Clara Pretus
@clarapretus.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Psychology at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona | Director of socialbrainlab.com | Previously NYU & Consultant at the UN Office of Counter Terrorism | Researching extremism & misinformation | clarapretus.com
Reposted by Clara Pretus
Submissions are OPEN for the 2026 APS Annual Convention in Barcelona, Spain! #APS26BCN
Submit your research by 5 December
www.psychologicalscience.org/conventions/...
Submit your research by 5 December
www.psychologicalscience.org/conventions/...
October 30, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Submissions are OPEN for the 2026 APS Annual Convention in Barcelona, Spain! #APS26BCN
Submit your research by 5 December
www.psychologicalscience.org/conventions/...
Submit your research by 5 December
www.psychologicalscience.org/conventions/...
Reposted by Clara Pretus
The Trump administration has announced that the US will rewrite past climate reports, in a clear attempt to erase scientific history and undermine the consensus on human-caused climate change.
US to rewrite its past national climate reports
US President Donald Trump's administration is revising past editions of the nation's premier climate report -- its latest move to undermine the scientific consensus on human-caused global warming.
www.france24.com
August 8, 2025 at 6:26 AM
The Trump administration has announced that the US will rewrite past climate reports, in a clear attempt to erase scientific history and undermine the consensus on human-caused climate change.
Reposted by Clara Pretus
🚨📄 Now accepted at Journal of Experimental Social Psychology!
Why do some people turn to extreme views after being excluded? Most studies focus on personal rejection, but what happens when it’s your group that’s rejected?
We conducted a study with over 1,200 UK residents.👇
Why do some people turn to extreme views after being excluded? Most studies focus on personal rejection, but what happens when it’s your group that’s rejected?
We conducted a study with over 1,200 UK residents.👇
July 22, 2025 at 12:55 PM
🚨📄 Now accepted at Journal of Experimental Social Psychology!
Why do some people turn to extreme views after being excluded? Most studies focus on personal rejection, but what happens when it’s your group that’s rejected?
We conducted a study with over 1,200 UK residents.👇
Why do some people turn to extreme views after being excluded? Most studies focus on personal rejection, but what happens when it’s your group that’s rejected?
We conducted a study with over 1,200 UK residents.👇
Reposted by Clara Pretus
How do we work out what the best course of action is when facing multiple choices?
We can adopt three perspectives—pragmatic, hedonic or moral—argue @clarapretus.bsky.social and @jayvanbavel.bsky.social, and our preferences may look very different depending on the one we take:
buff.ly/t6o8N8f
We can adopt three perspectives—pragmatic, hedonic or moral—argue @clarapretus.bsky.social and @jayvanbavel.bsky.social, and our preferences may look very different depending on the one we take:
buff.ly/t6o8N8f
May 31, 2025 at 10:35 AM
How do we work out what the best course of action is when facing multiple choices?
We can adopt three perspectives—pragmatic, hedonic or moral—argue @clarapretus.bsky.social and @jayvanbavel.bsky.social, and our preferences may look very different depending on the one we take:
buff.ly/t6o8N8f
We can adopt three perspectives—pragmatic, hedonic or moral—argue @clarapretus.bsky.social and @jayvanbavel.bsky.social, and our preferences may look very different depending on the one we take:
buff.ly/t6o8N8f
Jay and I wrote about our latest publication on how the brain processes moral evaluations compared to pragmatic and hedonic ones for Psyche Magazine.
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social
psyche.co/ideas/there-...
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social
psyche.co/ideas/there-...
There are three lenses through which to weigh any decision | Psyche Ideas
Whether an act seems ‘good’ depends on how you look at it. Brain research reveals what happens when the lens changes
psyche.co
May 14, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Jay and I wrote about our latest publication on how the brain processes moral evaluations compared to pragmatic and hedonic ones for Psyche Magazine.
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social
psyche.co/ideas/there-...
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social
psyche.co/ideas/there-...
Reposted by Clara Pretus
Un estudio del equipo de la neurocientífica @clarapretus.bsky.social sugiere que la desinformación cumple una función social, y que compartirla nos reafirma como miembros de un grupo. Mira:
La neurociencia de la desinformación
¿Cómo decide nuestro cerebro si compartimos o no desinformación? Una investigación reciente relacionada con los circuitos neuronales sugiere que la desinformación cumple una función social, y que compartirla nos reafirma como miembros de un grupo.
theconversation.com
April 24, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Un estudio del equipo de la neurocientífica @clarapretus.bsky.social sugiere que la desinformación cumple una función social, y que compartirla nos reafirma como miembros de un grupo. Mira:
En mi nuevo artículo en @es.theconversation.com explico cómo escaneamos el cerebro de un grupo de simpatizantes de extrema derecha para ver qué ocurría cuando decidían si compartir o no desinformación partidista.
theconversation.com/la-neurocien...
theconversation.com/la-neurocien...
