Politics and Social Change Lab
@pascl-stanford.bsky.social
Research program Stanford Center on Philantropy and Civil Society
investigating forces that unite and divide Americans. Director: @robbwiller.bsky.social
investigating forces that unite and divide Americans. Director: @robbwiller.bsky.social
Thank you to @myra.bsky.social for her recent insightful presentation on how sycophantic AI can reduce people’s willingness to take responsibility and repair interpersonal conflicts! @robbwiller.bsky.social
November 26, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Thank you to @myra.bsky.social for her recent insightful presentation on how sycophantic AI can reduce people’s willingness to take responsibility and repair interpersonal conflicts! @robbwiller.bsky.social
Thank you to Kasey Rhee for an exciting recent presentation on her work analyzing how party registration has shifted across demographic groups using an unprecedented dataset of six billion voter records! @robbwiller.bsky.social
November 25, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Thank you to Kasey Rhee for an exciting recent presentation on her work analyzing how party registration has shifted across demographic groups using an unprecedented dataset of six billion voter records! @robbwiller.bsky.social
Proud to have our very own Ben Kinder present his undergraduate thesis research in our lab, focusing on pragmatic biases and strategic discrimination in American voting preferences. Excited to see where this work goes!
November 22, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Proud to have our very own Ben Kinder present his undergraduate thesis research in our lab, focusing on pragmatic biases and strategic discrimination in American voting preferences. Excited to see where this work goes!
Thank you to @joshcjackson.bsky.social and Dan Medvedev for a fascinating recent lab presentation on how attitudes toward the rich vary globally! Innovative methods and fascinating findings, all around. @robbwiller.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Thank you to @joshcjackson.bsky.social and Dan Medvedev for a fascinating recent lab presentation on how attitudes toward the rich vary globally! Innovative methods and fascinating findings, all around. @robbwiller.bsky.social
Big thanks to @kobihackenburg.bsky.social for sharing his comprehensive research program on the capacity of AI-Human conversation to facilitate attitude change. Really exciting stuff!
November 10, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Big thanks to @kobihackenburg.bsky.social for sharing his comprehensive research program on the capacity of AI-Human conversation to facilitate attitude change. Really exciting stuff!
Awesome work by Jiayi Geng leading this preprint investigating then question, "Do LM assistants change their beliefs as context accumulates?"
November 5, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Awesome work by Jiayi Geng leading this preprint investigating then question, "Do LM assistants change their beliefs as context accumulates?"
Thanks to Paul Lendway for presenting his work on sermon rhetoric and what it tells us about Evangelical alignment with the Republican Party. Looking forward to reading the book that comes out of this research! @robbwiller.bsky.social
October 23, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Thanks to Paul Lendway for presenting his work on sermon rhetoric and what it tells us about Evangelical alignment with the Republican Party. Looking forward to reading the book that comes out of this research! @robbwiller.bsky.social
We find high public interest in using validated well-being chatbots.
In a nationally rep survey (N=3,056), about 1/2 of U.S. adults said they’d use empirically validated well-being chatbots. About 1/4 have already used #generativeAI chatbots for well-being.
In a nationally rep survey (N=3,056), about 1/2 of U.S. adults said they’d use empirically validated well-being chatbots. About 1/4 have already used #generativeAI chatbots for well-being.
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
We find high public interest in using validated well-being chatbots.
In a nationally rep survey (N=3,056), about 1/2 of U.S. adults said they’d use empirically validated well-being chatbots. About 1/4 have already used #generativeAI chatbots for well-being.
In a nationally rep survey (N=3,056), about 1/2 of U.S. adults said they’d use empirically validated well-being chatbots. About 1/4 have already used #generativeAI chatbots for well-being.
Importantly, results generalized to key subpopulations, including those with high baseline levels of anxiety or depressed mood.
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Importantly, results generalized to key subpopulations, including those with high baseline levels of anxiety or depressed mood.
