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
"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...
More News in Miles Hewstone:
November 28, 2025 at 4:07 PM
More News in Miles Hewstone:
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/...
Miles Hewstone has now been removed from many prestigious positions due to the media coverage.
He was able to keep all these positions for years after he was investigated for sexual harassment.
We urgently need to fix academic societies to stop known harassers from maintaining power over others.
He was able to keep all these positions for years after he was investigated for sexual harassment.
We urgently need to fix academic societies to stop known harassers from maintaining power over others.
November 26, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Miles Hewstone has now been removed from many prestigious positions due to the media coverage.
He was able to keep all these positions for years after he was investigated for sexual harassment.
We urgently need to fix academic societies to stop known harassers from maintaining power over others.
He was able to keep all these positions for years after he was investigated for sexual harassment.
We urgently need to fix academic societies to stop known harassers from maintaining power over others.
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/...
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....
This paper offers a wide variety of examples of where so called "small" effect sizes are common and meaningful in the field of psychology.
For instance, the relationship between source credibility and persusasion is r = .10
Even the tendency of men to weigh more than women is only r = .26!
For instance, the relationship between source credibility and persusasion is r = .10
Even the tendency of men to weigh more than women is only r = .26!
November 24, 2025 at 1:42 PM
This paper offers a wide variety of examples of where so called "small" effect sizes are common and meaningful in the field of psychology.
For instance, the relationship between source credibility and persusasion is r = .10
Even the tendency of men to weigh more than women is only r = .26!
For instance, the relationship between source credibility and persusasion is r = .10
Even the tendency of men to weigh more than women is only r = .26!
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/...
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/...
I gave a workshop about using social media to faculty at the UT Austin. Here are some tips:
-Stay in your lane (share what you know)
-Avoid fights
-Use plain language
-Including clear visuals
-Follow quality accounts
-Leverage trends
-Have some fun
-Embrace your natural workflow
-Stay in your lane (share what you know)
-Avoid fights
-Use plain language
-Including clear visuals
-Follow quality accounts
-Leverage trends
-Have some fun
-Embrace your natural workflow
November 22, 2025 at 6:49 PM
I gave a workshop about using social media to faculty at the UT Austin. Here are some tips:
-Stay in your lane (share what you know)
-Avoid fights
-Use plain language
-Including clear visuals
-Follow quality accounts
-Leverage trends
-Have some fun
-Embrace your natural workflow
-Stay in your lane (share what you know)
-Avoid fights
-Use plain language
-Including clear visuals
-Follow quality accounts
-Leverage trends
-Have some fun
-Embrace your natural workflow
A field experiment (n = 2,628) compared a personal agency versus a relational agency intervention.
Only relational agency caused significant improvements in economic outcomes over 12 months among a sample of women in rurlal Niger, where interdependence is valued www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Only relational agency caused significant improvements in economic outcomes over 12 months among a sample of women in rurlal Niger, where interdependence is valued www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
November 22, 2025 at 6:32 PM
A field experiment (n = 2,628) compared a personal agency versus a relational agency intervention.
Only relational agency caused significant improvements in economic outcomes over 12 months among a sample of women in rurlal Niger, where interdependence is valued www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Only relational agency caused significant improvements in economic outcomes over 12 months among a sample of women in rurlal Niger, where interdependence is valued www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Advice on how to be miserable: the key is insecure selfishness
November 21, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Advice on how to be miserable: the key is insecure selfishness
Beware the Funhouse Mirror: How Social Media Misleads Us about Public Opinion
I gave a talk to the @nationalacademies.org last week about how social media fuels misperceptions and false polarization.
You can watch it for free here:
www.nationalacademies.org/event/45948_...
I gave a talk to the @nationalacademies.org last week about how social media fuels misperceptions and false polarization.
You can watch it for free here:
www.nationalacademies.org/event/45948_...
November 20, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Beware the Funhouse Mirror: How Social Media Misleads Us about Public Opinion
I gave a talk to the @nationalacademies.org last week about how social media fuels misperceptions and false polarization.
You can watch it for free here:
www.nationalacademies.org/event/45948_...
