David Pietraszewski
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dpietra.bsky.social
David Pietraszewski
@dpietra.bsky.social
420 followers 99 following 17 posts
Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at University of California, Santa Barbara. Previously Research Scientist at Max Planck for Human Development in Berlin, Germany.
Posts Replies Media Videos
dpietra.bsky.social
The tautology of “you don’t need specialization, just a bigger brain” is being called out: “accounts of brain size tend to be post hoc adaptationist accounts that try to relate the increase in brain size…to the evolution of certain cultural practices thought to necessitate…brain expansion…” 🔥🔥🔥
edhagen.net Ed Hagen @edhagen.net · 1d
A much-needed critique of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) as applied to human evolution, by @evoroseman.bsky.social and Ben Auerbach (2026).

Evolving a Field: Can Evolutionary Theory Provide What the Study of Human Evolution Requires? 🧪 #BioAnth
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
ABSTRACT The extended evolutionary synthesis (EES) is a school of thought that maintains that genetic determination and natural selection are over-emphasized in the study of evolution at the expense of non-genetic inheritance and processes of evolution beyond selection. Its proponents call for the de-emphasis of genetics and the adoption of a broader model of inheritance that includes cultural and epigenetic transgenerational effects and strong adaptive phenotypic plasticity. Presenting itself as a radical alternative to what it claims is a rigid and ossified theoretical orthodoxy, the EES has lately gained considerable traction among scholars of human evolution, and a distinct sub-branch of the EES unique to the biological anthropological study of human evolution has emerged (the EES in human evolution). To date, however, no direct comparison between the EES in human evolution and other contemporary evolutionary approaches has been attempted to evaluate whether the EES in human evolution affords researchers an edge in articulating good questions and structuring research programs to answer them. After reviewing the landscape of evolutionary theory, we evaluate whether the EES in human evolution is capable of delivering the processually pluralistic vision of evolution it has long promised and whether it brings something that the decades-long ongoing synthesis (OS) of evolutionary theory since the modern synthesis does not. We then conduct a head-to-head comparison to evaluate the relative explanatory efficacy of the EES and our preferred OS theoretical framework on several issues of human morphological evolution. We demonstrate that evolutionary perspectives as drawn from the OS have a much more clarifying effect on the investigation of human evolution than their EES-based competitor. Far from being a radical extension of evolutionary thought, the EES in human evolution offers little more than another idiom in which to tell adaptationist stories and triumphalist narr…
February 12, 2026 at 11:32 PM
dpietra.bsky.social
I’m very proud of our new work on free will, which is in its early phases. This podcast episode is a good overview of how we’re thinking about it.
January 7, 2026 at 6:36 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
harlingg.bsky.social
Another great paper using social network data from >5000 Ethiopians by @drsarahmyers.bsky.social, @danielredhead.bsky.social et al.

They show how attitudes towards IPV against women cluster socially on gender-homphilous ties. But opposite-gender ties actually predict *reverse* IPVAW attitudes
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Gender-biased clustering of attitudes towards physical intimate partner violence: A social network analysis in south-central Ethiopia
Abstract. Changing social norms, shared beliefs about what is acceptable, is a key focus of global health campaigns aimed at ending intimate partner violen
academic.oup.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
thomscottphillips.bsky.social
No question, this is the most original paper I have ever written

It says that something that seems plain and obvious - humans have an intuitive sense of what is and is not grammatical - and describes how this apparent common sense is actually misleading

