Abby Cassario
@abbycassario.bsky.social
Social/personality psych PhD student at MSU interested in attitudes and belief systems. NC native with an affinity for dogs, Carolina Hurricanes hockey, craft beer, coffee, and swimming.
https://abigailcassario.github.io
https://abigailcassario.github.io
Pinned
Abby Cassario
@abbycassario.bsky.social
· May 20
OSF
osf.io
🚨🚨 NEW PRE-PRINT 🚨🚨
Prominent theories in political psychology argue that threat causes increases in conservatism. Early experimental work supported this idea, but many of these studies were (severely) underpowered, and examined only a few threats and ideological DVs. 1/n osf.io/preprints/ps...
Prominent theories in political psychology argue that threat causes increases in conservatism. Early experimental work supported this idea, but many of these studies were (severely) underpowered, and examined only a few threats and ideological DVs. 1/n osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Abby Cassario
very cool opportunity!
🎺 Call for proposals 🎺
1️⃣ replicate an existing experiment
2️⃣ run a novel experiment
on repdata.com
3️⃣ coauthor with Mary McGrath and me to meta-analyze the replications and existing studies
4️⃣ publish your study
details: alexandercoppock.com/replication_...
applications open Feb 1
please repost!
1️⃣ replicate an existing experiment
2️⃣ run a novel experiment
on repdata.com
3️⃣ coauthor with Mary McGrath and me to meta-analyze the replications and existing studies
4️⃣ publish your study
details: alexandercoppock.com/replication_...
applications open Feb 1
please repost!
January 27, 2026 at 10:18 PM
very cool opportunity!
Reposted by Abby Cassario
In academia, class background strongly shapes who advances and who stalls.
January 27, 2026 at 9:48 PM
In academia, class background strongly shapes who advances and who stalls.
Reposted by Abby Cassario
Americans are deeply pessimistic about their economic future, driven by financial anxiety among all but the oldest Americans and by a widespread belief that a middle-class lifestyle is out of reach for most people, a New York Times/Siena poll found. nyti.ms/4bljYk7
Voters See a Middle-Class Lifestyle as Drifting Out of Reach, Poll Finds
Concerns about the affordability of education, housing, health care, having a family and retirement are driving economic anxieties, a New York Times/Siena poll found.
nyti.ms
January 26, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Americans are deeply pessimistic about their economic future, driven by financial anxiety among all but the oldest Americans and by a widespread belief that a middle-class lifestyle is out of reach for most people, a New York Times/Siena poll found. nyti.ms/4bljYk7
Cutting words from a manuscript and skimming recent papers in our target journal for guidance. In the year of our Lord 2026, tons of published experiments still make no mention of manipulation checks whatsoever. That's a... choice.... 😅
January 24, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Cutting words from a manuscript and skimming recent papers in our target journal for guidance. In the year of our Lord 2026, tons of published experiments still make no mention of manipulation checks whatsoever. That's a... choice.... 😅
Reposted by Abby Cassario
Tillis voted not guilty in Trump's impeachment trial for J6, and against the J6 Commission
abc11.com/post/senator...
www.tillis.senate.gov/2021/5/tilli...
abc11.com/post/senator...
www.tillis.senate.gov/2021/5/tilli...
January 6, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Tillis voted not guilty in Trump's impeachment trial for J6, and against the J6 Commission
abc11.com/post/senator...
www.tillis.senate.gov/2021/5/tilli...
abc11.com/post/senator...
www.tillis.senate.gov/2021/5/tilli...
Reposted by Abby Cassario
Glad to see the conversation continues to grow and data speak to the enormous class bias that is built into bans on standardized testing, which end up only exacerbating them more.
x.com/garrytan/sta...
x.com/garrytan/sta...
x.com
December 30, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Glad to see the conversation continues to grow and data speak to the enormous class bias that is built into bans on standardized testing, which end up only exacerbating them more.
x.com/garrytan/sta...
x.com/garrytan/sta...
