Sam Pratt
@sampratt99.bsky.social
Psychology PhD student at UCLA 🐻 learning about morality, politics, and consciousness
Pinned
Sam Pratt
@sampratt99.bsky.social
· Mar 11
New paper in early publication at Annual Review of Psychology: @kurtjgray and I review how the mind makes sense of morality.
We argue that morality is fundamentally tied to perceptions of harm/victimhood/suffering and discuss how to understand and bridge moral/political divides
We argue that morality is fundamentally tied to perceptions of harm/victimhood/suffering and discuss how to understand and bridge moral/political divides
Why do some health choices seem like moral issues 💉😷 whereas others are personal preferences 🦷🧘?
Our new paper in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin finds that we moralize health behaviors when we see them as causing harm.
doi.org/10.1177/0146...
Our new paper in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin finds that we moralize health behaviors when we see them as causing harm.
doi.org/10.1177/0146...
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Why do some health choices seem like moral issues 💉😷 whereas others are personal preferences 🦷🧘?
Our new paper in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin finds that we moralize health behaviors when we see them as causing harm.
doi.org/10.1177/0146...
Our new paper in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin finds that we moralize health behaviors when we see them as causing harm.
doi.org/10.1177/0146...
Nobel prizes are out, did anyone else get honorable mention?
October 7, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Nobel prizes are out, did anyone else get honorable mention?
New post about the signals that trigger warnings and safe spaces send to students in SPSP blog👇
September 29, 2025 at 5:01 PM
New post about the signals that trigger warnings and safe spaces send to students in SPSP blog👇
Introducing the Words Can Harm Scale: a measure of the belief that words can cause psychological harm.
Preprint and online assessment in next tweet!
Preprint and online assessment in next tweet!
September 24, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Introducing the Words Can Harm Scale: a measure of the belief that words can cause psychological harm.
Preprint and online assessment in next tweet!
Preprint and online assessment in next tweet!
✍️ New Preprint:
"Sticks and stones may break my bones..." but can words really harm?
We created the Words Can Harm Scale (WCHS) to measure the belief that speech can cause lasting psychological harm.
You can take the online assessment here: sampratt99.github.io/Words-Can-Ha...
"Sticks and stones may break my bones..." but can words really harm?
We created the Words Can Harm Scale (WCHS) to measure the belief that speech can cause lasting psychological harm.
You can take the online assessment here: sampratt99.github.io/Words-Can-Ha...
September 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM
✍️ New Preprint:
"Sticks and stones may break my bones..." but can words really harm?
We created the Words Can Harm Scale (WCHS) to measure the belief that speech can cause lasting psychological harm.
You can take the online assessment here: sampratt99.github.io/Words-Can-Ha...
"Sticks and stones may break my bones..." but can words really harm?
We created the Words Can Harm Scale (WCHS) to measure the belief that speech can cause lasting psychological harm.
You can take the online assessment here: sampratt99.github.io/Words-Can-Ha...
People often rely on their own judgment over the "wisdom of the crowds" when making tough decisions (e.g., "which school should I attend?")
A new study found that across 12 countries, most participants went with their gut even when given the option to consult others.
A new study found that across 12 countries, most participants went with their gut even when given the option to consult others.
August 28, 2025 at 1:43 PM
People often rely on their own judgment over the "wisdom of the crowds" when making tough decisions (e.g., "which school should I attend?")
A new study found that across 12 countries, most participants went with their gut even when given the option to consult others.
A new study found that across 12 countries, most participants went with their gut even when given the option to consult others.
New study finds that as birth rates have declined, we've started spending more on pets.
And across several studies, dog lovers often prioritized dogs over people in moral dilemmas 🐶 > 🙍
And across several studies, dog lovers often prioritized dogs over people in moral dilemmas 🐶 > 🙍
Study 1: National spending on pets is strongly negatively correlated with the birth rate (r = -.93; controlling for GDP). This replicated at the county level.
Less babies born = more 💸 spent on pets, which may suggest a caregiving trade-off.
Less babies born = more 💸 spent on pets, which may suggest a caregiving trade-off.
August 25, 2025 at 4:33 PM
New study finds that as birth rates have declined, we've started spending more on pets.
And across several studies, dog lovers often prioritized dogs over people in moral dilemmas 🐶 > 🙍
And across several studies, dog lovers often prioritized dogs over people in moral dilemmas 🐶 > 🙍
A new study seems to show that right-leaning participants care more about left-leaning causes than right-leaning ones 🤯
A surprising finding, but I think we should be cautious about this interpretation 🧵 1/8
A surprising finding, but I think we should be cautious about this interpretation 🧵 1/8
August 22, 2025 at 1:45 PM
A new study seems to show that right-leaning participants care more about left-leaning causes than right-leaning ones 🤯
A surprising finding, but I think we should be cautious about this interpretation 🧵 1/8
A surprising finding, but I think we should be cautious about this interpretation 🧵 1/8
People are averse to "doubling back": in a virtual reality maze game, over half (56%) of participants chose a longer route over a more efficient route when the efficient option required them to "double back", effectively undoing their previous progress.