I gave a talk to the @nationalacademies.org last week about how social media fuels misperceptions and false polarization.
You can watch it for free here:
www.nationalacademies.org/event/45948_...
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 20, 2025 at 3:55 PM
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:
I know several of the women who were harassed by this guy. They had real courage to testify. He engaged in serious professional retaliation against women.
This needs to end. I've seen how many people curry favor with known sexual harassers and how the worst can still manage to leap from job to job.
This needs to end. I've seen how many people curry favor with known sexual harassers and how the worst can still manage to leap from job to job.
November 19, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I know several of the women who were harassed by this guy. They had real courage to testify. He engaged in serious professional retaliation against women.
This needs to end. I've seen how many people curry favor with known sexual harassers and how the worst can still manage to leap from job to job.
This needs to end. I've seen how many people curry favor with known sexual harassers and how the worst can still manage to leap from job to job.
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.
Chimpanzees use 22 types of tools in the wild but they are capable of doomscrolling like the rest of us.
This video of Sugriva using Instagram is shocking because it's so similar to how humans use social media--engaging with content that triggers our emotions, like images of our friends and foes.
This video of Sugriva using Instagram is shocking because it's so similar to how humans use social media--engaging with content that triggers our emotions, like images of our friends and foes.
November 18, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Chimpanzees use 22 types of tools in the wild but they are capable of doomscrolling like the rest of us.
This video of Sugriva using Instagram is shocking because it's so similar to how humans use social media--engaging with content that triggers our emotions, like images of our friends and foes.
This video of Sugriva using Instagram is shocking because it's so similar to how humans use social media--engaging with content that triggers our emotions, like images of our friends and foes.
I gave a talk at @cmu.edu today about human morality in the anthropocene
Although our morality evolved in small groups, the main source of moral content for >5 billion people now comes from social media
This has created a new moral ecosystem that is mismatched with our adaptations for social life
Although our morality evolved in small groups, the main source of moral content for >5 billion people now comes from social media
This has created a new moral ecosystem that is mismatched with our adaptations for social life
November 17, 2025 at 11:44 PM
I gave a talk at @cmu.edu today about human morality in the anthropocene
Although our morality evolved in small groups, the main source of moral content for >5 billion people now comes from social media
This has created a new moral ecosystem that is mismatched with our adaptations for social life
Although our morality evolved in small groups, the main source of moral content for >5 billion people now comes from social media
This has created a new moral ecosystem that is mismatched with our adaptations for social life
I was at the Psychology & Technology on the future of artificial intelligence
My talk explained that #AI can increase polarization—by making people more extreme when they engage with sycophantic AI—but also reduce it by providing a non-partisan source of information.
How we use AI matters a LOT.
My talk explained that #AI can increase polarization—by making people more extreme when they engage with sycophantic AI—but also reduce it by providing a non-partisan source of information.
How we use AI matters a LOT.
November 17, 2025 at 12:10 AM
I was at the Psychology & Technology on the future of artificial intelligence
My talk explained that #AI can increase polarization—by making people more extreme when they engage with sycophantic AI—but also reduce it by providing a non-partisan source of information.
How we use AI matters a LOT.
My talk explained that #AI can increase polarization—by making people more extreme when they engage with sycophantic AI—but also reduce it by providing a non-partisan source of information.
How we use AI matters a LOT.
Social media is a funhouse mirror.
I gave a talk yesterday at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine about how social media distorts our perceptions.
It's not a mirror, it’s a false polarization machine where the most extreme voices on any issue dominate the conversation.
I gave a talk yesterday at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine about how social media distorts our perceptions.
It's not a mirror, it’s a false polarization machine where the most extreme voices on any issue dominate the conversation.
November 14, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Social media is a funhouse mirror.
I gave a talk yesterday at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine about how social media distorts our perceptions.
It's not a mirror, it’s a false polarization machine where the most extreme voices on any issue dominate the conversation.
I gave a talk yesterday at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine about how social media distorts our perceptions.
It's not a mirror, it’s a false polarization machine where the most extreme voices on any issue dominate the conversation.