Mohammad Atari

@mohammadatari.bsky.social

1.6K followers 260 following 59 posts

Assistant Professor of Psychology at UMass Amherst.
Director of the Culture and Morality Lab.

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Psychology 47%

Sociology 13%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · 9d

looks awesome!

Reposted by Gordon Hodson, Mohammad Atari

April Bailey @ahbailey.bsky.social · 10d

postdoc opportunity! would be a good fit for an intergroup person with NLP chops interested in the role of historical narratives

bonus, Edinburgh is a phenomenal city to live in with wonderful, walkable quality of life

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Post-Doctoral Research Associate

The Psychology Department in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences are seeking a full time, fixed term Post-Doctoral Research Associate. This post is available from 1st of Septemb...

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Jorge Morales @jorge-morales.bsky.social · 16d

When we see something that's moving, our memories about it end up projected forward in time: We remember it further along than it was. In a new paper in 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, out today and led by @dillonplunkett.bsky.social, we demonstrate that this happens even when there is 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙨𝙤𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧.🧵

Representational Momentum Transcends Motion

Dillon Plunkett & Jorge Morales (2025) Psychological Science

subjectivitylab.org

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · 21d

Thank you, Jin! 😊

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · 21d

link to paper:

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · 21d

Thanks to our coauthors, Amir Sepehri and Reihane Boghrati. I'd also like to thank the editorial team of Psych Science (especially the STAR editors). See the editorial below:

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

journals.sagepub.com

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · 21d

Results of our experiments corroborated our computational analyses. To test alternative mechanisms for this effect, we examined two accounts: stereotyping and fluency. We found evidence for both to varying degrees. Stereotyping and processing disfluency reduced engagement.

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · 21d

In Study 2, to complement our computational findings, we ran a social-psych experiment among English-speaking US adults, and a direct replication(N=916). We wanted to use an accent that is clearly "non-standard" but not widely recognizable by US adults. We chose Persian accent!

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · 21d

In Study 1, we analyzed 5,367 TED Talks using computational methods--voice recognition, natural language processing, and vision models. We examined the relationship between speakers’ accents and engagement (likes, views). After controls, accent was linked to less engagement.

Reposted by Mark J. Brandt, Stefan Müller

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · 21d

New paper alert!

"Public Speakers With Nonnative Accents Garner Less Engagement" -- now out in Psych Science!

This is my first graduate student's first first-author paper (and it was her first-year project).

Short THREAD on the results:

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Benjamin Pitt @benjaminpitt.bsky.social · Nov 25

Come work with me on cognitive diversity, development & dynamics in beautiful Amherst, Massachusetts! Graduate student applications are due a week from today. cognitiveconstructionlab.com

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Veronica Yan @veronicayan.bsky.social · Nov 22

It's one of my favorite times of the year! And I'm so so proud of my SLAM Lab grads who did a fantastic job presenting the cool projects they've each been working on.! @psychonomicsociety.bsky.social

FYI @stephanyrea.bsky.social is on the job market.

Stephanie Noel Johnstone presents on her work examining drawing and transfer

Connie Fralick presents on her work examining consequences of student endorsement of the learning styles myth

Alexis Richmond presents her work on motivational apprehension of frequent quizzes in courses

Stephany Rea presents the first study of her dissertation on pretesting

Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Brian A. Nosek, Gordon Hodson , and 11 more Dorothy Bishop, Brian A. Nosek, Gordon Hodson, Mark J. Brandt, Mark Rubin, Elizabeth Stokoe, Calvin K. Lai, Michael W. Kraus, Andrew Livingstone, Amy Orben, Frank Asbrock, Mohammad Atari, Toon Kuppens, Kristof Dhont

Nils Reimer @reimtime.bsky.social · Nov 19

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

Reposted by Dave O’Brien, Rebecca Sear, Paul E. Smaldino , and 2 more Dave O’Brien, Rebecca Sear, Paul E. Smaldino, Mohammad Atari, David W. Lawson

Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · Nov 14

Come and do a PhD at Exeter with me and Chico Camargo (Computer Science) on human-genAI coevolution

"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"

www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...

More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...

www.exeter.ac.uk

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Benjamin Pitt @benjaminpitt.bsky.social · Nov 12

Do people remember where things are relative to their body (e.g. my left side) or relative to the environment (the North/uphill side)? The answer is both at once, according to my new paper now out in Psychological Science! 🧵 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · Nov 7

Congratulations!!

