Wilson Merrell
@wnmerrell.bsky.social
Postdoc at the Centre for the Experimental-Philosophical Study of Discrimination (Aarhus University)
Psychology of resource management, infectious disease, and social hierarchy
Formerly: University of Michigan, Macalester College
Psychology of resource management, infectious disease, and social hierarchy
Formerly: University of Michigan, Macalester College
Despite clear ideological differences in stated attitudes toward poor people (left panel), egalitarians and anti-egalitarians generated strikingly similar mental images.
• Objectively: high pixel-wise similarity
• Subjectively: no difference in evaluations by independent raters (right panel)
• Objectively: high pixel-wise similarity
• Subjectively: no difference in evaluations by independent raters (right panel)
October 31, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Despite clear ideological differences in stated attitudes toward poor people (left panel), egalitarians and anti-egalitarians generated strikingly similar mental images.
• Objectively: high pixel-wise similarity
• Subjectively: no difference in evaluations by independent raters (right panel)
• Objectively: high pixel-wise similarity
• Subjectively: no difference in evaluations by independent raters (right panel)
New work on resource possession + hierarchy regulation!
Do the faces on the left and right look different to you?
They were generated using a reverse correlation task by UK ps asked to visualize “poor people”:
🟩 Generated by egalitarians (low SDO)
🟥 Generated by anti-egalitarians (high SDO)
Do the faces on the left and right look different to you?
They were generated using a reverse correlation task by UK ps asked to visualize “poor people”:
🟩 Generated by egalitarians (low SDO)
🟥 Generated by anti-egalitarians (high SDO)
October 31, 2025 at 3:28 PM
New work on resource possession + hierarchy regulation!
Do the faces on the left and right look different to you?
They were generated using a reverse correlation task by UK ps asked to visualize “poor people”:
🟩 Generated by egalitarians (low SDO)
🟥 Generated by anti-egalitarians (high SDO)
Do the faces on the left and right look different to you?
They were generated using a reverse correlation task by UK ps asked to visualize “poor people”:
🟩 Generated by egalitarians (low SDO)
🟥 Generated by anti-egalitarians (high SDO)
Kicking off #SESP2025 in Lisbon by co-chairing (with Julia Buzan) a symposium bright and early Friday morning!
Come by Roma I at 8:30am to hear about new work on resource ecologies, behavior, and intergroup relations from Julia, @dedreu.bsky.social, Oliver Sng, and me.
Come by Roma I at 8:30am to hear about new work on resource ecologies, behavior, and intergroup relations from Julia, @dedreu.bsky.social, Oliver Sng, and me.
October 16, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Kicking off #SESP2025 in Lisbon by co-chairing (with Julia Buzan) a symposium bright and early Friday morning!
Come by Roma I at 8:30am to hear about new work on resource ecologies, behavior, and intergroup relations from Julia, @dedreu.bsky.social, Oliver Sng, and me.
Come by Roma I at 8:30am to hear about new work on resource ecologies, behavior, and intergroup relations from Julia, @dedreu.bsky.social, Oliver Sng, and me.
When no motivation was given, conspicuous experiences were assumed to be more intrinsically motivated and judged as warmer (panel A).
But when this flipped (e.g., extrinsically motivated vacations, intrinsically motivated jewelry), the warmth advantage disappeared and even reversed (panel C). (6/7)
But when this flipped (e.g., extrinsically motivated vacations, intrinsically motivated jewelry), the warmth advantage disappeared and even reversed (panel C). (6/7)
April 30, 2025 at 12:16 PM
When no motivation was given, conspicuous experiences were assumed to be more intrinsically motivated and judged as warmer (panel A).
But when this flipped (e.g., extrinsically motivated vacations, intrinsically motivated jewelry), the warmth advantage disappeared and even reversed (panel C). (6/7)
But when this flipped (e.g., extrinsically motivated vacations, intrinsically motivated jewelry), the warmth advantage disappeared and even reversed (panel C). (6/7)
Why does this experiential warmth advantage exist? A key factor was perceived motivation.
In another study, participants saw profiles representing either experiential or material purchases accompanied by intrinsic (“for me”) or extrinsic (“to impress”) purchase motivations (or none at all). (5/7)
In another study, participants saw profiles representing either experiential or material purchases accompanied by intrinsic (“for me”) or extrinsic (“to impress”) purchase motivations (or none at all). (5/7)
April 30, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Why does this experiential warmth advantage exist? A key factor was perceived motivation.
In another study, participants saw profiles representing either experiential or material purchases accompanied by intrinsic (“for me”) or extrinsic (“to impress”) purchase motivations (or none at all). (5/7)
In another study, participants saw profiles representing either experiential or material purchases accompanied by intrinsic (“for me”) or extrinsic (“to impress”) purchase motivations (or none at all). (5/7)
In one study, we scraped Instagram posts tagged with experiential and material hashtags (see examples below).
Participants saw conspicuous experiential consumers as equally high status—but significantly higher warmth—than conspicuous material consumers. (4/7)
Participants saw conspicuous experiential consumers as equally high status—but significantly higher warmth—than conspicuous material consumers. (4/7)
April 30, 2025 at 12:16 PM
In one study, we scraped Instagram posts tagged with experiential and material hashtags (see examples below).
Participants saw conspicuous experiential consumers as equally high status—but significantly higher warmth—than conspicuous material consumers. (4/7)
Participants saw conspicuous experiential consumers as equally high status—but significantly higher warmth—than conspicuous material consumers. (4/7)
From fancy cars 🚗 to luxury vacations 🏖️, people often show off how they spend their money.
In new work with @joshackman.bsky.social, we find that how this flashy behavior is perceived depends on WHAT purchases are being shown off.
🧵on conspicuous consumption, experiences, and status signals (1/7)
In new work with @joshackman.bsky.social, we find that how this flashy behavior is perceived depends on WHAT purchases are being shown off.
🧵on conspicuous consumption, experiences, and status signals (1/7)
April 30, 2025 at 12:16 PM
From fancy cars 🚗 to luxury vacations 🏖️, people often show off how they spend their money.
In new work with @joshackman.bsky.social, we find that how this flashy behavior is perceived depends on WHAT purchases are being shown off.
🧵on conspicuous consumption, experiences, and status signals (1/7)
In new work with @joshackman.bsky.social, we find that how this flashy behavior is perceived depends on WHAT purchases are being shown off.
🧵on conspicuous consumption, experiences, and status signals (1/7)
Whether we're foraging for food or hunting for houses, humans expect resources to be clumped. What are the implications of this'patchiness psychology' for intergroup relations? Excited to share new geospatial approaches tackling this❓at #SPSP2025 this week--stop by and say hi if you're in town!
February 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Whether we're foraging for food or hunting for houses, humans expect resources to be clumped. What are the implications of this'patchiness psychology' for intergroup relations? Excited to share new geospatial approaches tackling this❓at #SPSP2025 this week--stop by and say hi if you're in town!