Meltem Yucel
@drmeltemyucel.bsky.social
Assistant Professor @msupsychology.bsky.social • studying norms, morality, & gossip • Previously @ Duke, UVA, IMPRS LIFE • she/her • Founder: @psychresearchlist.bsky.social • Lab: @moralmindslab.bsky.social • www.meltemyucel.com
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Meltem Yucel
@drmeltemyucel.bsky.social
· Sep 25
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
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
We talked about running these numbers at UM soc when it became so obvious that women TAs got more complaints for the same classes. Glad someone tested it formally.
Experimental evidence that students are more likely to contest grades when they are delivered by an evaluator with a female-sounding name.
"These findings suggest that women in evaluative positions face disproportionate resistance when delivering negative assessments."
"These findings suggest that women in evaluative positions face disproportionate resistance when delivering negative assessments."
December 25, 2025 at 3:30 PM
We talked about running these numbers at UM soc when it became so obvious that women TAs got more complaints for the same classes. Glad someone tested it formally.
#PsychSciSky, gather ‘round: New quiz just dropped!
Are you leading a (mostly) happy life, a meaningful life, or a psychologically rich life? Take this fun quiz at the Washington Post and find out!
www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/int...?
www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/int...?
Are you living a good life? Take this quiz to find out.
Now is a good time to reflect on the life you’re leading — and what you want out of it.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 25, 2025 at 12:39 AM
#PsychSciSky, gather ‘round: New quiz just dropped!
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
"Even after accounting for the upfront costs and delayed benefits, enrolling marginal applicants to public universities generates substantial net returns for society, the marginal students themselves, and the government budget."
Public Universities FTW!
Public Universities FTW!
December 24, 2025 at 9:00 PM
"Even after accounting for the upfront costs and delayed benefits, enrolling marginal applicants to public universities generates substantial net returns for society, the marginal students themselves, and the government budget."
Public Universities FTW!
Public Universities FTW!
Gave my last talk of the year to
MEF University's Tepe Morality Lab. Many thanks to the students and faculty who joined us today!
MEF University's Tepe Morality Lab. Many thanks to the students and faculty who joined us today!
December 22, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Gave my last talk of the year to
MEF University's Tepe Morality Lab. Many thanks to the students and faculty who joined us today!
MEF University's Tepe Morality Lab. Many thanks to the students and faculty who joined us today!
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
Here we go! @lmesseri.bsky.social & I wrote about epistemic risks of synthetic participants ('AI Surrogates') in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social
(see 🧵 here)
bsky.app/profile/mjcr...
(see 🧵 here)
bsky.app/profile/mjcr...
Did you know that from tomorrow, Qualtrics is offering synthetic panels (AI-generated participants)?
Follow me down a rabbit hole I'm calling "doing science is tough and I'm so busy, can't we just make up participants?"
Follow me down a rabbit hole I'm calling "doing science is tough and I'm so busy, can't we just make up participants?"
December 16, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Here we go! @lmesseri.bsky.social & I wrote about epistemic risks of synthetic participants ('AI Surrogates') in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social
(see 🧵 here)
bsky.app/profile/mjcr...
(see 🧵 here)
bsky.app/profile/mjcr...
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
So cool -> Quebec researchers tracked eye dilation + sweat when showing respondents political issues to see if they aligned with results from standard poll questions on issue importance. They did! And suggest asking people to choose their top issue is most reliable academic.oup.com/poq/article/...
December 16, 2025 at 6:52 PM
So cool -> Quebec researchers tracked eye dilation + sweat when showing respondents political issues to see if they aligned with results from standard poll questions on issue importance. They did! And suggest asking people to choose their top issue is most reliable academic.oup.com/poq/article/...
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
Do children understand all types of visual media in the same way?
"Cross-contextual diversity in children’s early understanding of visual media" - a new review paper led by Rebecca Zhu: osf.io/preprints/ps...
"Cross-contextual diversity in children’s early understanding of visual media" - a new review paper led by Rebecca Zhu: osf.io/preprints/ps...
