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
Pinned
Are a few people ruining the internet for the rest of us?
Why does the online world seem so toxic compared with normal life? Our research shows that a small number of divisive accounts could be responsible – and offers a way out
www.theguardian.com
Only a small % of people engage in toxic activity online, but they’re responsible for a disproportionate share of hostile or misleading content on nearly every platform
Because super-users are so active, they dominate our collective impression of the internet www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...
Because super-users are so active, they dominate our collective impression of the internet www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...
"Prestige bias" is one of the strongest forms of bias in academia.
Reviewers rank paper submissions from top-20 institutions and non-students higher, but this goes away with blinded reviews.
haruka-uchida.github.io/websitefiles...
Reviewers rank paper submissions from top-20 institutions and non-students higher, but this goes away with blinded reviews.
haruka-uchida.github.io/websitefiles...
November 28, 2025 at 9:19 PM
"Prestige bias" is one of the strongest forms of bias in academia.
Reviewers rank paper submissions from top-20 institutions and non-students higher, but this goes away with blinded reviews.
haruka-uchida.github.io/websitefiles...
Reviewers rank paper submissions from top-20 institutions and non-students higher, but this goes away with blinded reviews.
haruka-uchida.github.io/websitefiles...
Rules of etiquette for PhDs:
November 27, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Rules of etiquette for PhDs:
If you want to take a break from social media over the holidays, just slap on one of these:
November 27, 2025 at 1:45 PM
If you want to take a break from social media over the holidays, just slap on one of these:
An adversarial collaboration on "cancel culture" reveals that many university students support restrictions on academic debate and research on campus, including the cancellation of talks, the revocation of teaching positions, and the removal of books.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
November 26, 2025 at 7:46 PM
An adversarial collaboration on "cancel culture" reveals that many university students support restrictions on academic debate and research on campus, including the cancellation of talks, the revocation of teaching positions, and the removal of books.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Waitlisting people can lead to inequality.
A study of 274,316 students finds that low-SES students are much less likely to wait for offers to preferred schools. This led low-SES students to ultimately enroll in programs they liked less and that were less prestigious.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
A study of 274,316 students finds that low-SES students are much less likely to wait for offers to preferred schools. This led low-SES students to ultimately enroll in programs they liked less and that were less prestigious.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
November 26, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Waitlisting people can lead to inequality.
A study of 274,316 students finds that low-SES students are much less likely to wait for offers to preferred schools. This led low-SES students to ultimately enroll in programs they liked less and that were less prestigious.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
A study of 274,316 students finds that low-SES students are much less likely to wait for offers to preferred schools. This led low-SES students to ultimately enroll in programs they liked less and that were less prestigious.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
As a psych grad student I had a serial harasser on my dissertation committee, who I removed from my committee as soon as I heard about it. I was strongly advised to not do this because I was told he would retaliate against me and blacklist me as much as he could. I did it on principle & bc--
My wife was sexually harassed by Miles Hewstone as a phd student. He was still asked to review her (and other women he harassed) for jobs and promotions. This is so fucked up.
Thankfully, she and many other women testified against him and something was finally done. This is her take on his case:
Thankfully, she and many other women testified against him and something was finally done. This is her take on his case:
November 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM
As a psych grad student I had a serial harasser on my dissertation committee, who I removed from my committee as soon as I heard about it. I was strongly advised to not do this because I was told he would retaliate against me and blacklist me as much as he could. I did it on principle & bc--
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
So, is "When Prophesy Fails"—the foundation of cognitive dissonance theory—debunked?
Unclear. The article making this claim is... odd.
It describes Festinger and Schachter as leftwing radicals, critiques the political slant of their funding, generally refers to their work as failed...
1/n
Unclear. The article making this claim is... odd.
It describes Festinger and Schachter as leftwing radicals, critiques the political slant of their funding, generally refers to their work as failed...