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Joshua Conrad Jackson @joshcjackson.bsky.social · Nov 4

And last but not least, Obshonka and colleagues find that Roman rule explains puzzling variation in modern well-being differences across Germany

Ancient Roman investment in infrastructure may explain why Southwestern Germans are so happy and healthy today

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Joshua Conrad Jackson @joshcjackson.bsky.social · Nov 4

Samani and Baumard map out trends in Romantic love in Persian literature from 10th century to 20th century CE. They find an increasing emphasis on romantic love over time, particularly during the Safavid era. This may reveal a link w economic development

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Joshua Conrad Jackson @joshcjackson.bsky.social · Nov 4

Fan and Baumard reveal new evidence of rising individualism over history, which suggests that wealth rather than Protestantism contributed to individualism

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Joshua Conrad Jackson @joshcjackson.bsky.social · Nov 4

McClain and Kenny dig into the history of collectivism in Japan, conducting a pre-registered analysis of self-reported collectivism and tightness in the Japanese social survey and linking responses to historical subsistence patterns across Japan

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Joshua Conrad Jackson @joshcjackson.bsky.social · Nov 4

@joannaschug.bsky.social leads a paper on gendered racial stereotypes. They show that the civil rights movement coincided with a rise in language about black men, but not black women

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Joshua Conrad Jackson @joshcjackson.bsky.social · Nov 4

@mohammadatari.bsky.social and I begin with an editorial reflecting on the origins, current trends, and future of historical psych

The future requires strong causal identification and theorizing about how institutions can cement or change historical trends

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Joshua Conrad Jackson @joshcjackson.bsky.social · Nov 4

Our "Historical Psychology" special issue is now out in CRESP!

www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...

Co-edited with @mohammadatari.bsky.social and featuring historical perspectives on love, racial identity, emotion expression, well-being, collectivism, religion, and more!

Brief 🧵

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Lisa W. Fazio, Linda J. Skitka , and 3 more Anna O. Law, Lisa W. Fazio, Linda J. Skitka, Efrén O. Pérez, Calvin K. Lai, Mohammad Atari

Jin X. Goh | 吴晋勋 @jinxungoh.bsky.social · Nov 4

On election day, I wanna announce that I am recruiting social psych PhD students for my lab at UIC. My lab focuses on racial identities (esp Asian, Latino, MENA Americans) and intra-minority conflict/ coalition. So please tell your students to pick me! All details on my website: www.pbandjlab.com

iconic scene from Grey's Anatomy. Meredith Grey in scrub telling Derek "so pick me, choose me, love me"

Reposted by Mohammad Atari

Benjamin Pitt @benjaminpitt.bsky.social · Oct 27

I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be joining the faculty at @umassamherst.bsky.social next year as an assistant professor in Psychological & Brain Sciences! 🥳

a cartoon of homer simpson says whoo-hoo in front of a stone wall

ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson says whoo-hoo in front of a stone wall

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Christopher Peters, Mohammad Atari

Richard McElreath 🐈‍⬛ @rmcelreath.bsky.social · Oct 23

When there is a random way to do something, there is a less random way that is better but requires more thought. In this case, regression models that make no sense don't belong in a multiverse analysis. An inferential regression without a causal justification is like an opinion without reasons.

Joe Bak-Coleman @jbakcoleman.bsky.social · Oct 22

Great piece on the absurdity of brute force multiverse analyses.

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Robustness is better assessed with a few thoughtful models than with billions of regressions | PNAS

Robustness is better assessed with a few thoughtful models than with billions of regressions

www.pnas.org

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · Oct 21

Amazing paper!

M.J. Crockett @mjcrockett.bsky.social · Oct 21

Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/

AI Surrogates and illusions of generalizability in cognitive science

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have generated enthusiasm for using AI simulations of human research participants to generate new know…

www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Lisa W. Fazio, Suresh Venkatasubramanian , and 9 more Joanna Bryson, Lisa W. Fazio, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Dorothy Bishop, Carl T. Bergstrom, Elizabeth Stokoe, William J. Brady, Kelly Smith, Meri Koivusalo, Petri Ylikoski, Aleksandra Urman, Mohammad Atari

M.J. Crockett @mjcrockett.bsky.social · Oct 21

AI Surrogates and illusions of generalizability in cognitive science

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have generated enthusiasm for using AI simulations of human research participants to generate new know…

www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by Jill A. Jacobson

Mohammad Atari @mohammadatari.bsky.social · Oct 21

We are hiring in Social Psychology!

Tenure-track position, focus on the Psychology of Peace and Violence, UMass Amherst.

Review of applications will begin on October 24th.

Let us know if you have any questions!

Link:

careers.umass.edu/en-us/job/52...

Details - Assistant Professor - Psychology of Peace & Violence Program | Human Resources | UMass Amherst

careers.umass.edu