Linguistic analyses showed users had diff conversations with each chatbot:
Savoring → Sensory perceptions & positive emotions
Gratitude → Social interactions & positive emotions
Meaning → Reflection on others & cognitive processes
Hero’s journey → Achievement & cognitive processes
Savoring → Sensory perceptions & positive emotions
Gratitude → Social interactions & positive emotions
Meaning → Reflection on others & cognitive processes
Hero’s journey → Achievement & cognitive processes
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Linguistic analyses showed users had diff conversations with each chatbot:
Savoring → Sensory perceptions & positive emotions
Gratitude → Social interactions & positive emotions
Meaning → Reflection on others & cognitive processes
Hero’s journey → Achievement & cognitive processes
Savoring → Sensory perceptions & positive emotions
Gratitude → Social interactions & positive emotions
Meaning → Reflection on others & cognitive processes
Hero’s journey → Achievement & cognitive processes
Does use tradeoff with human therapy?
Maybe, though initial evidence against: conversations increased willingness to try well-being chatbots again and to seek human therapy, even among those previously reluctant.
Maybe, though initial evidence against: conversations increased willingness to try well-being chatbots again and to seek human therapy, even among those previously reluctant.
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Does use tradeoff with human therapy?
Maybe, though initial evidence against: conversations increased willingness to try well-being chatbots again and to seek human therapy, even among those previously reluctant.
Maybe, though initial evidence against: conversations increased willingness to try well-being chatbots again and to seek human therapy, even among those previously reluctant.
RESULTS: All four chatbots…
⚡️Improved happiness, life satisfaction, and meaning,
⚡️Reduced anxiety and depressed mood, relative to control.
Effect sizes exceed or match those from traditional positive psych interventions in @dunnhappylab.bsky.social recent meta-analysis.
⚡️Improved happiness, life satisfaction, and meaning,
⚡️Reduced anxiety and depressed mood, relative to control.
Effect sizes exceed or match those from traditional positive psych interventions in @dunnhappylab.bsky.social recent meta-analysis.
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
RESULTS: All four chatbots…
⚡️Improved happiness, life satisfaction, and meaning,
⚡️Reduced anxiety and depressed mood, relative to control.
Effect sizes exceed or match those from traditional positive psych interventions in @dunnhappylab.bsky.social recent meta-analysis.
⚡️Improved happiness, life satisfaction, and meaning,
⚡️Reduced anxiety and depressed mood, relative to control.
Effect sizes exceed or match those from traditional positive psych interventions in @dunnhappylab.bsky.social recent meta-analysis.
#4: The Hero’s Journey Chatbot
Guides the user to reframe their life story in terms of the archetypal Hero’s Journey, highlighting challenges, strengths, and next steps (h/t Ben Rogers, @kurtjgray.bsky.social, Herrison Chicas)
👉 herobot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
Guides the user to reframe their life story in terms of the archetypal Hero’s Journey, highlighting challenges, strengths, and next steps (h/t Ben Rogers, @kurtjgray.bsky.social, Herrison Chicas)
👉 herobot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
#4: The Hero’s Journey Chatbot
Guides the user to reframe their life story in terms of the archetypal Hero’s Journey, highlighting challenges, strengths, and next steps (h/t Ben Rogers, @kurtjgray.bsky.social, Herrison Chicas)
👉 herobot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
Guides the user to reframe their life story in terms of the archetypal Hero’s Journey, highlighting challenges, strengths, and next steps (h/t Ben Rogers, @kurtjgray.bsky.social, Herrison Chicas)
👉 herobot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
#3: The Meaning Chatbot
Prompts the user to reflect on what gives their life purpose, such as people, activities, and beliefs that are meaningful to them.
👉 cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
Prompts the user to reflect on what gives their life purpose, such as people, activities, and beliefs that are meaningful to them.
👉 cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
#3: The Meaning Chatbot
Prompts the user to reflect on what gives their life purpose, such as people, activities, and beliefs that are meaningful to them.
👉 cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
Prompts the user to reflect on what gives their life purpose, such as people, activities, and beliefs that are meaningful to them.
👉 cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
#2: The Gratitude Chatbot
Guides user through a short exercise to express gratitude to a specific person. Encourages the user to notice others’ contributions and articulate what they appreciate.
👉 gratitudebot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
Guides user through a short exercise to express gratitude to a specific person. Encourages the user to notice others’ contributions and articulate what they appreciate.
👉 gratitudebot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
#2: The Gratitude Chatbot
Guides user through a short exercise to express gratitude to a specific person. Encourages the user to notice others’ contributions and articulate what they appreciate.
