Steve Rathje
@steverathje.bsky.social
Incoming Assistant Professor of HCI at Carnegie Mellon studying the psychology of technology. NSF postdoc at NYU, PhD from Cambridge, BA from Stanford. stevenrathje.com
Pinned
Steve Rathje
@steverathje.bsky.social
· Oct 1
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
Enjoyed talking with @sudkrc.bsky.social on one of my favorite podcasts, the Stanford Psychology Podcast! We discuss how I got into psychology (it all began at Stanford), my recent work on the psychology of virality and sycophantic AI, and much more.
NEW EPISODE OUT🗣️!! In this episode, Su @sudkrc.bsky.social chats with Dr. Steve Rathje @steverathje.bsky.social on why certain content spreads rapidly online and offline! LISTEN NOW🎧: open.spotify.com/episode/7CoK...
166 - Steve Rathje: The Psychology of Virality
open.spotify.com
December 20, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Enjoyed talking with @sudkrc.bsky.social on one of my favorite podcasts, the Stanford Psychology Podcast! We discuss how I got into psychology (it all began at Stanford), my recent work on the psychology of virality and sycophantic AI, and much more.
Reposted by Steve Rathje
NEW EPISODE OUT🗣️!! In this episode, Su @sudkrc.bsky.social chats with Dr. Steve Rathje @steverathje.bsky.social on why certain content spreads rapidly online and offline! LISTEN NOW🎧: open.spotify.com/episode/7CoK...
166 - Steve Rathje: The Psychology of Virality
open.spotify.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:54 PM
NEW EPISODE OUT🗣️!! In this episode, Su @sudkrc.bsky.social chats with Dr. Steve Rathje @steverathje.bsky.social on why certain content spreads rapidly online and offline! LISTEN NOW🎧: open.spotify.com/episode/7CoK...
"Using 'virality' as the main way to decide the information people see every day will (like actual viruses) make us sick."
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social and I wrote a column on our recent paper on the psychology of virality. Check it out here: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-some-i...
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social and I wrote a column on our recent paper on the psychology of virality. Check it out here: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-some-i...
December 17, 2025 at 7:49 PM
"Using 'virality' as the main way to decide the information people see every day will (like actual viruses) make us sick."
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social and I wrote a column on our recent paper on the psychology of virality. Check it out here: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-some-i...
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social and I wrote a column on our recent paper on the psychology of virality. Check it out here: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-some-i...
Reposted by Steve Rathje
While studies find that moral outrage & negativity goes viral on social media, this is also true of the offline world. Gossip is also mostly negative & about people we dislike
I explain why some ideas go viral--but most don't with @steverathje.bsky.social
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-some-i...
I explain why some ideas go viral--but most don't with @steverathje.bsky.social
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-some-i...
Why Some Ideas Go Viral—and Most Don’t
What decades of research reveal about why certain content spreads—and how social forces shape what we all see.
www.powerofusnewsletter.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:20 PM
While studies find that moral outrage & negativity goes viral on social media, this is also true of the offline world. Gossip is also mostly negative & about people we dislike
I explain why some ideas go viral--but most don't with @steverathje.bsky.social
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-some-i...
I explain why some ideas go viral--but most don't with @steverathje.bsky.social
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-some-i...
Reposted by Steve Rathje
🚨 New working paper 🚨
Can LLMs with reasoning + web search reliably fact-check political claims?
We evaluated 15 models from OpenAI, Google, Meta, and DeepSeek on 6,000+ PolitiFact claims (2007–2024).
Short answer: Not reliably—unless you give them curated evidence.
arxiv.org/abs/2511.18749
Can LLMs with reasoning + web search reliably fact-check political claims?
We evaluated 15 models from OpenAI, Google, Meta, and DeepSeek on 6,000+ PolitiFact claims (2007–2024).
Short answer: Not reliably—unless you give them curated evidence.
arxiv.org/abs/2511.18749
November 29, 2025 at 10:06 PM
🚨 New working paper 🚨
Can LLMs with reasoning + web search reliably fact-check political claims?
We evaluated 15 models from OpenAI, Google, Meta, and DeepSeek on 6,000+ PolitiFact claims (2007–2024).
Short answer: Not reliably—unless you give them curated evidence.
arxiv.org/abs/2511.18749
Can LLMs with reasoning + web search reliably fact-check political claims?