Reposted by Abby Cassario
For a lot made of young men's gender attitudes, nothing apparent in hostile sexism per the 2024 CES. Much more a party story. And these are likely overestimates since the two items are both agree-disagree and phrased in the same direction.
December 19, 2025 at 11:12 PM
For a lot made of young men's gender attitudes, nothing apparent in hostile sexism per the 2024 CES. Much more a party story. And these are likely overestimates since the two items are both agree-disagree and phrased in the same direction.
Reposted by Abby Cassario
So honored to join the other exceptional social psych scholars in this forthcoming issue of PIBBS!
🧠📊 Our paper examines how insights from social neuroscience can inform better public policy
@fabbs.org
@spspnews.bsky.social
@sansmeeting.bsky.social
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
🧠📊 Our paper examines how insights from social neuroscience can inform better public policy
@fabbs.org
@spspnews.bsky.social
@sansmeeting.bsky.social
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Psychologically Anchored Social Neuroscience Benefits Policy - J.T. Kubota, M. Welte, J. Cloutier, 2025
Social neuroscience, grounded in social psychological theory, provides policy-relevant insights by identifying mechanisms through which social factors influence...
journals.sagepub.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:41 PM
So honored to join the other exceptional social psych scholars in this forthcoming issue of PIBBS!
🧠📊 Our paper examines how insights from social neuroscience can inform better public policy
@fabbs.org
@spspnews.bsky.social
@sansmeeting.bsky.social
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
🧠📊 Our paper examines how insights from social neuroscience can inform better public policy
@fabbs.org
@spspnews.bsky.social
@sansmeeting.bsky.social
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Abby Cassario
UNC’s CSEEES was such a bright part of my time at UNC. It not only supported my research, but also felt like home. Such a loss for UNC, its students, and Eastern European and Eurasian studies in the US.
December 18, 2025 at 1:08 AM
UNC’s CSEEES was such a bright part of my time at UNC. It not only supported my research, but also felt like home. Such a loss for UNC, its students, and Eastern European and Eurasian studies in the US.
Reposted by Abby Cassario
Central attitudes in political belief systems are more resistant to change than peripheral attitudes, but not necessarily less amenable to persuasive attempts: https://osf.io/6a8ue
December 14, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Central attitudes in political belief systems are more resistant to change than peripheral attitudes, but not necessarily less amenable to persuasive attempts: https://osf.io/6a8ue
My brother cleans pools for a number of the Carolina hurricanes. A Scandinavian hockey mom told him America is the “land of opportunity.” True if you’re a once in a generation hockey player. The rest of us might prefer healthcare…
December 8, 2025 at 1:42 AM
My brother cleans pools for a number of the Carolina hurricanes. A Scandinavian hockey mom told him America is the “land of opportunity.” True if you’re a once in a generation hockey player. The rest of us might prefer healthcare…
Reposted by Abby Cassario
Just finished my last class of the semester🎉Reminded of how much I love teaching this academic writing class for grad students. We focus on improving our writing but also reducing anxiety and becoming a more consistent & productive writer
Some of the students favorite writing tips/learnings below:
Some of the students favorite writing tips/learnings below:
December 5, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Just finished my last class of the semester🎉Reminded of how much I love teaching this academic writing class for grad students. We focus on improving our writing but also reducing anxiety and becoming a more consistent & productive writer
Some of the students favorite writing tips/learnings below:
Some of the students favorite writing tips/learnings below:
Didn’t expect Italian Christmas cookies to be served at the conference I’m at but I am absolutely here for it 🇮🇹 🎄
December 5, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Didn’t expect Italian Christmas cookies to be served at the conference I’m at but I am absolutely here for it 🇮🇹 🎄
Reposted by Abby Cassario
Needed - larger samples, more realism about (the lack of) heterogeneous treatment effects:
-"less than a third of proposed hypotheses were supported... the largest predictor of positive exp. results was sample size"
-"moderation hypotheses were rarely significant"
academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...