👉 gratitudebot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
Guides user through a short exercise to express gratitude to a specific person. Encourages the user to notice others’ contributions and articulate what they appreciate.
👉 gratitudebot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
#1: The Savoring Chatbot
Guides user to slow down and reflect on a positive moment from their life in detail, e.g., associated sensations, thoughts, and meaning.
👉 savoringbot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
Guides user to slow down and reflect on a positive moment from their life in detail, e.g., associated sensations, thoughts, and meaning.
👉 savoringbot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
#1: The Savoring Chatbot
Guides user to slow down and reflect on a positive moment from their life in detail, e.g., associated sensations, thoughts, and meaning.
👉 savoringbot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
Guides user to slow down and reflect on a positive moment from their life in detail, e.g., associated sensations, thoughts, and meaning.
👉 savoringbot.cpwbinterventions.xyz/readme
In a preregistered, randomized experiment (N=2,922), we tested whether four different AI chatbots could improve happiness and feelings of meaning in life.
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
In a preregistered, randomized experiment (N=2,922), we tested whether four different AI chatbots could improve happiness and feelings of meaning in life.
Millions use #GenerativeAI chatbots for emotional support, yet little research re: whether AI dialogues can improve psychological well-being
We test whether brief, structured dialogues grounded in psych research can reliably help
WP👉 osf.io/preprints/ps...
We test whether brief, structured dialogues grounded in psych research can reliably help
WP👉 osf.io/preprints/ps...
October 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Millions use #GenerativeAI chatbots for emotional support, yet little research re: whether AI dialogues can improve psychological well-being
We test whether brief, structured dialogues grounded in psych research can reliably help
WP👉 osf.io/preprints/ps...
We test whether brief, structured dialogues grounded in psych research can reliably help
WP👉 osf.io/preprints/ps...
Congratulations to lab alumn @maxhuibai.bsky.social on the release of his academic party game, Publish or Perish! Very excited to have received our copies in the mail – thanks, Max!
You can check out Max's game here 👇
publishorperish.games
You can check out Max's game here 👇
publishorperish.games
June 12, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Congratulations to lab alumn @maxhuibai.bsky.social on the release of his academic party game, Publish or Perish! Very excited to have received our copies in the mail – thanks, Max!
You can check out Max's game here 👇
publishorperish.games
You can check out Max's game here 👇
publishorperish.games
Thank you to @jonnekamphorst.bsky.social and David Broska for an engaging presentation on their work on support for predistributive and redistributive policies! @robbwiller.bsky.social @stanfordpacs.bsky.social
June 5, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Thank you to @jonnekamphorst.bsky.social and David Broska for an engaging presentation on their work on support for predistributive and redistributive policies! @robbwiller.bsky.social @stanfordpacs.bsky.social
Big thanks to Ariel Malka for a fascinating presentation in the lab this week on how cultural and economic ideologies shape anti-democratic sentiment across partisan lines! @robbwiller.bsky.social @stanfordpacs.bsky.social
May 30, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Big thanks to Ariel Malka for a fascinating presentation in the lab this week on how cultural and economic ideologies shape anti-democratic sentiment across partisan lines! @robbwiller.bsky.social @stanfordpacs.bsky.social
Big thanks to @devorahmanekin.bsky.social for an engaging talk on how affective polarization may shape nonviolent resistance!
May 20, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Big thanks to @devorahmanekin.bsky.social for an engaging talk on how affective polarization may shape nonviolent resistance!
Thank you Kylie Fuller for presenting your work on how extreme protest tactics affect legislators' support for climate activists and climate action. We look forward to seeing this project develop!
May 9, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Thank you Kylie Fuller for presenting your work on how extreme protest tactics affect legislators' support for climate activists and climate action. We look forward to seeing this project develop!
Thank you to Minjae Kim for an engaging and insightful talk on cross-cutting ties among divided political elites last Tuesday!
May 9, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Thank you to Minjae Kim for an engaging and insightful talk on cross-cutting ties among divided political elites last Tuesday!
Thanks to Ryan Liu for sharing his exciting work on simulating and predicting people using generative AI agents! We are looking forward to seeing how this project develops.
April 10, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Thanks to Ryan Liu for sharing his exciting work on simulating and predicting people using generative AI agents! We are looking forward to seeing how this project develops.