Ben Saunders
@bensaun.bsky.social
Social Psychologist at LIU–Brooklyn | Politics, Race, & Ideology Collaboratory (PRIDECo) | Just a middle-aged dad trying to live the dream | Compulsive dad-joker | Loves: Cycling, Coffee, Hiphop; All Views: My Own.
On digital distractions: I’ve tried to increase engagement by using this rubric, and it helps. But what are faculty doing to encourage real note-taking on laptops or via paper-&-pencil, or discourage laptop use altogether?
#AcademicSky
#AcademicChatter
#PsychSky
#AcademicSky
#AcademicChatter
#PsychSky
Nice rubric for grading in-class participation:
Hard, B. M., & RaoShah, T. (2022). Developing collaborative thinkers: Rethinking how we define, teach, and assess class participation. Teaching of Psychology, 49(2), 176–184. doi.org/10.1177/0098...
Hard, B. M., & RaoShah, T. (2022). Developing collaborative thinkers: Rethinking how we define, teach, and assess class participation. Teaching of Psychology, 49(2), 176–184. doi.org/10.1177/0098...
Developing Collaborative Thinkers: Rethinking how we Define, Teach, and Assess Class Participation - Bridgette Martin Hard, Taalin RaoShah, 2022
Introduction: Class participation is a common component of many college classes and is typically defined as involving students’ active, oral engagement in class...
doi.org
November 10, 2025 at 2:14 PM
On digital distractions: I’ve tried to increase engagement by using this rubric, and it helps. But what are faculty doing to encourage real note-taking on laptops or via paper-&-pencil, or discourage laptop use altogether?
#AcademicSky
#AcademicChatter
#PsychSky
#AcademicSky
#AcademicChatter
#PsychSky
Any great policies or best practices for curbing digital distractions? I don’t want to say ‘no laptops,’ but the pseudo note-taking in particular is killing me. #AcademicSky
#PsychSky
#PsychSky
Harvard Students Skip Class and Still Get High Grades, Faculty Say
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Any great policies or best practices for curbing digital distractions? I don’t want to say ‘no laptops,’ but the pseudo note-taking in particular is killing me. #AcademicSky
#PsychSky
#PsychSky
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Exciting new addition to the AsPredicted and ResearchBox research infrastructure toolbox: AsCollected ascollected.org A platform to document results provenance - where did data come from, who collected it, and who cleaned and analyzed it. So important!
Home | AsCollected
ascollected.org
October 31, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Exciting new addition to the AsPredicted and ResearchBox research infrastructure toolbox: AsCollected ascollected.org A platform to document results provenance - where did data come from, who collected it, and who cleaned and analyzed it. So important!
Reposted by Ben Saunders
when i wrote about these folks being segregationists, i was told it was a stretch
if anything, i undersold their venality
if anything, i undersold their venality
Trump Considers Overhaul of Refugee System That Would Favor White People
www.nytimes.com
October 15, 2025 at 7:34 PM
when i wrote about these folks being segregationists, i was told it was a stretch
if anything, i undersold their venality
if anything, i undersold their venality
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Make an effect size prediction!
@jamiecummins.bsky.social and I are replicating Balcetis & Dunning's (2010) "chocolate is more desirable than poop" (Cohen's d = 4.52)
Let us known in the replies what effect size you think we'll find. Details of the study in the thread below.
@jamiecummins.bsky.social and I are replicating Balcetis & Dunning's (2010) "chocolate is more desirable than poop" (Cohen's d = 4.52)
Let us known in the replies what effect size you think we'll find. Details of the study in the thread below.
October 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Make an effect size prediction!
@jamiecummins.bsky.social and I are replicating Balcetis & Dunning's (2010) "chocolate is more desirable than poop" (Cohen's d = 4.52)
Let us known in the replies what effect size you think we'll find. Details of the study in the thread below.
@jamiecummins.bsky.social and I are replicating Balcetis & Dunning's (2010) "chocolate is more desirable than poop" (Cohen's d = 4.52)
Let us known in the replies what effect size you think we'll find. Details of the study in the thread below.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Over 400 faculty and staff from the #uva College of Arts and Sciences convened for an emergency vote. 97% of eligible voters endorsed a resolution demanding President Mahoney refuse to consider the Trump admin's Compact for Academic Freedom!!
October 6, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Over 400 faculty and staff from the #uva College of Arts and Sciences convened for an emergency vote. 97% of eligible voters endorsed a resolution demanding President Mahoney refuse to consider the Trump admin's Compact for Academic Freedom!!
Reposted by Ben Saunders
I teach a history of antifascism course @ruhistorydept.bsky.social and figured I'd start an ongoing thread this semester to share some insights from course readings and recommend some great works on antifascism.