Thread coming soon!
cadlin.bsky.social Cadernos de Linguística @cadlin.bsky.social · Dec 12
Why does “The rat the cat the dog chased killed ate the malt” feel wrong even though it is grammatical? Thom Scott Phillips links gut judgements to communicative usefulness, not abstract rules
doi.org/10.25189/267...
#langsky #linguistics
A clean, minimalist announcement card in soft beige tones. At the top, a thin horizontal line spans the width of the image. Just below it, small uppercase text reads: “NEW ARTICLE | CADERNOS DE LINGUÍSTICA.” Centered on the page, in large dark grey type, appears the title: “Why Do Humans Have Linguistic Intuition?” Near the lower left area, a tiny lavender circle precedes the author credit in uppercase: “THOM SCOTT-PHILLIPS.” Below the name, in smaller grey letters, it says: “Central European University.” In the bottom left corner, there is a small decorative icon composed of four short lines radiating upward, resembling a subtle stylized burst.
December 12, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
reimtime.bsky.social
This—on my former university, department, and advisor—is harrowing but required reading for all social psychologists. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Oxford University Has Failed Women Over Harassment Concerns, Staff Say
The university has repeatedly been slow to act against male academics accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior, a Bloomberg investigation found.
www.bloomberg.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
dpietra.bsky.social
This is so fantastic. 🔥🔥🔥I can’t wait to read it!
dstibbardhawkes.bsky.social Duncan Stibbard Hawkes @dstibbardhawkes.bsky.social · Nov 18
Many thanks to my wonderful coauthor @chrisvonrueden.bsky.social for being ever insightful and incisive. I've wanted to work with him for years and it has been a joy and a pleasure.

Also note that an this early online uncorrected proof - Baylor University does not have a UK campus ☺️
dstibbardhawkes.bsky.social Duncan Stibbard Hawkes @dstibbardhawkes.bsky.social · Nov 18
📣 New BBS preprint out now! 📣

"Models casting egalitarian societies as crucibles of equality perpetuate the factually uninformed notion that foragers are somehow more noble. Critiques portray egalitarianism as romantic fantasy. Neither characterization is wholly justified."

doi.org/10.1017/S014...
November 19, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
anniewertz.bsky.social
🌱 There’s still time to apply to the open #PhD positions in my lab! 🌱 More information below; deadline is December 1st. Please help spread the word! 🌱
anniewertz.bsky.social Annie Wertz @anniewertz.bsky.social · Oct 27
I’m recruiting #PhD students to join my Lab for Infant Learning and Cognition (LILAC) at @ucsantabarbara.bsky.social! We study how infants learn about the natural world from others 🌱 If you’re interested in #devpsych, #EvPsych, and #infantstudies, please reach out and apply! More info below (1/2)
November 17, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
davidwlawson.bsky.social
New paper out today with Zhian Chen.

We argue that modern intensive parenting is not only exhausting for parents, but in some cases disrupts healthy child development.

What is 'overparenting'? And can evolutionary theory help us understand how we got here?

academic.oup.com/emph/advance...
When parental care hurts: Extended parental care and the evolution of overparenting
Abstract. In recent years, childrearing in high-income countries has become described as ‘relentless’ in its demands on parents. In response to growing del
academic.oup.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
bscelza.bsky.social
New paper out on the important role of social learning in breastfeeding! academic.oup.com/emph/article...
Social learning is critical to breastfeeding success: evidence from rural Namibian pastoralists
AbstractBackground and objectives. Lactation is one of the defining features of mammals, yet many humans struggle with breastfeeding. One reason for this i
academic.oup.com
October 21, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
epthepod.bsky.social
This week, @anniewertz.bsky.social talks about her ground-breaking work exploring what infants know, and come prepared to learn, about 🌱plants🌿! (Annie gets credit for all plant-based puns in this episode).

youtu.be/bMbDieccEtc

www.podbean.com/eas/pb-67k8k...

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Plants, Infants, and the Evolution of Social Learning with Annie Wertz
YouTube video by Evolutionary Psychology (The Podcast)
youtu.be
August 26, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
lindseypowell.bsky.social
New preprint! Led by Bill Pepe, with @brandonwoo.bsky.social and @ashleyjthomas.bsky.social. We asked if infants think helping and hindering stem from actors' dispositions (i.e. good/nice v bad/mean) or their social relationships, by testing expectations for future behavior: osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
July 17, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
anniewertz.bsky.social
I'm hiring a full-time #labmanager for my new Lab for Infant Learning and Cognition (LILAC) at UCSB! The start date is flexible, but could be as early as August 1, 2025. Application review begins July 17th and will continue until the position is filled 👶🪴

recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02992

#academicjobs
Junior Specialist-Lab for Infant Learning And Cognition (LILAC), Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
University of California Santa Barbara is hiring. Apply now!
recruit.ap.ucsb.edu
July 2, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
epthepod.bsky.social
Helicopter parenting is not a human universal! In our sixth episode, @sheinalew.bsky.social discusses studying childhood in the Congo basin.

www.podbean.com/ew/pb-bpsfw-...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=12mI...
Childhood in the Congo Basin with Sheina Lew-Levy
Helicopter parenting is not a human universal! Guest Sheina Lew-Levy (Durham) explains what drew her to studying childhood among BaYaka foragers in the Congo Basin, and what parenting and childhood is...
www.podbean.com
June 24, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
epthepod.bsky.social
Fifth episode is up! @jaimiekrems.bsky.social on friendship!

