Jay Van Bavel, PhD
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social
Professor of Psychology at NYU (jayvanbavel.com) | Author of The Power of Us Book (powerofus.online) | Director of NYU Center for Conflict & Cooperation | trying to write a new book about collective decisions
Expressions of blatantly immoral actions about outgroup members are growing on social media
This leads people to radically overestimate the degree to which political outgroup members support immoral actions
Democrats and Republicans are both off in their estimates. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
This leads people to radically overestimate the degree to which political outgroup members support immoral actions
Democrats and Republicans are both off in their estimates. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
November 10, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Expressions of blatantly immoral actions about outgroup members are growing on social media
This leads people to radically overestimate the degree to which political outgroup members support immoral actions
Democrats and Republicans are both off in their estimates. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
This leads people to radically overestimate the degree to which political outgroup members support immoral actions
Democrats and Republicans are both off in their estimates. academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Online news consumption is systematically and consistently related to perceived #polarization across 10 countries, but not to attitude polarization (ie attitude extremity)
The effects of traditional media on polarization vary by country: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
The effects of traditional media on polarization vary by country: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
November 10, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Online news consumption is systematically and consistently related to perceived #polarization across 10 countries, but not to attitude polarization (ie attitude extremity)
The effects of traditional media on polarization vary by country: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
The effects of traditional media on polarization vary by country: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
62% of adults reported societal division as a major source of stress in their lives. These people felt more isolated, excluded, and alone.
APA’s survey (N = 3,000) reveals Americans are feeling lonelier than ever, and it’s taking a toll on our health and relationships www.apa.org/pubs/reports...
APA’s survey (N = 3,000) reveals Americans are feeling lonelier than ever, and it’s taking a toll on our health and relationships www.apa.org/pubs/reports...
November 7, 2025 at 9:47 PM
62% of adults reported societal division as a major source of stress in their lives. These people felt more isolated, excluded, and alone.
APA’s survey (N = 3,000) reveals Americans are feeling lonelier than ever, and it’s taking a toll on our health and relationships www.apa.org/pubs/reports...
APA’s survey (N = 3,000) reveals Americans are feeling lonelier than ever, and it’s taking a toll on our health and relationships www.apa.org/pubs/reports...
The job market in the age of AI
November 7, 2025 at 4:04 AM
The job market in the age of AI
A funnel plot reveals that larger studies find robust evidence of moral contagion.
This is key because a prior paper with small samples failed to replicate the finding.
Their null effects were also driven by extreme outliers representing 0.0001% of the data--removing them revealed moral contagion.
This is key because a prior paper with small samples failed to replicate the finding.
Their null effects were also driven by extreme outliers representing 0.0001% of the data--removing them revealed moral contagion.
November 5, 2025 at 5:05 PM
A funnel plot reveals that larger studies find robust evidence of moral contagion.
This is key because a prior paper with small samples failed to replicate the finding.
Their null effects were also driven by extreme outliers representing 0.0001% of the data--removing them revealed moral contagion.
This is key because a prior paper with small samples failed to replicate the finding.
Their null effects were also driven by extreme outliers representing 0.0001% of the data--removing them revealed moral contagion.
For each additional moral–emotional word in a social media post, the number of shares increases 13%
Our new meta-analysis finds robust evidence of moral contagion (N=4,821,006)
The moral contagion effect is even stronger in larger, pre-registered studies (17%).
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Our new meta-analysis finds robust evidence of moral contagion (N=4,821,006)
The moral contagion effect is even stronger in larger, pre-registered studies (17%).
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
November 5, 2025 at 4:58 PM
For each additional moral–emotional word in a social media post, the number of shares increases 13%
Our new meta-analysis finds robust evidence of moral contagion (N=4,821,006)
The moral contagion effect is even stronger in larger, pre-registered studies (17%).
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Our new meta-analysis finds robust evidence of moral contagion (N=4,821,006)
The moral contagion effect is even stronger in larger, pre-registered studies (17%).