La neurociencia de la desinformación
¿Cómo decide nuestro cerebro si compartimos o no desinformación? Una investigación reciente relacionada con los circuitos neuronales sugiere que la desinformación cumple una función social, y que comp...
theconversation.com
April 23, 2025 at 6:47 PM
En mi nuevo artículo en @es.theconversation.com explico cómo escaneamos el cerebro de un grupo de simpatizantes de extrema derecha para ver qué ocurría cuando decidían si compartir o no desinformación partidista.
theconversation.com/la-neurocien...
theconversation.com/la-neurocien...
Reposted by Clara Pretus
🌍 We are launching a new #ManyLabs!!! Join the Heat & Cognition project! We're studying how extreme heat affects human thinking, social behavior & well-being — globally.
Contribute & co-author:
🔗 Info: heatandmind.wordpress.com
📋 Sign up: www.soscisurvey.de/HeatandCogni...
#EnvironmentalPsychology
Contribute & co-author:
🔗 Info: heatandmind.wordpress.com
📋 Sign up: www.soscisurvey.de/HeatandCogni...
#EnvironmentalPsychology
March 27, 2025 at 3:26 PM
🌍 We are launching a new #ManyLabs!!! Join the Heat & Cognition project! We're studying how extreme heat affects human thinking, social behavior & well-being — globally.
Contribute & co-author:
🔗 Info: heatandmind.wordpress.com
📋 Sign up: www.soscisurvey.de/HeatandCogni...
#EnvironmentalPsychology
Contribute & co-author:
🔗 Info: heatandmind.wordpress.com
📋 Sign up: www.soscisurvey.de/HeatandCogni...
#EnvironmentalPsychology
Reposted by Clara Pretus
Our paper in Nature (@mkwittmann.bsky.social et al.): the brain does not only process the *identity* of a person but primarily our *relationship* to them. Even on a neural level, who someone is *in relation to others* is key. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#PsychSciSky #socialpsyc #neuroskyence
#PsychSciSky #socialpsyc #neuroskyence
March 12, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Our paper in Nature (@mkwittmann.bsky.social et al.): the brain does not only process the *identity* of a person but primarily our *relationship* to them. Even on a neural level, who someone is *in relation to others* is key. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#PsychSciSky #socialpsyc #neuroskyence
#PsychSciSky #socialpsyc #neuroskyence
Reposted by Clara Pretus
In a new set of studies, we experimentally increase will to fight and justification of violence with short AI-generated messages. 👇🏼
🚨 New Preprint:
Social media influence campaigns often use AI to spread polarizing messages at scale. But can LLMs such as ChatGTP fuel extremist attitudes?
We tested this in two studies with US Democrats and Republicans (N= 917). 🧵👇
Social media influence campaigns often use AI to spread polarizing messages at scale. But can LLMs such as ChatGTP fuel extremist attitudes?
We tested this in two studies with US Democrats and Republicans (N= 917). 🧵👇
March 6, 2025 at 4:03 PM
In a new set of studies, we experimentally increase will to fight and justification of violence with short AI-generated messages. 👇🏼
In a new set of studies, we experimentally increase will to fight and justification of violence with short AI-generated messages. 👇🏼
🚨 New Preprint:
Social media influence campaigns often use AI to spread polarizing messages at scale. But can LLMs such as ChatGTP fuel extremist attitudes?
We tested this in two studies with US Democrats and Republicans (N= 917). 🧵👇
Social media influence campaigns often use AI to spread polarizing messages at scale. But can LLMs such as ChatGTP fuel extremist attitudes?
We tested this in two studies with US Democrats and Republicans (N= 917). 🧵👇
March 6, 2025 at 4:03 PM
In a new set of studies, we experimentally increase will to fight and justification of violence with short AI-generated messages. 👇🏼
Reposted by Clara Pretus
I am excited to announce that we are launching a new CENTER FOR CONFLICT & COOPERATION @ NYU @newyorkuniversity.bsky.social
See our vision and research team here: www.centerconflictcooperation.com
Sign up for our newsletter here: jayvanbavellab.substack.com
Please spread the word or reach out!
See our vision and research team here: www.centerconflictcooperation.com
Sign up for our newsletter here: jayvanbavellab.substack.com
Please spread the word or reach out!
February 15, 2025 at 4:05 PM
I am excited to announce that we are launching a new CENTER FOR CONFLICT & COOPERATION @ NYU @newyorkuniversity.bsky.social
See our vision and research team here: www.centerconflictcooperation.com
Sign up for our newsletter here: jayvanbavellab.substack.com
Please spread the word or reach out!
See our vision and research team here: www.centerconflictcooperation.com
Sign up for our newsletter here: jayvanbavellab.substack.com
Please spread the word or reach out!