We evaluated 15 models from OpenAI, Google, Meta, and DeepSeek on 6,000+ PolitiFact claims (2007–2024).
Short answer: Not reliably—unless you give them curated evidence.
arxiv.org/abs/2511.18749
Reposted by Steve Rathje
New research by @steverathje.bsky.social et al
Epistemic Fragility in Large Language Models: Prompt Framing Systematically Modulates Misinformation Correction
WGemini 2.5 Pro had 74% lower odds of strong correction than Claude Sonnet 4.5, highlighting epistemic fragility
arxiv.org/pdf/2511.22746
Epistemic Fragility in Large Language Models: Prompt Framing Systematically Modulates Misinformation Correction
WGemini 2.5 Pro had 74% lower odds of strong correction than Claude Sonnet 4.5, highlighting epistemic fragility
arxiv.org/pdf/2511.22746
arxiv.org
December 4, 2025 at 1:47 PM
New research by @steverathje.bsky.social et al
Epistemic Fragility in Large Language Models: Prompt Framing Systematically Modulates Misinformation Correction
WGemini 2.5 Pro had 74% lower odds of strong correction than Claude Sonnet 4.5, highlighting epistemic fragility
arxiv.org/pdf/2511.22746
Epistemic Fragility in Large Language Models: Prompt Framing Systematically Modulates Misinformation Correction
WGemini 2.5 Pro had 74% lower odds of strong correction than Claude Sonnet 4.5, highlighting epistemic fragility
arxiv.org/pdf/2511.22746
Reposted by Steve Rathje
Are you curious about the results of our #wisdomturingtest? Want to find out who was the AI? If so, tune-in to the second part of the ON WISDOM podcast on the "Wisdom Turing Test," with the amazing @steverathje.bsky.social : onwisdompodcast.fireside.fm/67
#TuringTest #ChineseRoom #AIsycophancy
#TuringTest #ChineseRoom #AIsycophancy
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
November 17, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Are you curious about the results of our #wisdomturingtest? Want to find out who was the AI? If so, tune-in to the second part of the ON WISDOM podcast on the "Wisdom Turing Test," with the amazing @steverathje.bsky.social : onwisdompodcast.fireside.fm/67
#TuringTest #ChineseRoom #AIsycophancy
#TuringTest #ChineseRoom #AIsycophancy
Reposted by Steve Rathje
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
October 1, 2025 at 3:16 PM
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
Reposted by Steve Rathje
✨New preprint! Why do people express outrage online? In 4 studies we develop a taxonomy of online outrage motives, test what motives people report, what they infer for in- vs. out-partisans, and how motive inferences shape downstream intergroup consequences. Led by @felix-chenwei.bsky.social 🧵👇
November 11, 2025 at 4:34 PM
✨New preprint! Why do people express outrage online? In 4 studies we develop a taxonomy of online outrage motives, test what motives people report, what they infer for in- vs. out-partisans, and how motive inferences shape downstream intergroup consequences. Led by @felix-chenwei.bsky.social 🧵👇
Really enjoyed speaking with tech ethicist Tristan Harris, who you might know from the Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma" or his work with the Center for Humane Technology.
🎥 Watch here on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFm3...
🎧 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0Oi6...
🎥 Watch here on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFm3...
🎧 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0Oi6...
October 22, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Really enjoyed speaking with tech ethicist Tristan Harris, who you might know from the Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma" or his work with the Center for Humane Technology.
🎥 Watch here on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFm3...
🎧 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0Oi6...
🎥 Watch here on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFm3...
🎧 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0Oi6...
Reposted by Steve Rathje
The Science Behind Why Social Media Makes Us Miserable
I was on the @andrew-yang.bsky.social podcast to discuss the impact of social media.
We discussed what goes viral online, how it impacts our lives, and what we can do about it (with @steverathje.bsky.social):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDV...
I was on the @andrew-yang.bsky.social podcast to discuss the impact of social media.
We discussed what goes viral online, how it impacts our lives, and what we can do about it (with @steverathje.bsky.social):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDV...
October 21, 2025 at 8:37 PM
The Science Behind Why Social Media Makes Us Miserable
I was on the @andrew-yang.bsky.social podcast to discuss the impact of social media.
We discussed what goes viral online, how it impacts our lives, and what we can do about it (with @steverathje.bsky.social):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDV...
