Jenna Watling Neal
@jennawneal.bsky.social
I'm a Psychology Professor at Michigan State University & co-editor of Social Development.
I research networks, peer relations, K-12 education, and childfree adults
I love cats, travel, wine, indiepop music, and good vegetarian food!
I research networks, peer relations, K-12 education, and childfree adults
I love cats, travel, wine, indiepop music, and good vegetarian food!
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
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
Check out our new paper on #childfree prevalence in developing countries! ⬇️
Here’s some new work with @jennawneal.bsky.social in @plosone.org on #childfree populations in developing countries. Fewer childfree people in many countries, but more in higher-HDI countries like Turkey & the Philippines.
Surprising numbers of childfree people emerge in developing countries, defying expectations
A new analysis suggests that some developing countries have unexpectedly large numbers of childfree people; that is, people who have not had children and do not want to in the future. Zachary Neal and...
phys.org
November 18, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Check out our new paper on #childfree prevalence in developing countries! ⬇️
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
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 Jenna Watling Neal
As this thread also points out, this is both a bad sign and also acting responsibly in the face of a cratering academic market -- it is unethical IMHO to admit large PhD cohorts when the jobs for them simply no longer exist
Wow. Harvard nuking its PhD programs
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles | News | The Harvard Crimson
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for th...
www.thecrimson.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:40 PM
As this thread also points out, this is both a bad sign and also acting responsibly in the face of a cratering academic market -- it is unethical IMHO to admit large PhD cohorts when the jobs for them simply no longer exist
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
We'll be starting to solicit the first round of community feedback at the end of October. Sign up to get involved!
Want to promote transparency and clarity in network research by helping develop 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 (𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃)?
Sign up to get involved here: tinyurl.com/help-with-GR...
▪️ All career stages welcome
▪️ All fields welcome
▪️ Be compensated for your time
Sign up to get involved here: tinyurl.com/help-with-GR...
▪️ All career stages welcome
▪️ All fields welcome
▪️ Be compensated for your time
GRAND Recruitment
Complete this short questionnaire to help develop Guidelines for Reporting About Network Data (GRAND).
tinyurl.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:24 PM
We'll be starting to solicit the first round of community feedback at the end of October. Sign up to get involved!
TGIF! If you need a start of the weekend boost, this guy is amazing!
PUMP UP THE JAM • Technotronic
4 years ago today !
Il y’a 4 ans seulement !
4 years ago today !
Il y’a 4 ans seulement !
October 11, 2025 at 12:26 AM
TGIF! If you need a start of the weekend boost, this guy is amazing!
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Parents of 0- to 12-year-olds, come do science with us!
We run short, game-like studies with kids. We offer in-person and online options, flexible scheduling (weekdays & weekends), and sessions that are fun for children and easy for caregivers.
We run short, game-like studies with kids. We offer in-person and online options, flexible scheduling (weekdays & weekends), and sessions that are fun for children and easy for caregivers.
Moral Minds Lab - CHILDatabase Signup
redcap.link
October 10, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Parents of 0- to 12-year-olds, come do science with us!
We run short, game-like studies with kids. We offer in-person and online options, flexible scheduling (weekdays & weekends), and sessions that are fun for children and easy for caregivers.
We run short, game-like studies with kids. We offer in-person and online options, flexible scheduling (weekdays & weekends), and sessions that are fun for children and easy for caregivers.
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Interested in measuring Big Five personality traits in upper-elementary students? Qingqing Du and colleagues adapted and validated a brief questionnaire among Chinese children with proved reliability and validity. Out now in our Methods Articles section
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Mapping Young Minds: Adapting and Validating a Brief Big Five Inventory for Chinese Children in Upper Elementary School
This paper describes the adaptation and validation of a brief Big Five Inventory for upper elementary school children in China. Two independent samples, comprising 1884 and 2245 children from Grade 4...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
September 21, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Interested in measuring Big Five personality traits in upper-elementary students? Qingqing Du and colleagues adapted and validated a brief questionnaire among Chinese children with proved reliability and validity. Out now in our Methods Articles section
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Want to promote transparency and clarity in network research by helping develop 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 (𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃)?
Sign up to get involved here: tinyurl.com/help-with-GR...
▪️ All career stages welcome
▪️ All fields welcome
▪️ Be compensated for your time
Sign up to get involved here: tinyurl.com/help-with-GR...
▪️ All career stages welcome
▪️ All fields welcome
▪️ Be compensated for your time
GRAND Recruitment
Complete this short questionnaire to help develop Guidelines for Reporting About Network Data (GRAND).
tinyurl.com
October 1, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Want to promote transparency and clarity in network research by helping develop 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 (𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃)?
Sign up to get involved here: tinyurl.com/help-with-GR...
▪️ All career stages welcome
▪️ All fields welcome
▪️ Be compensated for your time
Sign up to get involved here: tinyurl.com/help-with-GR...
▪️ All career stages welcome
▪️ All fields welcome
▪️ Be compensated for your time
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Republicans are more likely than democrats to think the government should play a role in encouraging people to have kids.
