Andrew Chalfoun
@achalfoun.bsky.social
Sociology PhD candidate at UCLA studying religion, organizations and social interaction. Writing about Southern Baptist missionaries.
Find me at www.andrewchalfoun.com
Find me at www.andrewchalfoun.com
Pinned
Incurable Optimism about Getting What We Want: Anticipating Success in Everyday Requests
When asking for something significant from another person, speakers not only set the tilt of the question toward the affirmative or negative but also display an optimistic or pessimistic stance tow...
doi.org
When we ask for something big—time, effort, money—do we hedge against rejection or assume success? With @gio-rossi.bsky.social & Tanya Stivers, we find that people are incurably optimistic, even though big requests often meet resistance. Published open access in @socquarterly.bsky.social. #EMCA
Reposted by Andrew Chalfoun
We can no longer trust that survey responses are coming from real people.”
A Researcher Made an AI That Completely Breaks the Online Surveys Scientists Rely On
We can no longer trust that survey responses are coming from real people.”
www.404media.co
November 17, 2025 at 8:15 PM
We can no longer trust that survey responses are coming from real people.”
Guess I'm watching a Mira Nair movie tonight
November 5, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Guess I'm watching a Mira Nair movie tonight
Reposted by Andrew Chalfoun
my paper with my colleague and friend Victoria Tran is finally out!
NEW JUA #ARTICLE: Between the city and the people: The pitfalls and potential of hyper-local governance of the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... @bhanlonurban.bsky.social
October 7, 2025 at 7:26 PM
my paper with my colleague and friend Victoria Tran is finally out!
There may be no atheists in foxholes, but there plenty of agnostics in badger setts. And don't get me started all the freethinking that goes on in rabbit warrens
November 2, 2025 at 1:13 AM
There may be no atheists in foxholes, but there plenty of agnostics in badger setts. And don't get me started all the freethinking that goes on in rabbit warrens
Reposted by Andrew Chalfoun
FREE TO READ
Andrew Chalfoun, Giovanni Rossi, & Tanya Stivers show that everyday requests are made with an optimistic stance. Across seven language communities, people ask as if the answer will be “yes,” revealing a pervasive optimism bias in routine interaction.
Read more at bit.ly/4oKjWWs
Andrew Chalfoun, Giovanni Rossi, & Tanya Stivers show that everyday requests are made with an optimistic stance. Across seven language communities, people ask as if the answer will be “yes,” revealing a pervasive optimism bias in routine interaction.
Read more at bit.ly/4oKjWWs
October 30, 2025 at 7:49 PM
FREE TO READ
Andrew Chalfoun, Giovanni Rossi, & Tanya Stivers show that everyday requests are made with an optimistic stance. Across seven language communities, people ask as if the answer will be “yes,” revealing a pervasive optimism bias in routine interaction.
Read more at bit.ly/4oKjWWs
Andrew Chalfoun, Giovanni Rossi, & Tanya Stivers show that everyday requests are made with an optimistic stance. Across seven language communities, people ask as if the answer will be “yes,” revealing a pervasive optimism bias in routine interaction.
Read more at bit.ly/4oKjWWs
When we ask for something big—time, effort, money—do we hedge against rejection or assume success? With @gio-rossi.bsky.social & Tanya Stivers, we find that people are incurably optimistic, even though big requests often meet resistance. Published open access in @socquarterly.bsky.social. #EMCA
Incurable Optimism about Getting What We Want: Anticipating Success in Everyday Requests
When asking for something significant from another person, speakers not only set the tilt of the question toward the affirmative or negative but also display an optimistic or pessimistic stance tow...
doi.org
October 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
When we ask for something big—time, effort, money—do we hedge against rejection or assume success? With @gio-rossi.bsky.social & Tanya Stivers, we find that people are incurably optimistic, even though big requests often meet resistance. Published open access in @socquarterly.bsky.social. #EMCA
So glad to get to see Whooping Cranes today! Photo credit goes to @lenayeakey.bsky.social
October 5, 2025 at 3:54 PM
So glad to get to see Whooping Cranes today! Photo credit goes to @lenayeakey.bsky.social
Reposted by Andrew Chalfoun
JUST IN: President Trump has told top U.S. commanders that the military would be used against "enemy within."