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September 30, 2025 at 3:30 PM
I teach a history of antifascism course @ruhistorydept.bsky.social and figured I'd start an ongoing thread this semester to share some insights from course readings and recommend some great works on antifascism.
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Ben Saunders
They do not realize this at all or refuse to acknowledge it.
When I see this, I wonder if people realize that Jim Crow racism in the American south was a type home-grown fascism. It was not (just) a superficially genteel system of social deference. Refusing to defer was often met with incredible violence designed to terrorize the entire Black community.
October 9, 2025 at 2:50 PM
They do not realize this at all or refuse to acknowledge it.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
September 29, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Ben Saunders
There are reasons for what’s going on with this administration and the military
October 5, 2025 at 10:22 PM
There are reasons for what’s going on with this administration and the military
Reposted by Ben Saunders
#AcademicSky #PrejudiceResearch
New study: labels used for immigrants matter.
✳️ Quick to associate with "illegal" (vs. "authorized).
✳️ Positive (vs negative) labels ==> more favourable attitudes
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New study: labels used for immigrants matter.
✳️ Quick to associate with "illegal" (vs. "authorized).
✳️ Positive (vs negative) labels ==> more favourable attitudes
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Labeling immigrants: Examining the effects of labels on associations toward immigrants
Immigrants in the United States are often described in the media using a variety of labels (e.g., illegal, authorized). While these labels are connect…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 4, 2025 at 1:17 PM
#AcademicSky #PrejudiceResearch
New study: labels used for immigrants matter.
✳️ Quick to associate with "illegal" (vs. "authorized).
✳️ Positive (vs negative) labels ==> more favourable attitudes
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New study: labels used for immigrants matter.
✳️ Quick to associate with "illegal" (vs. "authorized).
✳️ Positive (vs negative) labels ==> more favourable attitudes
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
I am glad to see this article in print! Here, we build a bridge between institutional theory and the theory of racialized organizations to draw attention to how social interactions provide a dynamic view of racialization in and by organizations. Check it out: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
August 18, 2025 at 6:38 PM
I am glad to see this article in print! Here, we build a bridge between institutional theory and the theory of racialized organizations to draw attention to how social interactions provide a dynamic view of racialization in and by organizations. Check it out: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Gift article because I encourage everyone to read this account of SEAL Team 6 murdering a group of North Korean fishermen in a failed espionage mission that was hidden from Congress.
How a Top Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission Into North Korea Fell Apart
www.nytimes.com
September 5, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Gift article because I encourage everyone to read this account of SEAL Team 6 murdering a group of North Korean fishermen in a failed espionage mission that was hidden from Congress.
An undergrad RA applicant shared this with me in our interview. Whaaaat?!? She found it on Reddit; I can't wait to show her Google Scholar and PsycINFO.
#academicsky #socialpsychology #prejudiceresearch
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
#academicsky #socialpsychology #prejudiceresearch
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
On Fertile Ground: How Racial Resentment Primes White Americans To Believe Fraud Accusations - Political Behavior
White Americans face a democratic dilemma: remain committed to electoral democracy (which has been historically beneficial for them), or abandon it as non-White groups gain political stature. We argue...
link.springer.com
August 29, 2025 at 4:21 PM
An undergrad RA applicant shared this with me in our interview. Whaaaat?!? She found it on Reddit; I can't wait to show her Google Scholar and PsycINFO.
#academicsky #socialpsychology #prejudiceresearch
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
#academicsky #socialpsychology #prejudiceresearch
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
10 years ago?! Holy smokes.
August 27, 2025 at 8:45 PM
10 years ago?! Holy smokes.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
*monkey-like shrieking* I CANNOT.
The PROGRESS we've made in finally getting cash bail removed from the criminal justice systems in some places, only to have---- I'mma shut up before I end up on a list but UGH.
Cash. Bail. Makes. No. Sense. And. Is. Unfair.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
The PROGRESS we've made in finally getting cash bail removed from the criminal justice systems in some places, only to have---- I'mma shut up before I end up on a list but UGH.
Cash. Bail. Makes. No. Sense. And. Is. Unfair.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Trump signs executive order to eliminate cashless bail in Washington
Move is an escalation in president’s efforts to take control of law enforcement in the capital city and beyond
www.theguardian.com
August 25, 2025 at 5:54 PM
*monkey-like shrieking* I CANNOT.
The PROGRESS we've made in finally getting cash bail removed from the criminal justice systems in some places, only to have---- I'mma shut up before I end up on a list but UGH.
Cash. Bail. Makes. No. Sense. And. Is. Unfair.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
The PROGRESS we've made in finally getting cash bail removed from the criminal justice systems in some places, only to have---- I'mma shut up before I end up on a list but UGH.