But, there's also less support among Republicans for any actual government policies like subsidized childcare, family medical leave, or IVF coverage.
But, there's also less support among Republicans for any actual government policies like subsidized childcare, family medical leave, or IVF coverage.
Over half of Americans (53%) now say fewer people choosing to have children in the future would negatively impact the United States. Still, a majority (56%) say the federal government should have no role in encouraging more people to have kids.
Growing share of Americans say fewer people having kids would negatively impact the U.S.
Over half of Americans (53%) now say fewer people choosing to have children in the future would negatively impact the United States.
www.pewresearch.org
September 30, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Republicans are more likely than democrats to think the government should play a role in encouraging people to have kids.
But, there's also less support among Republicans for any actual government policies like subsidized childcare, family medical leave, or IVF coverage.
But, there's also less support among Republicans for any actual government policies like subsidized childcare, family medical leave, or IVF coverage.
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
I'm looking for a PhD student to do some trailblazing at the frontier of personality genomics and lifespan gene-environment transactions (start Fall 2026)! If you want to work with me: psychology.msu.edu/graduatestud...
(PS @drmeltemyucel.bsky.social is taking a student too, in moral psych/dev!)
(PS @drmeltemyucel.bsky.social is taking a student too, in moral psych/dev!)
September 2, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I'm looking for a PhD student to do some trailblazing at the frontier of personality genomics and lifespan gene-environment transactions (start Fall 2026)! If you want to work with me: psychology.msu.edu/graduatestud...
(PS @drmeltemyucel.bsky.social is taking a student too, in moral psych/dev!)
(PS @drmeltemyucel.bsky.social is taking a student too, in moral psych/dev!)
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Not that there would be anything wrong with demonizing meat...
“I’m certainly not demonizing meat,” she added. “But I think beans are the best food in the entire world. They have a lot of fiber — which we don’t get enough of as a society — and they’re cheap, filling and full of protein.” 2/3
July 16, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Not that there would be anything wrong with demonizing meat...
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
I'm disappointed in NPR's sensationalist coverage of this new UN report. They paint the issue as a problem (it's complicated), hold women responsible (they're not), and mainly describe the perspective of pro-natal think-tanks.
For a different take on the issue, check out thechildfree.org
For a different take on the issue, check out thechildfree.org
Far more families are choosing to have fewer — or no — children. Many countries, including the U.S., now face a rapidly aging population that could begin to shrink.
As women have far fewer babies, the U.S. and the world face unprecedented challenges
Far more families are choosing to have fewer — or no — children. Many countries, including the U.S., now face a rapidly aging population that could begin to shrink.
n.pr
July 7, 2025 at 6:32 PM
I'm disappointed in NPR's sensationalist coverage of this new UN report. They paint the issue as a problem (it's complicated), hold women responsible (they're not), and mainly describe the perspective of pro-natal think-tanks.
For a different take on the issue, check out thechildfree.org
For a different take on the issue, check out thechildfree.org
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
In a new paper, Payton Nault and Michele Morningstar demonstrate that hat hostile attribution bias is linked to youth’s evaluation of tone of voice when selecting responses to peer provocation
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Hostile Attribution Biases and Evaluation of Vocally Enacted Responses to Peer Provocation in Early Adolescents
Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB) is the tendency to perceive ambiguous social information as threatening. The social information processing (SIP) model provides a theoretical framework for determining ....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 1, 2025 at 4:16 AM
In a new paper, Payton Nault and Michele Morningstar demonstrate that hat hostile attribution bias is linked to youth’s evaluation of tone of voice when selecting responses to peer provocation
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Publication alert! A 4-year longitudinal study by Xiyuan Xu and Lijn Zhang illustrates the complex interplay between temperament and culture in the development and differentiation of shyness in childhood.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Temperament, Parenting, and Trajectories of Anxious and Regulated Shyness in Chinese Children: A 4‐Year Longitudinal Study
Anxious shyness refers to social inhibition and wariness toward familiar peers or authority figures, possibly due to concerns about negative social evaluation. In contrast, regulated shyness is chara...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 30, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Publication alert! A 4-year longitudinal study by Xiyuan Xu and Lijn Zhang illustrates the complex interplay between temperament and culture in the development and differentiation of shyness in childhood.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
I just found out that the Sunbelt in Paris has a bluesky account! @sunbelt2025paris.bsky.social
June 17, 2025 at 11:02 AM
I just found out that the Sunbelt in Paris has a bluesky account! @sunbelt2025paris.bsky.social
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Another excellent piece from a demographer, this time Stuart Gietel-Basten, on how "pronatalism is a dead end"
"Without addressing the root causes of low fertility—inequality, instability, and the incompatibility of work and family life—top-down efforts to “encourage” childbearing will fail"
"Without addressing the root causes of low fertility—inequality, instability, and the incompatibility of work and family life—top-down efforts to “encourage” childbearing will fail"
The politics of pronatalism and the two-child benefit cap - British Politics and Policy at LSE
Nigel Farage supports the scraping the two-child benefit cap as a way of encouraging people to have more children. But pronatalist policies that offer a one-off "baby bonus" are not effective.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
June 11, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Another excellent piece from a demographer, this time Stuart Gietel-Basten, on how "pronatalism is a dead end"
"Without addressing the root causes of low fertility—inequality, instability, and the incompatibility of work and family life—top-down efforts to “encourage” childbearing will fail"
"Without addressing the root causes of low fertility—inequality, instability, and the incompatibility of work and family life—top-down efforts to “encourage” childbearing will fail"
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
A common claim in #EvoPsych is that the persistence of psychological sex differences in gender-egalitarian* countries shows that the differences are innate. I've argued that ignores the highly-gender-unequal media environment. Now @larawood.bsky.social has proved me right!