Trump defends use of U.S. military against 'enemy within'
Earlier, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the purpose of the department would exclusively be "war fighting."
n.pr
September 30, 2025 at 3:25 PM
JUST IN: President Trump has told top U.S. commanders that the military would be used against "enemy within."
Man, for someone who can't follow a football game, I sure do use a lot of sports references
September 26, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Man, for someone who can't follow a football game, I sure do use a lot of sports references
Nothing but love for reviewers who say, "I have principled objections to some of the positions taken in this paper, but it's a good paper that should be published anyway."
September 25, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Nothing but love for reviewers who say, "I have principled objections to some of the positions taken in this paper, but it's a good paper that should be published anyway."
This is three decades late but the Duran Duran version of "Lay Lady Lay" is absolutely awful
September 17, 2025 at 10:39 PM
This is three decades late but the Duran Duran version of "Lay Lady Lay" is absolutely awful
Reposted by Andrew Chalfoun
My research has been documenting growing support for political violence across the political Left since January. Here are data from participants at all of the major protests in 2025:
September 12, 2025 at 10:32 AM
My research has been documenting growing support for political violence across the political Left since January. Here are data from participants at all of the major protests in 2025:
In Our Time is an incredible show! My college roommate played us "The Gin Craze" episode during dinner and I've been hooked ever since.
‘It’s been quite a ride!’ Melvyn Bragg to step down from Radio 4’s In Our Time after 27 years
‘It’s been quite a ride!’ Melvyn Bragg to step down from Radio 4’s In Our Time after 27 years
The broadcaster is leaving the hit BBC programme after presenting more than 1,000 episodes and having ‘enriched the lives of millions’
Melvyn Bragg has announced that he will be leaving BBC Radio 4 show In Our Time after hosting it for 27 years. He launched it in October 1998, after being asked to present a programme during what was known as “the death slot” because of its low Thursday morning audience figures.
The show, which explores the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world, has proved extremely popular. It celebrated its 1,000th episode in 2023 and is regularly one of the BBC’s most listened to on-demand programmes worldwide. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 3, 2025 at 12:56 PM
In Our Time is an incredible show! My college roommate played us "The Gin Craze" episode during dinner and I've been hooked ever since.
My betrothed is REFUSING to use a passage from Song of Songs at our wedding just because the reader would say "my nard gave forth its fragrance."
Like, isn't that the whole reason to use it??
Like, isn't that the whole reason to use it??
August 26, 2025 at 2:23 AM
My betrothed is REFUSING to use a passage from Song of Songs at our wedding just because the reader would say "my nard gave forth its fragrance."
Like, isn't that the whole reason to use it??
Like, isn't that the whole reason to use it??
Once again, seems like we might want to just get rid of the Nobel Peace Prize altogether
August 15, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Once again, seems like we might want to just get rid of the Nobel Peace Prize altogether
Grading is never what I'd call "fun" but sometimes students make mistakes that reveal problems with the original arguments in the assigned readings that I would never have caught on my own.
August 14, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Grading is never what I'd call "fun" but sometimes students make mistakes that reveal problems with the original arguments in the assigned readings that I would never have caught on my own.
Reposted by Andrew Chalfoun
Excited that my article 'Levels of Legibility: Roles and the Flow of State Information in French Morocco' is now out in Social Science History! The paper shows how French administrators' internal communications transformed environmental knowledge and practices in Morocco
dx.doi.org/10.1017/ssh....
dx.doi.org/10.1017/ssh....
Levels of Legibility: Roles and the Flow of State Information in French Morocco | Social Science History | Cambridge Core
Levels of Legibility: Roles and the Flow of State Information in French Morocco
dx.doi.org
August 6, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Excited that my article 'Levels of Legibility: Roles and the Flow of State Information in French Morocco' is now out in Social Science History! The paper shows how French administrators' internal communications transformed environmental knowledge and practices in Morocco
dx.doi.org/10.1017/ssh....
dx.doi.org/10.1017/ssh....