Cash. Bail. Makes. No. Sense. And. Is. Unfair.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
I wrote a short companion piece to our new paper about personal responsibility narratives, how pervasive they are, and how important psychology can be as a discipline in helping people reject narratives that people get what they deserve.
go.nature.com/4fOeWNn
go.nature.com/4fOeWNn
August 22, 2025 at 9:54 PM
I wrote a short companion piece to our new paper about personal responsibility narratives, how pervasive they are, and how important psychology can be as a discipline in helping people reject narratives that people get what they deserve.
go.nature.com/4fOeWNn
go.nature.com/4fOeWNn
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Two troubling new studies find that lies about the 2020 election tapped into racist attitudes and white America’s long-standing fear of a real multiracial democracy. Read about the studies here: bit.ly/3Jqxp6A
The Racist Foundation of the Big Lie of a Stolen Election
New research shows how racist beliefs enable lies about voter fraud to spread.
www.brennancenter.org
August 23, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Two troubling new studies find that lies about the 2020 election tapped into racist attitudes and white America’s long-standing fear of a real multiracial democracy. Read about the studies here: bit.ly/3Jqxp6A
Reposted by Ben Saunders
I debated writing this. It can feel tempting, upon encountering yet another instance of this administration’s racism, to let it be. How many ways can you say the same thing over and over again? And yet we have to write it down, if for nothing else, so those who come after us know we were against it.
Actually, Slavery Was Very Bad
The president’s latest criticism of museums is a thinly veiled attempt to erase Black history.
www.theatlantic.com
August 22, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I debated writing this. It can feel tempting, upon encountering yet another instance of this administration’s racism, to let it be. How many ways can you say the same thing over and over again? And yet we have to write it down, if for nothing else, so those who come after us know we were against it.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Fascinating work by Deven Carlson, @t-h-a-d.bsky.social, James Carter, @rachelmarisa.bsky.social, Vitali Radsky, and Andrew McEachin on both the potential of school choice for the purpose of desegregation and the disappointing reality that most school choice systems tend to exacerbate segregation
A new article in AERJ observed the relationship between school choice policy and school segregation, finding that White and Asian families disproportionately used the choice system to avoid schools with large concentrations of Black students. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/...
Structuring Choice Policy, School Segregation and the Two-Staged School Choice Process - Deven Carlson, Thurston Domina, James Carter, Rachel M. Perera, Vitaly Radsky, Andrew McEachin, 2025
School choice is both an important tool for school desegregation policy and an enabler of racial segregation. In this paper, we used a two-stage model of comple...
journals.sagepub.com
August 21, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Fascinating work by Deven Carlson, @t-h-a-d.bsky.social, James Carter, @rachelmarisa.bsky.social, Vitali Radsky, and Andrew McEachin on both the potential of school choice for the purpose of desegregation and the disappointing reality that most school choice systems tend to exacerbate segregation
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Reposted by Ben Saunders
I love how accurately describing actually existing conservatism makes one sound totally unhinged and the people who get punished for this are not conservatives but the accurate describers.
Got the feedback that a potential project could be seen as too partisan (though they stress I am completely accurate in my description) and now I get to decide if I revise to "scholars agree that conservatives have...(cite, XX)" versus the current "conservatives have...(cite, XX)"
August 18, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I love how accurately describing actually existing conservatism makes one sound totally unhinged and the people who get punished for this are not conservatives but the accurate describers.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
As a friend once told me, the past few years of punditry can be summarized as college educated white pundits telling college educated black pundits that they know more about working class black people than them
“using real concerns to put reactionary political views in the mouths of people i am not actually going to speak to or give the dignity of their own voices” is a classic move for this clique
This denunciation of "elites" comes from a former New York Times columnist and current Atlantic staff writer who ventriloquizes low-income Black communities in the District instead of asking them how they actually feel about Trump's invasion. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
August 15, 2025 at 5:09 PM
As a friend once told me, the past few years of punditry can be summarized as college educated white pundits telling college educated black pundits that they know more about working class black people than them
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Vibe policy
Vibe evidence
Vibe data
Vibe economics
Vibe "journalism"
Vibe evidence
Vibe data
Vibe economics
Vibe "journalism"
Oh Jesus Christ.
CNN host right now asks Rep. Jamie Raskin, "We know that statistics show crime is down in DC. But does it 'feel' like crime is down?"
Raskin: "Oh, definitely, if you compare it to other periods in DC." (He grew up there, and knows.) But obvs still a problem.
FYI it's Kasie Hunt.
CNN host right now asks Rep. Jamie Raskin, "We know that statistics show crime is down in DC. But does it 'feel' like crime is down?"
Raskin: "Oh, definitely, if you compare it to other periods in DC." (He grew up there, and knows.) But obvs still a problem.
FYI it's Kasie Hunt.
August 11, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Vibe policy
Vibe evidence
Vibe data
Vibe economics
Vibe "journalism"
Vibe evidence
Vibe data
Vibe economics
Vibe "journalism"
Reposted by Ben Saunders