-"less than a third of proposed hypotheses were supported... the largest predictor of positive exp. results was sample size"
-"moderation hypotheses were rarely significant"
academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...
An Audit of Social Science Survey Experiments
Abstract. Survey experiments have become a popular methodology for causal inference across the social sciences. We study the efficacy of survey experiment
academic.oup.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Needed - larger samples, more realism about (the lack of) heterogeneous treatment effects:
-"less than a third of proposed hypotheses were supported... the largest predictor of positive exp. results was sample size"
-"moderation hypotheses were rarely significant"
academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...
-"less than a third of proposed hypotheses were supported... the largest predictor of positive exp. results was sample size"
-"moderation hypotheses were rarely significant"
academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...
Reposted by Abby Cassario
Come join the Moral Minds Lab as a grad student at MSU! Brand-new lab equipped for child & adult testing, with motivated undergrads in a happy department. 🤩
Learn more: www.moralmindslab.com/join-our-tea...
(P.S. @tedmond.bsky.social is also taking a student!) @msupsychology.bsky.social
Learn more: www.moralmindslab.com/join-our-tea...
(P.S. @tedmond.bsky.social is also taking a student!) @msupsychology.bsky.social
November 20, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Reposted by Abby Cassario
I'm excited to share that I’ll be reviewing PhD applications this cycle for students interested in working with me starting Summer/Fall 2026.
I’m especially looking for applicants excited about research on trust/persuasion, responses to historical harm, addressing inequality, and/or mindsets.
I’m especially looking for applicants excited about research on trust/persuasion, responses to historical harm, addressing inequality, and/or mindsets.
November 20, 2025 at 9:53 PM
I'm excited to share that I’ll be reviewing PhD applications this cycle for students interested in working with me starting Summer/Fall 2026.
I’m especially looking for applicants excited about research on trust/persuasion, responses to historical harm, addressing inequality, and/or mindsets.
I’m especially looking for applicants excited about research on trust/persuasion, responses to historical harm, addressing inequality, and/or mindsets.
Reposted by Abby Cassario
It's hard to express what it meant to watch Maurice, Natalia, Celeste, and Rhea tell their stories—in their own voices—this morning.
The segment revealed a brutal reality: homelessness at this scale isn't about personal failure. It's the result of policy choices and systems built to exploit people.
The segment revealed a brutal reality: homelessness at this scale isn't about personal failure. It's the result of policy choices and systems built to exploit people.
November 16, 2025 at 5:02 PM
It's hard to express what it meant to watch Maurice, Natalia, Celeste, and Rhea tell their stories—in their own voices—this morning.
The segment revealed a brutal reality: homelessness at this scale isn't about personal failure. It's the result of policy choices and systems built to exploit people.
The segment revealed a brutal reality: homelessness at this scale isn't about personal failure. It's the result of policy choices and systems built to exploit people.
Reposted by Abby Cassario
New research explores why openness/intellect stands apart from other personality traits. It turns out this trait may be less universal across cultures and rarely targeted for change.
Read more in #PSPR: ow.ly/UGlJ50XqLqS
Read more in #PSPR: ow.ly/UGlJ50XqLqS
November 13, 2025 at 9:59 PM
New research explores why openness/intellect stands apart from other personality traits. It turns out this trait may be less universal across cultures and rarely targeted for change.
Read more in #PSPR: ow.ly/UGlJ50XqLqS
Read more in #PSPR: ow.ly/UGlJ50XqLqS
Reposted by Abby Cassario
The Moral Psychology Research Group's Online Gathering has a complete schedule of speakers, including Joshua Greene, Meltem Yucel, Paul Bloom, and Linda Skitka!
Nov 7th and 8th sites.google.com/view/mprg/on...
Nov 7th and 8th sites.google.com/view/mprg/on...