I was on the @andrew-yang.bsky.social podcast to discuss the impact of social media.
We discussed what goes viral online, how it impacts our lives, and what we can do about it (with @steverathje.bsky.social):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDV...
Reposted by Steve Rathje
What do 92% of scientists agree on regarding social media and smartphone use? blog.andrewyang.com/p/the-scienc...
The Science of Smartphones
Hello, I hope that you’re doing great.
blog.andrewyang.com
October 21, 2025 at 12:17 PM
What do 92% of scientists agree on regarding social media and smartphone use? blog.andrewyang.com/p/the-scienc...
Really enjoyed talking with @andrew-yang.bsky.social and @jayvanbavel.bsky.social about the science of social media. Thanks for having us on your podcast, @andrew-yang.bsky.social
Why does online content seem so angry and emotional? Professors @jayvanbavel.bsky.social and @steverathje.bsky.social join andrewyang.com/podcast to talk the science of social media including why polarization gets revved up by a tiny percentage of accounts.
October 20, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Really enjoyed talking with @andrew-yang.bsky.social and @jayvanbavel.bsky.social about the science of social media. Thanks for having us on your podcast, @andrew-yang.bsky.social
Reposted by Steve Rathje
Why does online content seem so angry and emotional? Professors @jayvanbavel.bsky.social and @steverathje.bsky.social join andrewyang.com/podcast to talk the science of social media including why polarization gets revved up by a tiny percentage of accounts.
October 20, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Why does online content seem so angry and emotional? Professors @jayvanbavel.bsky.social and @steverathje.bsky.social join andrewyang.com/podcast to talk the science of social media including why polarization gets revved up by a tiny percentage of accounts.
Reposted by Steve Rathje
Why do some ideas spread widely, while others fail to catch on?
Our new review paper on the PSYCHOLOGY OF VIRALITY is now out in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social (it was led by @steverathje.bsky.social)
Read the full paper here: www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
Our new review paper on the PSYCHOLOGY OF VIRALITY is now out in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social (it was led by @steverathje.bsky.social)
Read the full paper here: www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
October 7, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Why do some ideas spread widely, while others fail to catch on?
Our new review paper on the PSYCHOLOGY OF VIRALITY is now out in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social (it was led by @steverathje.bsky.social)
Read the full paper here: www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
Our new review paper on the PSYCHOLOGY OF VIRALITY is now out in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social (it was led by @steverathje.bsky.social)
Read the full paper here: www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
Our recent review article "The Psychology of Virality" with @jayvanbavel.bsky.social
is on the front cover of this month's issue of
@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social.
is on the front cover of this month's issue of
@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social.
October 7, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Our recent review article "The Psychology of Virality" with @jayvanbavel.bsky.social
is on the front cover of this month's issue of
@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social.
is on the front cover of this month's issue of
@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social.
Reposted by Steve Rathje
Would you notice if Gemini or ChatGPT was just flattering you?
Read @steverathje.bsky.social's new preprint to learn about how people actually feel towards overly agreeable chatbots.
OSF: osf.io/preprints/ps...
(summary in thread below!)
Read @steverathje.bsky.social's new preprint to learn about how people actually feel towards overly agreeable chatbots.
OSF: osf.io/preprints/ps...
(summary in thread below!)
October 6, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Would you notice if Gemini or ChatGPT was just flattering you?
Read @steverathje.bsky.social's new preprint to learn about how people actually feel towards overly agreeable chatbots.
OSF: osf.io/preprints/ps...
(summary in thread below!)
Read @steverathje.bsky.social's new preprint to learn about how people actually feel towards overly agreeable chatbots.
OSF: osf.io/preprints/ps...
(summary in thread below!)
Reposted by Steve Rathje
AI always calling your ideas “fantastic” can feel inauthentic, but what are sycophancy’s deeper harms? We find that in the common use case of seeking AI advice on interpersonal situations—specifically conflicts—sycophancy makes people feel more right & less willing to apologize.
October 3, 2025 at 10:53 PM
AI always calling your ideas “fantastic” can feel inauthentic, but what are sycophancy’s deeper harms? We find that in the common use case of seeking AI advice on interpersonal situations—specifically conflicts—sycophancy makes people feel more right & less willing to apologize.
Reposted by Steve Rathje
Cool new study by @joelleforestier.bsky.social @page-gould.bsky.social & Alison Chasteen
Can social media contact reduce prejudice?