1/n
Wow - debunking “When Prophesy Fails” - the canonical foundation of cognitive dissonance theory onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
November 26, 2025 at 3:11 PM
So, is "When Prophesy Fails"—the foundation of cognitive dissonance theory—debunked?
Unclear. The article making this claim is... odd.
It describes Festinger and Schachter as leftwing radicals, critiques the political slant of their funding, generally refers to their work as failed...
1/n
Unclear. The article making this claim is... odd.
It describes Festinger and Schachter as leftwing radicals, critiques the political slant of their funding, generally refers to their work as failed...
1/n
New research finds evidence of evolutionary fitness benefits of intergroup violence in chimps--one of our closest ancestors.
After killing many of their neighbors and reducing their collective strength, chimpanzees may have insulated their infants against this threat.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
After killing many of their neighbors and reducing their collective strength, chimpanzees may have insulated their infants against this threat.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
November 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM
New research finds evidence of evolutionary fitness benefits of intergroup violence in chimps--one of our closest ancestors.
After killing many of their neighbors and reducing their collective strength, chimpanzees may have insulated their infants against this threat.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
After killing many of their neighbors and reducing their collective strength, chimpanzees may have insulated their infants against this threat.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
In 2018, researchers analyzed ~25 billion smartphone location data pings and found that that politically diverse Thanksgiving dinners were “30 to 50 minutes shorter”.
We explain why politics is ruining the holidays and what you can do about it:
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-thanks...
We explain why politics is ruining the holidays and what you can do about it:
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-thanks...
Polarized Family Gatherings: The New Holiday Reality
What research reveals about political conflict during family dinners—and how to steer conversations back to connection
www.powerofusnewsletter.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:29 PM
In 2018, researchers analyzed ~25 billion smartphone location data pings and found that that politically diverse Thanksgiving dinners were “30 to 50 minutes shorter”.
We explain why politics is ruining the holidays and what you can do about it:
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-thanks...
We explain why politics is ruining the holidays and what you can do about it:
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-thanks...
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
"The only thing revealed by this transparency is that social media companies do not give a f*ck about this."
Our attention is the product
There are tutorials in many languages on how to exploit that for profit, not just to stir the pot
AI makes it so easy to exploit now and everyone wins but you
Our attention is the product
There are tutorials in many languages on how to exploit that for profit, not just to stir the pot
AI makes it so easy to exploit now and everyone wins but you
America’s Polarization Has Become the World's Side Hustle
The 'psyops' revealed by X are entirely the fault of the perverse incentives created by social media monetization programs.
www.404media.co
November 25, 2025 at 3:31 AM
"The only thing revealed by this transparency is that social media companies do not give a f*ck about this."
Our attention is the product
There are tutorials in many languages on how to exploit that for profit, not just to stir the pot
AI makes it so easy to exploit now and everyone wins but you
Our attention is the product
There are tutorials in many languages on how to exploit that for profit, not just to stir the pot
AI makes it so easy to exploit now and everyone wins but you
This is why there needs to be greater public transparency about the outcome of sexual harassment cases:
"When Miles Hewstone stepped down in 2019 and it was not possible to receive official information, we confronted him, but he completely denied any misconduct."
"When Miles Hewstone stepped down in 2019 and it was not possible to receive official information, we confronted him, but he completely denied any misconduct."
Statement regarding the Bloomberg article "Oxford University Has Failed Women Over Harassment Concerns, Staff Say" by Oliver Christ, Mathias Kauff (@matkau.bsky.social), Sybille Neji, Sarina J. Schäfer (@dr-in.bsky.social)
ICRN Statement: contactresearch.substack.com/p/icrn-respo...
ICRN Statement: contactresearch.substack.com/p/icrn-respo...
November 25, 2025 at 1:44 PM
This is why there needs to be greater public transparency about the outcome of sexual harassment cases:
"When Miles Hewstone stepped down in 2019 and it was not possible to receive official information, we confronted him, but he completely denied any misconduct."