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

epthepod.podbean.com/e/friendship...

youtu.be/fbrW4Hq0hFc?...
Friendship with Jaimie Krems
Podcast Episode · Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast) · 06/17/2025 · 2h 2m
podcasts.apple.com
June 17, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
epthepod.bsky.social
Our Fourth Episode is out today! Our first of many wonderful interviews. This one with Dan Conroy-Beam @dconroybeam.bsky.social where we discuss the good and less good of ep studies of mating.
www.podbean.com/ew/pb-f8icb-...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0qR...
Mating with Daniel Conroy-Beam
Guest Daniel Conroy-Beam (UCSB) explains why human mating has occupied the interest of evolutionary psychologists, what consequences this has had on science, and how things might be done better. If yo...
www.podbean.com
June 10, 2025 at 10:21 PM
dpietra.bsky.social
This looks fantastic—a great line up of speakers!
mcxfrank.bsky.social Mike Frank @mcxfrank.bsky.social · Jun 9
Join us this Thursday/Friday for Deconstructing the Universal Mind, an open webinar with an amazing group of speakers discussing recent developments in the study of cross-cultural cognition!

Register here: cps-vo.org/group/cise-s...
Main page of conference website (link in post text). Thursday program - screenshot from link in main text. Friday program - screenshot from link in main text.
June 9, 2025 at 8:19 PM
dpietra.bsky.social
My very personal story about how I discovered evolutionary psychology.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Basement Cults
Podcast Episode · Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast) · 05/27/2025 · 2h 10m
podcasts.apple.com
May 27, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
epthepod.bsky.social
First Episode arrives May 20th.
epthepod.podbean.com
www.youtube.com/@Evolutionar...
May 15, 2025 at 5:40 PM
dpietra.bsky.social
"A Psychological Explanation of the Problem of Free Will"
with Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social

osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
January 29, 2025 at 7:15 PM
dpietra.bsky.social
Christian List is consistently clear-minded, explicit about argument structure, and concise. So, as usual, I really liked and learned something new from this paper; Maybe there’s no view from nowhere for the mind?
clist.bsky.social Christian List @clist.bsky.social · Nov 19
New paper: "The first-personal argument against physicalism". The standard physicalist worldview is third-personal. Some of the facts about conscious experience are first-personal. First-personal facts don't supervene on third-personal ones. So, standard physicalism is false. #consciousness #philsci
Christian List, The first-personal argument against physicalism - PhilPapers
The aim of this paper is to discuss a seemingly straightforward argument against physicalism which, despite being implicit in much of the philosophical debate about consciousness, has not received the...
philpapers.org
November 19, 2023 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
kyleratner.bsky.social
📣 Seeking PhD applicants passionate about fMRI, EEG, & data science to study race/ethnicity & religion effects on how we see ourselves & world around us. We’re a supportive & hard-working lab committed to open science. Applications due 12/1. Still time to apply — spread the word! spl.psych.ucsb.edu
November 16, 2023 at 8:08 PM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
thomscottphillips.bsky.social
New paper with Christophe Heintz, in PNAS:

"Great ape interaction: Ladyginian but not Gricean"

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
October 30, 2023 at 12:03 PM
dpietra.bsky.social
New preprint on how our evolved psychology may be getting in the way of theory progress in Psychology. Highlights include jumping spiders and the concept of difference-detecting mechanisms. @speciestypical.bsky.social Based on my talk @ehbea.bsky.social Comments welcome!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
October 12, 2023 at 6:54 AM
Reposted by David Pietraszewski
paulbloomatyale.bsky.social
Really pleased to announce that the University of Toronto has an Assistant Professor position in personality/social psychology. Please spread the word!
jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...
October 11, 2023 at 2:50 PM