February 14, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Do children understand all types of visual media in the same way?
"Cross-contextual diversity in children’s early understanding of visual media" - a new review paper led by Rebecca Zhu: osf.io/preprints/ps...
"Cross-contextual diversity in children’s early understanding of visual media" - a new review paper led by Rebecca Zhu: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Back at @ozyeginuni.bsky.social for an alumni talk—hard to believe it’s been 10 years since graduation. 🥹
December 12, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Back at @ozyeginuni.bsky.social for an alumni talk—hard to believe it’s been 10 years since graduation. 🥹
Being back home means going through old files. Here's my CV from middle school 😂
December 10, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Being back home means going through old files. Here's my CV from middle school 😂
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
Paper out today in @nathumbehav.nature.com:
1) those groups (women, African Americans, lower SES, rural) that are underrepresented in science have been less trusting of science.
2) If you improve representation in science, you improve trust among those groups.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
1) those groups (women, African Americans, lower SES, rural) that are underrepresented in science have been less trusting of science.
2) If you improve representation in science, you improve trust among those groups.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Representation in science and trust in scientists in the USA - Nature Human Behaviour
Druckman et al. document gaps in trust in scientists in the USA. People from groups less represented among scientists (for example, women and those with lower economic status) are less trusting. Incre...
www.nature.com
December 9, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Paper out today in @nathumbehav.nature.com:
1) those groups (women, African Americans, lower SES, rural) that are underrepresented in science have been less trusting of science.
2) If you improve representation in science, you improve trust among those groups.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
1) those groups (women, African Americans, lower SES, rural) that are underrepresented in science have been less trusting of science.
2) If you improve representation in science, you improve trust among those groups.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
While furnishing my lab, I've noticed this issue as well. So many toys are marketed as Montessori, but more often than not, it misses the essence/goals of Montessori.
linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7403930102650134528/
linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7403930102650134528/
A Montessori Paradox: When Educational Materials Become Consumer Products | Meltem Yucel, Ph.D.
Having to furnish my lab, I've noticed this issue as well. So many toys are marketed as Montessori, when it often misses the essence/goals of Montessori.
linkedin.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:57 PM
While furnishing my lab, I've noticed this issue as well. So many toys are marketed as Montessori, but more often than not, it misses the essence/goals of Montessori.
linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7403930102650134528/
linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7403930102650134528/
After a short drive down the road, I was excited to catch up with friends and colleagues at the University of Michigan! Grateful for the invite and thoughtful conversations.
December 8, 2025 at 9:22 PM
After a short drive down the road, I was excited to catch up with friends and colleagues at the University of Michigan! Grateful for the invite and thoughtful conversations.
✅ First semester as a professor @msupsychology.bsky.social
December 6, 2025 at 3:14 PM
✅ First semester as a professor @msupsychology.bsky.social
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
Academic accommodations in college more than doubled between 2011 and 2024 (4% -> 10%) and is driven by students getting accommodations for mental health conditions - job market paper by @alvinchristian.bsky.social
December 3, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Academic accommodations in college more than doubled between 2011 and 2024 (4% -> 10%) and is driven by students getting accommodations for mental health conditions - job market paper by @alvinchristian.bsky.social
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
A couple weeks ago we got a lovely note from someone on the other side of the country thanking us profusely for ILLing a book to them. Curious, we looked up the book they borrowed.
It would have cost $1,200 for them to purchase it.
ILL is one of the things I love most about libraries.
It would have cost $1,200 for them to purchase it.
ILL is one of the things I love most about libraries.
Requested a book through ILL over break. It arrived today. Libraries man.
December 3, 2025 at 12:56 AM
A couple weeks ago we got a lovely note from someone on the other side of the country thanking us profusely for ILLing a book to them. Curious, we looked up the book they borrowed.
It would have cost $1,200 for them to purchase it.
ILL is one of the things I love most about libraries.
It would have cost $1,200 for them to purchase it.
ILL is one of the things I love most about libraries.
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
In the running for greatest human accomplishment.