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
These has been sharp rise in moralized language on social media
Two processes explained this shift:
(1) within-user increases in moral language over time
(2) highly moralized users became more active while less moralized users disengaged osf.io/preprints/ps...
Two processes explained this shift:
(1) within-user increases in moral language over time
(2) highly moralized users became more active while less moralized users disengaged osf.io/preprints/ps...
November 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM
These has been sharp rise in moralized language on social media
Two processes explained this shift:
(1) within-user increases in moral language over time
(2) highly moralized users became more active while less moralized users disengaged osf.io/preprints/ps...
Two processes explained this shift:
(1) within-user increases in moral language over time
(2) highly moralized users became more active while less moralized users disengaged osf.io/preprints/ps...
Engagement-based #algorithms amplify intergroup hostility + moral-emotional content, leading it to be overrepresented in your feed
This leads us to falsely perceive that people want to see this kind of content and share more of it.
This technology fuels false polarization: osf.io/preprints/os...
This leads us to falsely perceive that people want to see this kind of content and share more of it.
This technology fuels false polarization: osf.io/preprints/os...
November 4, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Engagement-based #algorithms amplify intergroup hostility + moral-emotional content, leading it to be overrepresented in your feed
This leads us to falsely perceive that people want to see this kind of content and share more of it.
This technology fuels false polarization: osf.io/preprints/os...
This leads us to falsely perceive that people want to see this kind of content and share more of it.
This technology fuels false polarization: osf.io/preprints/os...
Partisans lie significantly more to benefit their in-group than out-group members!
Partisans also consistently overestimate out-group dishonesty more than in-group dishonesty, regardless of actual differences in behavior.
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-people...
Partisans also consistently overestimate out-group dishonesty more than in-group dishonesty, regardless of actual differences in behavior.
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-people...
November 4, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Partisans lie significantly more to benefit their in-group than out-group members!
Partisans also consistently overestimate out-group dishonesty more than in-group dishonesty, regardless of actual differences in behavior.
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-people...
Partisans also consistently overestimate out-group dishonesty more than in-group dishonesty, regardless of actual differences in behavior.
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-people...
This reduces the barrier to applying to jobs for applicants and provides some useful feedback if they make the longlist (which is normally unknown).
Here is a sample job ad from UC Berkeley. If every search copied this strategy, the process would become much less onerous for everyone involved.
Here is a sample job ad from UC Berkeley. If every search copied this strategy, the process would become much less onerous for everyone involved.
November 3, 2025 at 7:55 PM
This reduces the barrier to applying to jobs for applicants and provides some useful feedback if they make the longlist (which is normally unknown).
Here is a sample job ad from UC Berkeley. If every search copied this strategy, the process would become much less onerous for everyone involved.
Here is a sample job ad from UC Berkeley. If every search copied this strategy, the process would become much less onerous for everyone involved.
Evidence that academics have been complaining about service roles for about 3000 years...
November 2, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Evidence that academics have been complaining about service roles for about 3000 years...
This is when I became a Toronto Blue Jays fan for life and it has been followed by 32 years of suffering.
The psychology of female fans is slightly different. They can identify with a team at any age.
Tonight will create an entirely new generation of fans. www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/o...
The psychology of female fans is slightly different. They can identify with a team at any age.
Tonight will create an entirely new generation of fans. www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/o...
November 2, 2025 at 1:08 AM
This is when I became a Toronto Blue Jays fan for life and it has been followed by 32 years of suffering.
The psychology of female fans is slightly different. They can identify with a team at any age.
Tonight will create an entirely new generation of fans. www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/o...
The psychology of female fans is slightly different. They can identify with a team at any age.
Tonight will create an entirely new generation of fans. www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/o...
