Behavior
What Motivates COVID Rule Breakers?
The answer turns out to be complicated
Behavior4245 articles archived since 1845
Policy
Undocumented Immigrants Are Half as Likely to Be Arrested for Violent Crimes as U.S.-Born Citizens
Some of the most solid evidence to date shows that President Trump’s cornerstone immigration policy was built on a wholly false premise
Behavior
The Secret Sauce in Opinion Polling Can Also Be a Source of Spoilage
Even a small departure from randomness in your sample can skew the results
Behavior
Conflicts of Interest and COVID
Financial incentives can be a factor in pandemic policy decisions—albeit frequently at a subconscious and unintentional level
Behavior
The U.S. Has Embraced Immigrant Tech Entrepreneurs—Now It’s Europe's Turn
Things are finally changing in the E.U., but there’s still a long way to go
Behavior
Does Failure Make Victory Seem Sweeter?
Researchers investigate the “sour-grape effect”
Behavior
The Psychology of Giving Thanks
As we all sit down tonight to feast on turkey and pumpkin pie, many of us will be going around the table giving thanks for our everyday sources of gratitude, like friendships, relationships, and good health...
Behavior
Are Toxic Political Conversations Changing How We Feel about Objective Truth?
As political polarization grows, the arguments we have with one another may be shifting our understanding of truth itself
Behavior
The Search for Social Identity Leads to ‘Us’ versus ‘Them’
Uncertainty in the world threatens our sense of self. To cope, people embrace populism
Behavior
Scientists Are Becoming More Politically Engaged
Here’s what that means beyond the 2020 elections
Behavior
How Misinformation Spreads—and Why We Trust It
The most effective misinformation starts with seeds of truth
Behavior
Why Social Media Became the Perfect Incubator for Hoaxes and Misinformation
Data scientists are studying how information spreading online influences our social dynamics and what, if anything, can be done to smooth polarization
Behavior
Scale Up Tutoring to Combat COVID Learning Loss for Disadvantaged Students
Studies show impressive gains after even online tutoring
Behavior
People Drawn to Conspiracy Theories Share a Cluster of Psychological Features
Baseless theories threaten our safety and democracy. It turns out that specific emotions make people prone to such thinking
Behavior
Distrust Authorities, Including Me
The presidential election and pandemic have highlighted the fallibility of experts, but that doesn’t mean we should dismiss them all
Behavior
Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media Knows It
Understanding how algorithm manipulators exploit our cognitive vulnerabilities empowers us to fight back
Public Health
Dating during the Pandemic: Can You Trust an ‘Antibody Positive’ Claim?
Testing positive for COVID antibodies is not a pass to date freely
Behavior
Why Polls Were Mostly Wrong
Princeton’s Sam Wang had to eat his words (and a cricket) in 2016. He talks about the impacts of the pandemic and QAnon on public-opinion tallies in 2020
Behavior
What Conversations with Voters Taught Me about Science Communication
Even during a bitter election season, persuasive conversations were not only possible but surprisingly attainable
Behavior
There’s No Good Evidence That Psychedelics Can Change Your Politics or Religion
The balance of data don’t support the idea, and claims otherwise could lead to alarmism