"When Miles Hewstone stepped down in 2019 and it was not possible to receive official information, we confronted him, but he completely denied any misconduct."
“Actors aren’t communicating; they’re staging provocations for yield...The result is disordered discourse: signals detached from truth, identity shaped by escalation, and a feedback loop where the performance eclipses reality itself.”
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
That MAGA Account Might Be a Troll From Pakistan
How X blew up its own platform with a new location feature
www.theatlantic.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:50 PM
“Actors aren’t communicating; they’re staging provocations for yield...The result is disordered discourse: signals detached from truth, identity shaped by escalation, and a feedback loop where the performance eclipses reality itself.”
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
It’s one thing to suspect kids and teens are getting a horrifying amount of screen time at school - and another to have it confirmed by teachers (via one of my very favorite NYT writers). @clairecm.bsky.social & Sarah Mervosh for @upshot.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/u...
How Much Screen Time Is Your Child Getting at School? We Asked 350 Teachers.
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
It’s one thing to suspect kids and teens are getting a horrifying amount of screen time at school - and another to have it confirmed by teachers (via one of my very favorite NYT writers). @clairecm.bsky.social & Sarah Mervosh for @upshot.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/u...
The obsession with Ivy+ colleges is overrated
The same kids who are able to get into an elite school will earn just as much $$$ if they get into a state school. The income gain is 0%
But Ivy+ schools offer access to the *most prestigious* jobs, like elite law firms academic.oup.com/qje/advance-...
The same kids who are able to get into an elite school will earn just as much $$$ if they get into a state school. The income gain is 0%
But Ivy+ schools offer access to the *most prestigious* jobs, like elite law firms academic.oup.com/qje/advance-...
November 24, 2025 at 4:27 PM
The obsession with Ivy+ colleges is overrated
The same kids who are able to get into an elite school will earn just as much $$$ if they get into a state school. The income gain is 0%
But Ivy+ schools offer access to the *most prestigious* jobs, like elite law firms academic.oup.com/qje/advance-...
The same kids who are able to get into an elite school will earn just as much $$$ if they get into a state school. The income gain is 0%
But Ivy+ schools offer access to the *most prestigious* jobs, like elite law firms academic.oup.com/qje/advance-...
Behold the power of social norms.
People will quickly shape their actions to match those around them...often to the point of absurdity.
People will quickly shape their actions to match those around them...often to the point of absurdity.
November 24, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Behold the power of social norms.
People will quickly shape their actions to match those around them...often to the point of absurdity.
People will quickly shape their actions to match those around them...often to the point of absurdity.
Attempts to confront bias are higher in face-to-face confrontations compared to remote confrontations.
But face-to-face confrontations were not any more effective in reducing bias. The social costs of confronting bias are not related to their effectiveness. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
But face-to-face confrontations were not any more effective in reducing bias. The social costs of confronting bias are not related to their effectiveness. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
November 24, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Attempts to confront bias are higher in face-to-face confrontations compared to remote confrontations.
But face-to-face confrontations were not any more effective in reducing bias. The social costs of confronting bias are not related to their effectiveness. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
But face-to-face confrontations were not any more effective in reducing bias. The social costs of confronting bias are not related to their effectiveness. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
In every dystopian novel: the government bans books.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
November 24, 2025 at 11:14 AM
In every dystopian novel: the government bans books.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
In reality: we gave up reading voluntarily.
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
November 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
A tiny minority of highly active users produce the majority of online political content, while most users consume content passively and remain largely silent.
Toxic comments are more likely to be expressed, even though most people disagree with them, creating false norms.
osf.io/preprints/so...
Toxic comments are more likely to be expressed, even though most people disagree with them, creating false norms.
osf.io/preprints/so...
November 23, 2025 at 7:15 PM
A tiny minority of highly active users produce the majority of online political content, while most users consume content passively and remain largely silent.