August 19, 2025 at 3:31 PM
People are averse to "doubling back": in a virtual reality maze game, over half (56%) of participants chose a longer route over a more efficient route when the efficient option required them to "double back", effectively undoing their previous progress.
Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos:
"The existence of consciousness is both one of the most familiar and one of the most astounding things about the world. No conception of the natural order that that does not reveal it as something to be expected can aspire even to the outline of completeness"
"The existence of consciousness is both one of the most familiar and one of the most astounding things about the world. No conception of the natural order that that does not reveal it as something to be expected can aspire even to the outline of completeness"
August 18, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos:
"The existence of consciousness is both one of the most familiar and one of the most astounding things about the world. No conception of the natural order that that does not reveal it as something to be expected can aspire even to the outline of completeness"
"The existence of consciousness is both one of the most familiar and one of the most astounding things about the world. No conception of the natural order that that does not reveal it as something to be expected can aspire even to the outline of completeness"
Our recent paper on trigger warnings was covered by @psypost.bsky.social . You can read the article at the link below.
Professors who use safe space language seen as more caring—and more authoritarian
Professors who use safe space language seen as more caring—and more authoritarian
A new study finds that safe space statements can make students feel more comfortable and open in the classroom—but also make instructors seem more liberal and authoritarian. Trigger warnings, by contrast, had no meaningful impact on students’ perceptions.
www.psypost.org
August 7, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Our recent paper on trigger warnings was covered by @psypost.bsky.social . You can read the article at the link below.
Feeling mixed feelings on my last day as lab manager in the
Deepest Beliefs Lab. It's been an amazing two years working with @kurtjgray.bsky.social and I'm so grateful for all the amazing people I've worked with.
But lots to look forward to starting at UCLA in two months!
Deepest Beliefs Lab. It's been an amazing two years working with @kurtjgray.bsky.social and I'm so grateful for all the amazing people I've worked with.
But lots to look forward to starting at UCLA in two months!
August 1, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Feeling mixed feelings on my last day as lab manager in the
Deepest Beliefs Lab. It's been an amazing two years working with @kurtjgray.bsky.social and I'm so grateful for all the amazing people I've worked with.
But lots to look forward to starting at UCLA in two months!
Deepest Beliefs Lab. It's been an amazing two years working with @kurtjgray.bsky.social and I'm so grateful for all the amazing people I've worked with.
But lots to look forward to starting at UCLA in two months!
Reposted by Sam Pratt
This week's Science to Impact symposium at Ohio State hosted experts in all kinds of science communication!
Grateful to have helped organize this event and heard from these minds in one room. 🧠 🧪
Grateful to have helped organize this event and heard from these minds in one room. 🧠 🧪
August 1, 2025 at 7:57 PM
This week's Science to Impact symposium at Ohio State hosted experts in all kinds of science communication!
Grateful to have helped organize this event and heard from these minds in one room. 🧠 🧪
Grateful to have helped organize this event and heard from these minds in one room. 🧠 🧪
55-70% of people followed an arbitrary rule (e.g., wait at a stoplight until a cross disappears) even when 1) nobody is watching, 2) they would get money for breaking the rule, and 3) breaking the rule harms nobody
Open access paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Open access paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
July 29, 2025 at 7:27 PM
55-70% of people followed an arbitrary rule (e.g., wait at a stoplight until a cross disappears) even when 1) nobody is watching, 2) they would get money for breaking the rule, and 3) breaking the rule harms nobody
Open access paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Open access paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New paper in JEP Applied:
Why do so many instructors use trigger warnings or announce that their classroom is a "safe space"?
We find that these practices send important signals about the instructor's intentions, values, and political commitments.
@apajournals.bsky.social
Why do so many instructors use trigger warnings or announce that their classroom is a "safe space"?
We find that these practices send important signals about the instructor's intentions, values, and political commitments.
@apajournals.bsky.social
July 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM
New paper in JEP Applied:
Why do so many instructors use trigger warnings or announce that their classroom is a "safe space"?
We find that these practices send important signals about the instructor's intentions, values, and political commitments.
@apajournals.bsky.social
Why do so many instructors use trigger warnings or announce that their classroom is a "safe space"?
We find that these practices send important signals about the instructor's intentions, values, and political commitments.
@apajournals.bsky.social
Very cool experience giving a talk at the YMCA summer camp I attended in New Hampshire from age 9-16. I spoke about the youth mental health crisis and how summer camps can provide boys and young men with a sense of belonging.
June 19, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Very cool experience giving a talk at the YMCA summer camp I attended in New Hampshire from age 9-16. I spoke about the youth mental health crisis and how summer camps can provide boys and young men with a sense of belonging.