Reposted by Clara Pretus
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
February 4, 2025 at 1:26 AM
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
Reposted by Clara Pretus
JOB ALERT: Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Postdoc position in Osaka, Japan! Plus PhD positions for April 2026. PLEASE REPOST! #postdocjobs #neuroskyence #neuroscience #psychscisky #compneurosky
We had to re-start the process after our preferred candidate withdrew. Info 👇.
We had to re-start the process after our preferred candidate withdrew. Info 👇.
PLEASE SHARE: apply to my postdoc in Osaka. Comp cogneuro of learning, control, & concept representation. fMRI, cognitive models & deep nets.
Initial deadline Oct 18. The deadline will be extended once so don't worry if u need more time.
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #compneurosky
Initial deadline Oct 18. The deadline will be extended once so don't worry if u need more time.
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #compneurosky
POSTDOC position: cognitive and/or computational neuroscientist to study how learning of new concepts and categories leads to long-term semantic concepts using multi-session fMRI & comp modelling (hippocampal-cortical interactions). Listing 2024R-148: www.nict.go.jp/en/employmen.... 3/
January 23, 2025 at 11:39 AM
JOB ALERT: Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Postdoc position in Osaka, Japan! Plus PhD positions for April 2026. PLEASE REPOST! #postdocjobs #neuroskyence #neuroscience #psychscisky #compneurosky
We had to re-start the process after our preferred candidate withdrew. Info 👇.
We had to re-start the process after our preferred candidate withdrew. Info 👇.
Reposted by Clara Pretus
Interested in group discrimination?
We developed a new interactive task to study the effects of personal and group discrimination.
RateME is opely available on our Lab's Github and can be implemented on Qualtrics or as an fMRI task.
Check out our new study & try it out yourself! ✨️
We developed a new interactive task to study the effects of personal and group discrimination.
RateME is opely available on our Lab's Github and can be implemented on Qualtrics or as an fMRI task.
Check out our new study & try it out yourself! ✨️
🚨OUT NOW: Why does it hurt when your group is rejected—even if the rejection isn’t about you?
We developed an openly available task RateME to explore how the brain processes group rejection and how it compares to personal rejection. Here’s what we found. 🧵👇
We developed an openly available task RateME to explore how the brain processes group rejection and how it compares to personal rejection. Here’s what we found. 🧵👇
January 16, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Interested in group discrimination?
We developed a new interactive task to study the effects of personal and group discrimination.
RateME is opely available on our Lab's Github and can be implemented on Qualtrics or as an fMRI task.
Check out our new study & try it out yourself! ✨️
We developed a new interactive task to study the effects of personal and group discrimination.
RateME is opely available on our Lab's Github and can be implemented on Qualtrics or as an fMRI task.
Check out our new study & try it out yourself! ✨️
Interested in group discrimination?
We developed a new interactive task to study the effects of personal and group discrimination.
RateME is opely available on our Lab's Github and can be implemented on Qualtrics or as an fMRI task.
Check out our new study & try it out yourself! ✨️
We developed a new interactive task to study the effects of personal and group discrimination.
RateME is opely available on our Lab's Github and can be implemented on Qualtrics or as an fMRI task.
Check out our new study & try it out yourself! ✨️
🚨OUT NOW: Why does it hurt when your group is rejected—even if the rejection isn’t about you?
We developed an openly available task RateME to explore how the brain processes group rejection and how it compares to personal rejection. Here’s what we found. 🧵👇
We developed an openly available task RateME to explore how the brain processes group rejection and how it compares to personal rejection. Here’s what we found. 🧵👇
January 16, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Interested in group discrimination?
We developed a new interactive task to study the effects of personal and group discrimination.
RateME is opely available on our Lab's Github and can be implemented on Qualtrics or as an fMRI task.
Check out our new study & try it out yourself! ✨️
We developed a new interactive task to study the effects of personal and group discrimination.
RateME is opely available on our Lab's Github and can be implemented on Qualtrics or as an fMRI task.
Check out our new study & try it out yourself! ✨️
Reposted by Clara Pretus
New study finds that crowdsourced fact-checking (e.g. community notes) were viewed as significantly more trustworthy than basic misinformation flags by individuals across the political spectrum.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar... #MisinfoResearch
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar... #MisinfoResearch
Community notes increase trust in fact-checking on social media
Abstract. Community-based fact-checking is a promising approach to fact-check social media content at scale. However, an understanding of whether users tru
academic.oup.com
January 7, 2025 at 10:25 PM
New study finds that crowdsourced fact-checking (e.g. community notes) were viewed as significantly more trustworthy than basic misinformation flags by individuals across the political spectrum.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar... #MisinfoResearch
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar... #MisinfoResearch
Reposted by Clara Pretus
If you’re a social media user who’s expressed anything other than condemnation for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, counterterrorism authorities might consider you an “extremist.”