#PrejudiceResearch
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
Can social media contact reduce prejudice?
#PrejudiceResearch
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
October 3, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Cool new study by @joelleforestier.bsky.social @page-gould.bsky.social & Alison Chasteen
Can social media contact reduce prejudice?
#PrejudiceResearch
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
Can social media contact reduce prejudice?
#PrejudiceResearch
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
Reposted by Steve Rathje
In a new paper, we find that sycophantic #AI chatbots make people more extreme--operating like an echo chamber
Yet, people prefer sycophantic chatbots and see them as less biased
Only open-minded people prefer disagreeable chatbots: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Led by @steverathje.bsky.social
Yet, people prefer sycophantic chatbots and see them as less biased
Only open-minded people prefer disagreeable chatbots: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Led by @steverathje.bsky.social
October 2, 2025 at 3:55 PM
In a new paper, we find that sycophantic #AI chatbots make people more extreme--operating like an echo chamber
Yet, people prefer sycophantic chatbots and see them as less biased
Only open-minded people prefer disagreeable chatbots: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Led by @steverathje.bsky.social
Yet, people prefer sycophantic chatbots and see them as less biased
Only open-minded people prefer disagreeable chatbots: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Led by @steverathje.bsky.social
Reposted by Steve Rathje
So excited to see this research! My students just learned the word “sycophantic” today, for exactly this reason! We talked about the types and qualities of conversations you can have with a sycophant, and why this matters for how we process the output of LLMs.
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
October 1, 2025 at 5:44 PM
So excited to see this research! My students just learned the word “sycophantic” today, for exactly this reason! We talked about the types and qualities of conversations you can have with a sycophant, and why this matters for how we process the output of LLMs.
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
October 1, 2025 at 3:16 PM
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
Across 3 experiments (n = 3,285), we found that interacting with sycophantic (or overly agreeable) AI chatbots entrenched attitudes and led to inflated self-perceptions.
Yet, people preferred sycophantic chatbots and viewed them as unbiased!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 🧵
Reposted by Steve Rathje
🚨Out now in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social 🚨
We explore the use of cognitive theories/models with real-world data for understanding mental health.
We review emerging studies and discuss challenges and opportunities of this approach.
With @yaelniv.bsky.social and @eriknook.bsky.social
Thread ⬇️
We explore the use of cognitive theories/models with real-world data for understanding mental health.
We review emerging studies and discuss challenges and opportunities of this approach.
With @yaelniv.bsky.social and @eriknook.bsky.social
Thread ⬇️
September 29, 2025 at 3:05 PM
🚨Out now in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social 🚨
We explore the use of cognitive theories/models with real-world data for understanding mental health.
We review emerging studies and discuss challenges and opportunities of this approach.
With @yaelniv.bsky.social and @eriknook.bsky.social
Thread ⬇️
We explore the use of cognitive theories/models with real-world data for understanding mental health.
We review emerging studies and discuss challenges and opportunities of this approach.
With @yaelniv.bsky.social and @eriknook.bsky.social
Thread ⬇️
Reposted by Steve Rathje
Depolarization is not "a scalable solution for reducing societal-level conflict.... achieving lasting depolarization will likely require....moving beyond individual-level treatments to address the elite behaviors and structural incentives that fuel partisan conflict" www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
September 23, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Depolarization is not "a scalable solution for reducing societal-level conflict.... achieving lasting depolarization will likely require....moving beyond individual-level treatments to address the elite behaviors and structural incentives that fuel partisan conflict" www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Steve Rathje
Our new paper explains the #polarization of public health
Identifying with a social group can shape people’s beliefs and values, leading them to act in ways that have consequences for their health
From vaccine hesitancy to smoking cessation, identity plays a critical role:
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Identifying with a social group can shape people’s beliefs and values, leading them to act in ways that have consequences for their health
From vaccine hesitancy to smoking cessation, identity plays a critical role:
osf.io/preprints/ps...
September 18, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Our new paper explains the #polarization of public health
Identifying with a social group can shape people’s beliefs and values, leading them to act in ways that have consequences for their health
From vaccine hesitancy to smoking cessation, identity plays a critical role:
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Identifying with a social group can shape people’s beliefs and values, leading them to act in ways that have consequences for their health
From vaccine hesitancy to smoking cessation, identity plays a critical role:
osf.io/preprints/ps...