Reposted by Sam Pratt
Psychological inoculation is a very popular intervention against online misinfo, but it hasn't been tested using real-world outcomes in realistic scenarios.
In a new paper just published in PNAS Nexus, this is what we did: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Short version: It didn't really work.
In a new paper just published in PNAS Nexus, this is what we did: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Short version: It didn't really work.
June 5, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Psychological inoculation is a very popular intervention against online misinfo, but it hasn't been tested using real-world outcomes in realistic scenarios.
In a new paper just published in PNAS Nexus, this is what we did: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Short version: It didn't really work.
In a new paper just published in PNAS Nexus, this is what we did: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Short version: It didn't really work.
Some promising trends in the psychology replication crisis since 2004:
- Fewer studies publish weak p values (.01 < p < .05)
- Studies with weak p values are less likely to get cited
- The % of weak p values (26%) is now roughly what we would expect from studies with 80% power.
- Fewer studies publish weak p values (.01 < p < .05)
- Studies with weak p values are less likely to get cited
- The % of weak p values (26%) is now roughly what we would expect from studies with 80% power.
June 5, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Some promising trends in the psychology replication crisis since 2004:
- Fewer studies publish weak p values (.01 < p < .05)
- Studies with weak p values are less likely to get cited
- The % of weak p values (26%) is now roughly what we would expect from studies with 80% power.
- Fewer studies publish weak p values (.01 < p < .05)
- Studies with weak p values are less likely to get cited
- The % of weak p values (26%) is now roughly what we would expect from studies with 80% power.
AI is quickly becoming a valuable tool in psychological research. I created a short guide to help you use it well (link in comments 👇).
Includes CustomGPTs, example prompts, and tools for lit reviews, survey design, data analysis, and manuscript prep.
Includes CustomGPTs, example prompts, and tools for lit reviews, survey design, data analysis, and manuscript prep.
x.com
May 30, 2025 at 4:17 PM
AI is quickly becoming a valuable tool in psychological research. I created a short guide to help you use it well (link in comments 👇).
Includes CustomGPTs, example prompts, and tools for lit reviews, survey design, data analysis, and manuscript prep.
Includes CustomGPTs, example prompts, and tools for lit reviews, survey design, data analysis, and manuscript prep.
I recently had the chance to go on the Outrage Overload Podcast (@outrageoverload.net) with David Beckemeyer. We discussed the psychology of morality, the role of victimhood in political conflict, and how we might lower the temperature on society's biggest divides. Link in the comments!
May 20, 2025 at 1:14 PM
I recently had the chance to go on the Outrage Overload Podcast (@outrageoverload.net) with David Beckemeyer. We discussed the psychology of morality, the role of victimhood in political conflict, and how we might lower the temperature on society's biggest divides. Link in the comments!
Lots of famous findings about human behavior are built on the results of economic games - tasks where participants allocate resources or make choices with different payoffs. A new study finds that up to 70% of participants don't understand the instructions of these games.
May 7, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Lots of famous findings about human behavior are built on the results of economic games - tasks where participants allocate resources or make choices with different payoffs. A new study finds that up to 70% of participants don't understand the instructions of these games.
Reposted by Sam Pratt
New post: What do a physicist in a strip club, a pop star in a church, and government officials making war plans in a group chat have in common? 🔬🎤💣
The setting is all wrong—so wrong that their decisions start to feel immoral.
(🔗 in thread)
The setting is all wrong—so wrong that their decisions start to feel immoral.
(🔗 in thread)
April 21, 2025 at 8:31 PM
New post: What do a physicist in a strip club, a pop star in a church, and government officials making war plans in a group chat have in common? 🔬🎤💣
The setting is all wrong—so wrong that their decisions start to feel immoral.
(🔗 in thread)
The setting is all wrong—so wrong that their decisions start to feel immoral.
(🔗 in thread)
I had a great time this weekend presenting with @emilykubin.bsky.social at the Templeton World Charity Foundation Listening and Learning in a Polarized World meetup in Marrakesh, Morocco. @templetonworld.bsky.social put on an amazing event!
April 21, 2025 at 4:14 PM
I had a great time this weekend presenting with @emilykubin.bsky.social at the Templeton World Charity Foundation Listening and Learning in a Polarized World meetup in Marrakesh, Morocco. @templetonworld.bsky.social put on an amazing event!
Reposted by Sam Pratt
@sampratt99.bsky.social and I are having a fantastic time in Marrakesh Morocco discussing polarization and pluralism. Enjoying the great discussions across disciplines to tackle some of the most pressing societal issues. Thanks Templeton World Charity Foundation for organizing this event!
April 17, 2025 at 11:05 PM
@sampratt99.bsky.social and I are having a fantastic time in Marrakesh Morocco discussing polarization and pluralism. Enjoying the great discussions across disciplines to tackle some of the most pressing societal issues. Thanks Templeton World Charity Foundation for organizing this event!