Toxic comments are more likely to be expressed, even though most people disagree with them, creating false norms.
osf.io/preprints/so...
Toxic comments are more likely to be expressed, even though most people disagree with them, creating false norms.
osf.io/preprints/so...
Most scientists don't understand how effect sizes work and are therefore far too quick to dismiss "small" effects.
A correlation of .03 between taking aspirin & prevention of future heart attacks implied the prevention of 85 attacks in a sample of 10,845 people
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
A correlation of .03 between taking aspirin & prevention of future heart attacks implied the prevention of 85 attacks in a sample of 10,845 people
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
November 23, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Most scientists don't understand how effect sizes work and are therefore far too quick to dismiss "small" effects.
A correlation of .03 between taking aspirin & prevention of future heart attacks implied the prevention of 85 attacks in a sample of 10,845 people
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
A correlation of .03 between taking aspirin & prevention of future heart attacks implied the prevention of 85 attacks in a sample of 10,845 people
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
Size matters in scientific research
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social argues that large teams produce greater scientific impact, and proposes a framework for building large scale networks to coordinate research over hundreds of collaborators and tens of territories:
buff.ly/qPWZZS5
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social argues that large teams produce greater scientific impact, and proposes a framework for building large scale networks to coordinate research over hundreds of collaborators and tens of territories:
buff.ly/qPWZZS5
November 23, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Size matters in scientific research
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social argues that large teams produce greater scientific impact, and proposes a framework for building large scale networks to coordinate research over hundreds of collaborators and tens of territories:
buff.ly/qPWZZS5
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social argues that large teams produce greater scientific impact, and proposes a framework for building large scale networks to coordinate research over hundreds of collaborators and tens of territories:
buff.ly/qPWZZS5
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
“Seven women told Bloomberg about alleged rapes or sexual assaults across the university in the past five years, while more than 30 described direct experiences of harassment or bullying over the past 20 years.”
But the truth will always out. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
Here is the full article from Bloomberg:
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Here is the full article from Bloomberg:
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Oxford University Has Failed Women Over Harassment Concerns, Staff Say
The university has repeatedly been slow to act against male academics accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior, a Bloomberg investigation found.
www.bloomberg.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:16 PM
“Seven women told Bloomberg about alleged rapes or sexual assaults across the university in the past five years, while more than 30 described direct experiences of harassment or bullying over the past 20 years.”
Meta changed “the active Facebook algorithm in a way that caused the platform to provide less polarizing and more reliable news”
This is great, but it makes it very difficult to interpret the results of studies conducted on Facebook during that time.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
This is great, but it makes it very difficult to interpret the results of studies conducted on Facebook during that time.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
November 23, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Meta changed “the active Facebook algorithm in a way that caused the platform to provide less polarizing and more reliable news”
This is great, but it makes it very difficult to interpret the results of studies conducted on Facebook during that time.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
This is great, but it makes it very difficult to interpret the results of studies conducted on Facebook during that time.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
One of the giants of social psychology was a serial sexual harasser.
This new report reveals how Miles Hewstone touched, bullied, and sexual harassed numerous women during his 18 years at the University of Oxford. It's amazing how often bullying and sexual harassment go together in academia.
This new report reveals how Miles Hewstone touched, bullied, and sexual harassed numerous women during his 18 years at the University of Oxford. It's amazing how often bullying and sexual harassment go together in academia.
November 19, 2025 at 10:30 PM
One of the giants of social psychology was a serial sexual harasser.
This new report reveals how Miles Hewstone touched, bullied, and sexual harassed numerous women during his 18 years at the University of Oxford. It's amazing how often bullying and sexual harassment go together in academia.
This new report reveals how Miles Hewstone touched, bullied, and sexual harassed numerous women during his 18 years at the University of Oxford. It's amazing how often bullying and sexual harassment go together in academia.