Currently dorking out over this graph about child mortality with my brother. Just mind boggling to take in.
December 2, 2025 at 5:14 PM
In the running for greatest human accomplishment.
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
This article provides more data showing how easy it is to manipulate humans on social media.
These researchers rerouted the algorithm on Twitter to push some users toward “antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity”.
It only took 1 week to elicit changes that used to take 3 years.
These researchers rerouted the algorithm on Twitter to push some users toward “antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity”.
It only took 1 week to elicit changes that used to take 3 years.
Reranking partisan animosity in algorithmic social media feeds alters affective polarization
Today, social media platforms hold the sole power to study the effects of feed-ranking algorithms. We developed a platform-independent method that reranks participants’ feeds in real time and used thi...
www.science.org
November 28, 2025 at 2:42 PM
This article provides more data showing how easy it is to manipulate humans on social media.
These researchers rerouted the algorithm on Twitter to push some users toward “antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity”.
It only took 1 week to elicit changes that used to take 3 years.
These researchers rerouted the algorithm on Twitter to push some users toward “antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity”.
It only took 1 week to elicit changes that used to take 3 years.
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
A specialized appendage responds to female sex hormones, allowing male octopuses to find their sex organs in the dark. https://scim.ag/4roFry3
‘Superarm’ helps male octopuses deliver sperm to females
Specialized appendage responds to female sex hormones, allowing males to find sex organs in the dark
scim.ag
November 26, 2025 at 11:12 PM
A specialized appendage responds to female sex hormones, allowing male octopuses to find their sex organs in the dark. https://scim.ag/4roFry3
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
Wishing you a happy #Thanksgiving from the Moral Minds Lab! Grateful today (and every day) for the children and families who support our research.
November 26, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Wishing you a happy #Thanksgiving from the Moral Minds Lab! Grateful today (and every day) for the children and families who support our research.
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
It's time to remove laptops from classrooms.
24 experiments: Students learn more and get better grades after taking notes by hand than typing. It's not just because they're less distracted—writing enables deeper processing and more images.
The pen is mightier than the keyboard.
24 experiments: Students learn more and get better grades after taking notes by hand than typing. It's not just because they're less distracted—writing enables deeper processing and more images.
The pen is mightier than the keyboard.
November 20, 2025 at 3:09 PM
It's time to remove laptops from classrooms.
24 experiments: Students learn more and get better grades after taking notes by hand than typing. It's not just because they're less distracted—writing enables deeper processing and more images.
The pen is mightier than the keyboard.
24 experiments: Students learn more and get better grades after taking notes by hand than typing. It's not just because they're less distracted—writing enables deeper processing and more images.
The pen is mightier than the keyboard.
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
Getting journal rejections like
November 21, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Getting journal rejections like
Many thanks to the MSU Human Development and Family Studies for inviting me to give a talk! It's always lovely to hang out with developmental folks!
@msuhdfs.bsky.social
@msuhdfs.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Many thanks to the MSU Human Development and Family Studies for inviting me to give a talk! It's always lovely to hang out with developmental folks!
@msuhdfs.bsky.social
@msuhdfs.bsky.social
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 Meltem Yucel
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
September 25, 2025 at 7:12 PM
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
Reposted by Meltem Yucel
Really enjoyed chatting with @michaelhobbes.bsky.social for this episode! In addition to being a delight to talk to, Michael was _extremely_ committed to getting the facts right & engaged very earnestly with our feedback. A scientist's dream.
Episode 46: Sapiens
It's an ambitious goal to write the entire history of humanity in just 400 pages. It's even more ambitious to do it without reading any research.
It's an ambitious goal to write the entire history of humanity in just 400 pages. It's even more ambitious to do it without reading any research.
Sapiens
Podcast Episode · If Books Could Kill · 11/20/2025 · 1h 38m
podcasts.apple.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Really enjoyed chatting with @michaelhobbes.bsky.social for this episode! In addition to being a delight to talk to, Michael was _extremely_ committed to getting the facts right & engaged very earnestly with our feedback. A scientist's dream.