I have one more presentation during #ASA2025! On Monday at 2pm come listen to me talk about how conflict between Christian Right activists and Southern Baptist missionary executives led to bureaucratic centralization that no one wanted: tinyurl.com/29czdf2q
Social and Organizational Forces Influencing Religious Actors
This session investigates how religious actors and institutions are shaped by broader social, legal, and organizational forces. Papers explore the impact of legal and cultural shifts on religious beha...
tinyurl.com
August 10, 2025 at 3:39 PM
I have one more presentation during #ASA2025! On Monday at 2pm come listen to me talk about how conflict between Christian Right activists and Southern Baptist missionary executives led to bureaucratic centralization that no one wanted: tinyurl.com/29czdf2q
Calling all early birds! Check out this great session at the Association for the Sociology of Religion on Sunday at 8:30. I'll be presenting a piece of my book project on covert evangelism and international missions. Hope to see you there!
August 9, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Calling all early birds! Check out this great session at the Association for the Sociology of Religion on Sunday at 8:30. I'll be presenting a piece of my book project on covert evangelism and international missions. Hope to see you there!
Happening in a few minutes!
If you're going to be in Chicago tomorrow (August 6) come to the Voco hotel at 11am to catch my presentation, "Typical Expectations and the Moral Order: Talcott Parsons, Harold Garfinkel, and the Sticky Problem of Meaning" at the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction @sijournal.bsky.social!
August 6, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Happening in a few minutes!
If you're going to be in Chicago tomorrow (August 6) come to the Voco hotel at 11am to catch my presentation, "Typical Expectations and the Moral Order: Talcott Parsons, Harold Garfinkel, and the Sticky Problem of Meaning" at the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction @sijournal.bsky.social!
August 5, 2025 at 2:36 PM
If you're going to be in Chicago tomorrow (August 6) come to the Voco hotel at 11am to catch my presentation, "Typical Expectations and the Moral Order: Talcott Parsons, Harold Garfinkel, and the Sticky Problem of Meaning" at the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction @sijournal.bsky.social!
Reposted by Andrew Chalfoun
1/ 📘 Book alert! 🚨 After a long gestation, extensive rewriting, a complex production process, and life getting in the way, it’s finally out* ➡️ doi.org/10.1093/oso/...
Systems of Social Action: The Case of Requesting in Italian
Abstract. This book is about social action as it is carried out in everyday life. To some readers, the phrase social action may evoke the idea of people ta
doi.org
July 25, 2025 at 5:59 PM
1/ 📘 Book alert! 🚨 After a long gestation, extensive rewriting, a complex production process, and life getting in the way, it’s finally out* ➡️ doi.org/10.1093/oso/...
Listening to a truly awful college band and forcing myself to remember that we need to support bad musicians so that a few of them have opportunities to turn into good musicians
July 16, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Listening to a truly awful college band and forcing myself to remember that we need to support bad musicians so that a few of them have opportunities to turn into good musicians
We rented a Kia EV6 for vacation and I went from "electric cars are a good thing and I'd like to get one when I can afford it" to "electric cars are a dangerous boondoggle that sucks resources from public transit" in about 12 hours
June 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
We rented a Kia EV6 for vacation and I went from "electric cars are a good thing and I'd like to get one when I can afford it" to "electric cars are a dangerous boondoggle that sucks resources from public transit" in about 12 hours
Reposted by Andrew Chalfoun
Amazing: MIT researchers revealed how ChatGPT etc are destroying our brains and booby-trapped the report to expose those who want to use AI to ostensibly summarize the results.
t.co/JXeTALBPds
t.co/JXeTALBPds
June 19, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Amazing: MIT researchers revealed how ChatGPT etc are destroying our brains and booby-trapped the report to expose those who want to use AI to ostensibly summarize the results.
t.co/JXeTALBPds
t.co/JXeTALBPds