Whoever wins the #worldseries tonight is going to make a legion of fans for life
The psychology of fans &identification with teams is fascinating
Like goslings, boys imprint on the team that wins when they are young. A championship leads them to identify with a team for life, especially boys 8-12
The psychology of fans &identification with teams is fascinating
Like goslings, boys imprint on the team that wins when they are young. A championship leads them to identify with a team for life, especially boys 8-12
November 2, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Whoever wins the #worldseries tonight is going to make a legion of fans for life
The psychology of fans &identification with teams is fascinating
Like goslings, boys imprint on the team that wins when they are young. A championship leads them to identify with a team for life, especially boys 8-12
The psychology of fans &identification with teams is fascinating
Like goslings, boys imprint on the team that wins when they are young. A championship leads them to identify with a team for life, especially boys 8-12
I made some #halloween treats as a tribute to Phineas Gage--the most important lesion patient in neuroscience
Gage survived an accident in which an iron rod shot through his frontal lobe that damaged his social capacities
If you want to make these treats www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-people...
Gage survived an accident in which an iron rod shot through his frontal lobe that damaged his social capacities
If you want to make these treats www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-people...
October 31, 2025 at 4:06 PM
I made some #halloween treats as a tribute to Phineas Gage--the most important lesion patient in neuroscience
Gage survived an accident in which an iron rod shot through his frontal lobe that damaged his social capacities
If you want to make these treats www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-people...
Gage survived an accident in which an iron rod shot through his frontal lobe that damaged his social capacities
If you want to make these treats www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-people...
Hypernormalization describes life in a society where two main things are happening:
1) people seeing that governing systems and institutions are broken
2) people carry on with their lives as normal despite systemic dysfunction – give or take a heavy load of fear, dread, denial and dissociation
1) people seeing that governing systems and institutions are broken
2) people carry on with their lives as normal despite systemic dysfunction – give or take a heavy load of fear, dread, denial and dissociation
October 30, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Hypernormalization describes life in a society where two main things are happening:
1) people seeing that governing systems and institutions are broken
2) people carry on with their lives as normal despite systemic dysfunction – give or take a heavy load of fear, dread, denial and dissociation
1) people seeing that governing systems and institutions are broken
2) people carry on with their lives as normal despite systemic dysfunction – give or take a heavy load of fear, dread, denial and dissociation
Across social media sites, political posting is tightly linked to affective #polarization - the most partisan users post the most
As casual users disengage & polarized partisans remain vocal, the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more ideologically extreme
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
As casual users disengage & polarized partisans remain vocal, the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more ideologically extreme
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
October 30, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Across social media sites, political posting is tightly linked to affective #polarization - the most partisan users post the most
As casual users disengage & polarized partisans remain vocal, the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more ideologically extreme
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
As casual users disengage & polarized partisans remain vocal, the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more ideologically extreme
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
Technology is radically restructuring so many elements of social life, from development and education to dating and politics.
Watch what happens to dating around 2007...
Watch what happens to dating around 2007...
October 30, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Technology is radically restructuring so many elements of social life, from development and education to dating and politics.
Watch what happens to dating around 2007...
Watch what happens to dating around 2007...
"When I was a kid, we didn't have smartphones. We had to come up with our own extremist views"
October 28, 2025 at 8:17 PM
"When I was a kid, we didn't have smartphones. We had to come up with our own extremist views"
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it”
Willful ignorance is also motivated by social identity concerns--it is driven by ingroup favoritism + outgroup derogation and fuels conspiracy belies.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Willful ignorance is also motivated by social identity concerns--it is driven by ingroup favoritism + outgroup derogation and fuels conspiracy belies.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 28, 2025 at 6:33 PM
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it”
Willful ignorance is also motivated by social identity concerns--it is driven by ingroup favoritism + outgroup derogation and fuels conspiracy belies.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Willful ignorance is also motivated by social identity concerns--it is driven by ingroup favoritism + outgroup derogation and fuels conspiracy belies.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Attention on social media depends far more on how you express yourself (49% of variance) than on who you are (10%)!
Expressing emotions is more influential than gender, education, family background or personality traits, according to an analysis of 2.1 million posts.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Expressing emotions is more influential than gender, education, family background or personality traits, according to an analysis of 2.1 million posts.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 27, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Attention on social media depends far more on how you express yourself (49% of variance) than on who you are (10%)!