#EHBEA
#HBES
#EHBEA
#HBES
Children’s animated films inaccurately and consistently portray predators as male and prey as female. Young children learn and maintain these gender stereotypes into adulthood.
See thread by @larawood.bsky.social or read the whole paper
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
See thread by @larawood.bsky.social or read the whole paper
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Mr Predator and Mrs Prey: Gender Stereotypes in Children's Films Correlate With Explicit and Implicit Gender Stereotyping
Children acquire gender stereotypes at a young age and these subsequently influence cognition and behavior. Stereotypes may be learned through a child's direct observation of gender differences as we...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 3, 2025 at 7:45 AM
A common claim in #EvoPsych is that the persistence of psychological sex differences in gender-egalitarian* countries shows that the differences are innate. I've argued that ignores the highly-gender-unequal media environment. Now @larawood.bsky.social has proved me right!
#EHBEA
#HBES
#EHBEA
#HBES
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Ironic that transit from #NetSci2025 @netsciconf.bsky.social is disrupted due to failure of a high-betweenness node.
June 4, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Ironic that transit from #NetSci2025 @netsciconf.bsky.social is disrupted due to failure of a high-betweenness node.
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Children’s animated films inaccurately and consistently portray predators as male and prey as female. Young children learn and maintain these gender stereotypes into adulthood.
See thread by @larawood.bsky.social or read the whole paper
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
See thread by @larawood.bsky.social or read the whole paper
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Mr Predator and Mrs Prey: Gender Stereotypes in Children's Films Correlate With Explicit and Implicit Gender Stereotyping
Children acquire gender stereotypes at a young age and these subsequently influence cognition and behavior. Stereotypes may be learned through a child's direct observation of gender differences as we...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 2, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Children’s animated films inaccurately and consistently portray predators as male and prey as female. Young children learn and maintain these gender stereotypes into adulthood.
See thread by @larawood.bsky.social or read the whole paper
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
See thread by @larawood.bsky.social or read the whole paper
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
Software and Data satellite at @netsciconf.bsky.social:
June 2, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Software and Data satellite at @netsciconf.bsky.social:
Reposted by Jenna Watling Neal
🚨New publication... Children's films contain innacurate gender stereotypes and these corresespond to children's (and adult's) implicit and explicit gendered associations.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Read thread for more details...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Read thread for more details...
Mr Predator and Mrs Prey: Gender Stereotypes in Children's Films Correlate With Explicit and Implicit Gender Stereotyping
Children acquire gender stereotypes at a young age and these subsequently influence cognition and behavior. Stereotypes may be learned through a child's direct observation of gender differences as we....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 29, 2025 at 2:12 PM
🚨New publication... Children's films contain innacurate gender stereotypes and these corresespond to children's (and adult's) implicit and explicit gendered associations.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Read thread for more details...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Read thread for more details...
I'm excited to be participating in this #NetSci2025 satellite on sharing network data and software next week!
Going to #NetSci2025 next week? Check out the satellite on "Software and Data for Supporting Network Science"
Hear some great short talks & get involved:
▪️ Discussion on sharing data
▪️ Discussion on standards for describing data
▪️ Interactive software fair
Complete details at netsci.nascol.net
Hear some great short talks & get involved:
▪️ Discussion on sharing data
▪️ Discussion on standards for describing data
▪️ Interactive software fair
Complete details at netsci.nascol.net
May 28, 2025 at 1:09 PM
I'm excited to be participating in this #NetSci2025 satellite on sharing network data and software next week!
Hi #AcademicBluesky
I'm prepping a new writing intensive undergrad course & am looking for resources and fun activities to build writing skills.
Any recommendations of what has worked for you? Bonus points for content related to AI, crafting clear arguments, and outlining papers.
Thanks!
I'm prepping a new writing intensive undergrad course & am looking for resources and fun activities to build writing skills.
Any recommendations of what has worked for you? Bonus points for content related to AI, crafting clear arguments, and outlining papers.
Thanks!
May 19, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Hi #AcademicBluesky
I'm prepping a new writing intensive undergrad course & am looking for resources and fun activities to build writing skills.
Any recommendations of what has worked for you? Bonus points for content related to AI, crafting clear arguments, and outlining papers.
Thanks!
I'm prepping a new writing intensive undergrad course & am looking for resources and fun activities to build writing skills.
Any recommendations of what has worked for you? Bonus points for content related to AI, crafting clear arguments, and outlining papers.
Thanks!