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/post-luigi...
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/post-luigi...
Read the NYPD’s Mangione report the media won't publish
Post-Luigi, the "extremist" threat is you
www.kenklippenstein.com
December 26, 2024 at 11:43 PM
If you’re a social media user who’s expressed anything other than condemnation for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, counterterrorism authorities might consider you an “extremist.”
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/post-luigi...
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/post-luigi...
Reposted by Clara Pretus
Self-reported sharing intentions of low-quality news in surveys are predictive of actual sharing of low-quality news on X, finds @arechar.bsky.social @mmosleh.bsky.social @gordpennycook.bsky.social @dgrand.bsky.social doi.org/10.31234/osf...
December 20, 2024 at 9:53 PM
Self-reported sharing intentions of low-quality news in surveys are predictive of actual sharing of low-quality news on X, finds @arechar.bsky.social @mmosleh.bsky.social @gordpennycook.bsky.social @dgrand.bsky.social doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Reposted by Clara Pretus
The exodus from X/Twitter has finally started, but maybe Twitter should have died a long time ago?
Our new research published today shows how political abuse on X is a global, widespread, and cross-partisan phenomenon.
Out now in Nature Communications: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Key results🧵
Our new research published today shows how political abuse on X is a global, widespread, and cross-partisan phenomenon.
Out now in Nature Communications: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Key results🧵
November 14, 2024 at 1:42 PM
The exodus from X/Twitter has finally started, but maybe Twitter should have died a long time ago?
Our new research published today shows how political abuse on X is a global, widespread, and cross-partisan phenomenon.
Out now in Nature Communications: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Key results🧵
Our new research published today shows how political abuse on X is a global, widespread, and cross-partisan phenomenon.
Out now in Nature Communications: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Key results🧵
Reposted by Clara Pretus
Scholars argue whether rightists or extremists are more prone to conspiracies. A new analysis across 77 samples (and 18 countries) concludes "there is no single functional form" of the ideology-conspiracy relationship.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#socialpsych #psychscisky #polisky
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#socialpsych #psychscisky #polisky
September 5, 2024 at 2:31 PM
Scholars argue whether rightists or extremists are more prone to conspiracies. A new analysis across 77 samples (and 18 countries) concludes "there is no single functional form" of the ideology-conspiracy relationship.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#socialpsych #psychscisky #polisky
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#socialpsych #psychscisky #polisky
Reposted by Clara Pretus
Political hope, anyone? When are leaders go fascist, previous supporters of those leaders actually go less fascist.
See our registered-report longitudinal study, led by @shirahebelsela.bsky.social, Lee Aldar, and @taloharel.bsky.social, with Boaz Hameiri and Eran Halperin, here:
tinyurl.com/3py5n6vb
See our registered-report longitudinal study, led by @shirahebelsela.bsky.social, Lee Aldar, and @taloharel.bsky.social, with Boaz Hameiri and Eran Halperin, here:
tinyurl.com/3py5n6vb
December 20, 2024 at 11:03 AM
Political hope, anyone? When are leaders go fascist, previous supporters of those leaders actually go less fascist.
See our registered-report longitudinal study, led by @shirahebelsela.bsky.social, Lee Aldar, and @taloharel.bsky.social, with Boaz Hameiri and Eran Halperin, here:
tinyurl.com/3py5n6vb
See our registered-report longitudinal study, led by @shirahebelsela.bsky.social, Lee Aldar, and @taloharel.bsky.social, with Boaz Hameiri and Eran Halperin, here:
tinyurl.com/3py5n6vb
Reposted by Clara Pretus
"conspiracy theory beliefs that are more “fringe,” held by smaller groups of homogenous people, are likely to be more strongly correlated with (support for) violence than beliefs in more popular theories."
misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/the-...
misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/the-...
The relationship between conspiracy theory beliefs and political violence | HKS Misinformation Review
Recent instances of political violence have prompted concerns over the relationship between conspiracy theory beliefs and violence. Here, we examine the relationships between beliefs in various conspi...
misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu
December 18, 2024 at 5:12 PM
"conspiracy theory beliefs that are more “fringe,” held by smaller groups of homogenous people, are likely to be more strongly correlated with (support for) violence than beliefs in more popular theories."
misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/the-...
misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/the-...
Reposted by Clara Pretus
The introduction of Community Notes on X did not reduce engagement with misinformation posts on X, with Community Notes possibly being too slow to reduce engagement in the early stages of viral diffusion, finds Chuai et al. doi.org/10.1145/3686...
December 18, 2024 at 2:32 AM
The introduction of Community Notes on X did not reduce engagement with misinformation posts on X, with Community Notes possibly being too slow to reduce engagement in the early stages of viral diffusion, finds Chuai et al. doi.org/10.1145/3686...