MPRG - Online Events
An Online Gathering for Moral Psychology -- Fall 2025*
Friday, November 7th: 4:00pm to 7:00pm (EST)
Saturday, November 8th: 11:00am to 3:15pm (EST)
sites.google.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Reposted by Abby Cassario
Come work with us @msupsychology.bsky.social!
I promise, we don’t match *all* the time @tedmond.bsky.social
I promise, we don’t match *all* the time @tedmond.bsky.social
November 5, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Come work with us @msupsychology.bsky.social!
I promise, we don’t match *all* the time @tedmond.bsky.social
I promise, we don’t match *all* the time @tedmond.bsky.social
Reposted by Abby Cassario
Two great scholars doing work on moral (@drmeltemyucel.bsky.social) & personality (@tedmond.bsky.social) development & change are recruiting PhD students this year @msupsychology.bsky.social!
Your grad office could be across the hall from my office!*
*not necessarily a selling point, just a fact
Your grad office could be across the hall from my office!*
*not necessarily a selling point, just a fact
Come work with us @msupsychology.bsky.social!
I promise, we don’t match *all* the time @tedmond.bsky.social
I promise, we don’t match *all* the time @tedmond.bsky.social
November 5, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Two great scholars doing work on moral (@drmeltemyucel.bsky.social) & personality (@tedmond.bsky.social) development & change are recruiting PhD students this year @msupsychology.bsky.social!
Your grad office could be across the hall from my office!*
*not necessarily a selling point, just a fact
Your grad office could be across the hall from my office!*
*not necessarily a selling point, just a fact
Reposted by Abby Cassario
The welfare state is about dignity, equality, and making people not poor, but as @itsafronomics.bsky.social says/cites here, it’s often also an investment that more than pays for itself
Why should you 🫵🏿 care about SNAP? SNAP recipients saw:
- Improved life expectancy
- Lower chance of incarceration
- Lowers chance of poverty
- Lived in better neighborhoods
- Higher human capital
SNAP keeps our neighbors fed, communities safer, and kids educated. Also people are HUNGRY. DUH!
- Improved life expectancy
- Lower chance of incarceration
- Lowers chance of poverty
- Lived in better neighborhoods
- Higher human capital
SNAP keeps our neighbors fed, communities safer, and kids educated. Also people are HUNGRY. DUH!
November 2, 2025 at 3:58 PM
The welfare state is about dignity, equality, and making people not poor, but as @itsafronomics.bsky.social says/cites here, it’s often also an investment that more than pays for itself
Reposted by Abby Cassario
New data, data nerds!
ANES Data Release! electionstudies.org/data-center/...
The 3-wave ANES panel is now available. It merges data from 3 election studies (2016-2020-2024), the first time the ANES has collected interviews of the same respondents across 3 presidential elections.
The 3-wave ANES panel is now available. It merges data from 3 election studies (2016-2020-2024), the first time the ANES has collected interviews of the same respondents across 3 presidential elections.
2016-2020-2024-panel-merged-study - ANES | American National Election Studies
electionstudies.org
November 1, 2025 at 9:07 PM
New data, data nerds!
Reposted by Abby Cassario
At a time when it’s impossible to take research funding for granted, @ncaluori.bsky.social, Cindel White, and I are humbled to receive support from the @templetonfdn.bsky.social to fund 3 years of cross-cultural research aimed at understanding how people decide who counts as their religious ingroup.
October 23, 2025 at 6:42 PM
At a time when it’s impossible to take research funding for granted, @ncaluori.bsky.social, Cindel White, and I are humbled to receive support from the @templetonfdn.bsky.social to fund 3 years of cross-cultural research aimed at understanding how people decide who counts as their religious ingroup.
Big shoutout to MSU's email spam filter for blocking emails from my external collaborators, but not actual spam from MDPI journals I get at 2am every night...
October 23, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Big shoutout to MSU's email spam filter for blocking emails from my external collaborators, but not actual spam from MDPI journals I get at 2am every night...