Expressing emotions is more influential than gender, education, family background or personality traits, according to an analysis of 2.1 million posts.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Expressing emotions is more influential than gender, education, family background or personality traits, according to an analysis of 2.1 million posts.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Even bees experience affect contagion!
Bees that briefly interacted in a positive affective state in this tunnel later showed more optimistic responses to ambiguous flowers. Even insects can share affective states, tracing the roots of affect and social cognition deep into evolution.
Bees that briefly interacted in a positive affective state in this tunnel later showed more optimistic responses to ambiguous flowers. Even insects can share affective states, tracing the roots of affect and social cognition deep into evolution.
October 27, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Even bees experience affect contagion!
Bees that briefly interacted in a positive affective state in this tunnel later showed more optimistic responses to ambiguous flowers. Even insects can share affective states, tracing the roots of affect and social cognition deep into evolution.
Bees that briefly interacted in a positive affective state in this tunnel later showed more optimistic responses to ambiguous flowers. Even insects can share affective states, tracing the roots of affect and social cognition deep into evolution.
Do civil dialogue interventions on U.S. college campuses have any impact?
Yes, civil dialogue training has a positive effect on intellectual humility and the likelihood to participate and discuss politics with out-group members. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Yes, civil dialogue training has a positive effect on intellectual humility and the likelihood to participate and discuss politics with out-group members. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
October 26, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Do civil dialogue interventions on U.S. college campuses have any impact?
Yes, civil dialogue training has a positive effect on intellectual humility and the likelihood to participate and discuss politics with out-group members. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Yes, civil dialogue training has a positive effect on intellectual humility and the likelihood to participate and discuss politics with out-group members. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
I gave a talk today on effective teams:
🕺Establish shared goals & collective rewards
👥 Use inclusive language: we, not I
☮️ Don’t just reward the high performers, reward folks who uplift teams
🗣️Value healthy dissent as it fuels innovation
🩵 Align around shared outcomes, not just individual wins
🕺Establish shared goals & collective rewards
👥 Use inclusive language: we, not I
☮️ Don’t just reward the high performers, reward folks who uplift teams
🗣️Value healthy dissent as it fuels innovation
🩵 Align around shared outcomes, not just individual wins
October 26, 2025 at 6:49 PM
I gave a talk today on effective teams:
🕺Establish shared goals & collective rewards
👥 Use inclusive language: we, not I
☮️ Don’t just reward the high performers, reward folks who uplift teams
🗣️Value healthy dissent as it fuels innovation
🩵 Align around shared outcomes, not just individual wins
🕺Establish shared goals & collective rewards
👥 Use inclusive language: we, not I
☮️ Don’t just reward the high performers, reward folks who uplift teams
🗣️Value healthy dissent as it fuels innovation
🩵 Align around shared outcomes, not just individual wins
I'm giving a talk on "How Social Media Misleads Us about Public Opinion" to The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine in DC
Watch it online or in person: www.nationalacademies.org/event/45948_11-2025_beware-the-funhouse-mirror-how-social-media-misleads-us-about-public-opinion
Watch it online or in person: www.nationalacademies.org/event/45948_11-2025_beware-the-funhouse-mirror-how-social-media-misleads-us-about-public-opinion
October 25, 2025 at 4:04 PM
I'm giving a talk on "How Social Media Misleads Us about Public Opinion" to The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine in DC
Watch it online or in person: www.nationalacademies.org/event/45948_11-2025_beware-the-funhouse-mirror-how-social-media-misleads-us-about-public-opinion
Watch it online or in person: www.nationalacademies.org/event/45948_11-2025_beware-the-funhouse-mirror-how-social-media-misleads-us-about-public-opinion
Social media posts containing collective narcissistic expressions are associated with a 1.34 times higher expected count of likes and a 2.67 times higher expected count of quotes (from an analysis of 11,836 posts about Stop the Steal) journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
October 24, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Social media posts containing collective narcissistic expressions are associated with a 1.34 times higher expected count of likes and a 2.67 times higher expected count of quotes (from an analysis of 11,836 posts about Stop the Steal) journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1...