will receive any punishment, but they are all implicated by doing nothing when something terrible was clearly happening.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The Cornell case reveals a serious problem with social norms & institutions: 1) When people refuse to intervene when harassment or an assault is happening, that is a failure of norms 2) When universities fail to take action, this is a problem with our institutions www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

Cornell case spotlights 'confusing' web of systems for reporting campus assaults

Victims often have to navigate both university and local law enforcement processes to find justice.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

They fit the mold of a richer, western country with strong democratic institutions and individual rights.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Support for meritocracy (accept performance-based inequality, reject luck-based inequality) is common in countries that are richer, equal, individualistic, with weaker kinship ties and democratic institutions Other countries prefer egalitarian or libertarian fairness www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

AI bots are flooding researchers with requests for money and time AI agents are spamming researchers with emails wanting to collaborate or offering services for money I'm getting these emails and they make it less likely that I will respond to real people www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.com

AI bots are flooding researchers with requests for money and time

Many scientists use artificial intelligence in their work, but agents are increasingly soliciting researchers for collaborations.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

For all the hand-wringing about the effects of technology on kids, the impacts may be just as corrosive on their grandparents Most reading has been done by older Americans. In 2003, older Americans read 58 minutes/day. By last year, that had fallen to 32 minutes/day www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | Is This What a Post-Literate Era Looks Like?

It’s not the children who stopped reading. It’s their grandparents.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Words change behavior more than we think People cooperate more when a game is called the “Community Game” than when it is called the “Wall Street Game” Language changes the emotions & social norms we associate with it—and therefore what we choose to do. www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/shaping-be...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Cambridge University is hiring a Professor who combines behavioural science & sustainability research (eg psychology, social neuroscience, behavioural economics, consumer behaviour, political science, policy studies, and environmental social sciences). www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/hatton-...

cam.ac.uk

Hatton Professorship of Sustainability

The Board of Electors to the Hatton Professorship of Sustainability invite applications for this Professorship from persons whose work falls within the general field of the Professorship (combining be...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

People who trust and cooperate with ingroup members are very likely to trust and cooperate with outgroup members This general prosocial trust exists in every country, but it is strongest in the Netherlands and weakest in Pakistan. It was also very high in the US www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Netflix's new reality show based on the Stanford prison experiment is being met with controversy. The experiment had to be abandoned because of the harm it was causing participants. I spoke to CBC about the ethical problems & psychological lessons from Experiment: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The majority (63%) of citizens trust scientists. Only 5% distrust scientists. There is less trust for politicized topics (climate science) and of government or business scientists It's critical to support science at universities, where people trust the results www.nature.com/articles/d41...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Here are 30 Ideas for Fixing U.S. Schools, Ranked by 3 dozen Experts Two ideas surfaced as most effective: small group tutoring and the science of reading The worst value was Vouchers and smaller class sizes Going lower tech was also worth a try www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

nytimes.com

30 Ideas for Fixing U.S. Schools, Ranked by Experts

Math and reading scores are in a decade-long slump. We asked three dozen experts: What could turn things around?

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Intergroup contact is recognized for its positive effects on intergroup relations. A new paper finds that one of the best predictors of intergroup contact is when people perceive that their community values intergroup contact (ie pro-contact community norms) journals.sagepub.com/eprint/7V473...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Conspiracy Believers Are 91% Likely To Hold Incoherent Beliefs Can one believe Princess Di was murdered by and faked her own death? Both can’t be true. A new study N~9,000 finds that holding 2 incompatible ideas at once isn’t a quirk, it’s practically the rule. studyfinds.com/conspiracy-b...

studyfinds.com

Conspiracy Believers Are 91% Likely To Hold Incoherent Beliefs, Study Finds

A new study finds people at the extreme end of conspiracy thinking have a 91% predicted chance of holding incompatible beliefs.

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Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD

In Otter News @in-otter-news.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

After a long day at the aquarium, the otters help tidy their toys away. Payment is made promptly and entirely in ice cubes.

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Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD

The Upshot @upshot.nytimes.com · 27/09/2026

Our polling average today: 60 percent disapproval ties Trump's high. 37 percent approval ties Trump's low. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The latest academic scam is appointing scholars to fake societies then charging people money to join them. I get scams about fake conferences, predatory journals, phony consulting gigs, fictitious book clubs, vanity magazines, illusory media requests, etc www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.com

Exclusive: Sham scientific societies are misleading star researchers

A Nature investigation reveals a network of organizations that have been building their ranks through deceptive practices.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The average person scrolls through 300 feet of newsfeed a day and will spend 5.5 years of their life scrolling on social media I recently discuss why engagement algorithms often reward our worst instincts and what we can do about it. You can watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-lt...

youtube.com

Why We Get Each Other So Wrong with Dr. Jay Van Bavel

YouTube video by Global Compassion Coalition

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Online toxicity silences the majority and fuels power users On social media, extreme or hostile content often gains the most visibility. This creates a spiral of silence among most users But polite and constructive environments encourage silent readers to share www.psypost.org/how-online-t...,

psypost.org

How online toxicity silences the majority and fuels power users

A recent field experiment on Reddit reveals why a vocal minority dominates online political discussions, finding that toxic environments silence the majority while fueling the most active users.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

This professor "wrote" over 200 academic papers and 14 books in one year. This is ridiculous. Most people don't even have time to read this many papers and books carefully in a year, let alone write and edit it. This feels like peak AI slop. I'm curious what other people think about this?

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The only group that people won't help are politicians.

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

These are traditionally the skills students developed in higher education. I loved college because it challenged me, sparked debate, and required me to grapple with complexity. This should be an essential part of college--inside and outside the classrooms www.chronicle.com/article/comp...

chronicle.com

Companies Are Skeptical of New Graduates. Cornell Has Ideas to Fix That.

Colleges need to start teaching soft skills, or students will keep falling short in the workplace, argues a Cornell report on “the future of the American university.”

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Cornell produced new report on higher education noting that companies have a “jarring” skepticism of higher ed thanks to a new generation of degree holders who lack key skills like handling uncertainty, compromising, and absorbing feedback. Faculty also report that students lack these skills.

chronicle.com

Companies Are Skeptical of New Graduates. Cornell Has Ideas to Fix That.

Colleges need to start teaching soft skills, or students will keep falling short in the workplace, argues a Cornell report on “the future of the American university.”

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The biggest predictor of pro-sociality was market integration (e.g., economic growth, labor force participation, etc). It forces people to interact with strangers thus supporting the extension of prosocial behavior beyond close-knit circles to include outgroup members. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.org

Market integration accounts for local variation in generalized altruism in a nationwide lost-letter experiment | PNAS

What explains variation in levels of prosocial behavior across communities? And are members of the ingroup and outgroup treated differently? Accord...

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

People are more pro-social than we think An experiment in which 5,980 lost letters were dispersed in communities found that return rates for ingroup (Italian) & outgroup (foreign) recipients were the same Places that returned more letters to ingroup members also returned more to outgroup members

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