Lara Wood
@larawood.bsky.social
98 followers 62 following 18 posts
Reader in Psychology at Abertay University. Research on how children think about others (social cognition) and how others influence children (social learning and influence) including #imitation #genderstereotypes #epistemicvigilence #sociallearning
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Lara Wood
luckytran.com
"If we lose hope, we're doomed."

We must continue Dr. Jane Goodall's mission and all fight for the future of the planet.
larawood.bsky.social
Jane totally changed the conversation on animal culture, tool use, emotions and communication. She was a fierce advocate for animals but also paved women’s rights to be explorers, scientists, and activists. I introduced her to my own baby primate many moons ago. Jane, have fun with David Greybeard 💛
Reposted by Lara Wood
barackobama.bsky.social
After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.
Let’s be clear about what happened to Jimmy Kimmel
Trump’s most brazen attack on free speech yet.
www.yahoo.com
Reposted by Lara Wood
rebeccasear.bsky.social
Race Isn’t Biological — So Why Do So Many Still Think It Is?

@kevinlala.bsky.social and @kztwyman.bsky.social blog about their recent paper in the journal Evolutionary Human Sciences

www.cambridge.org/core/blog/20...
Image from the blog showing 5 solutions to countering scientific racism

1. Introduce students to the complexities of developmental processes
2. Introduce students to the complexities of inheritance processes
3. Explain that variation between racialised groups in behavioural and cultural traits is not caused by genetic differences
4. Debunk scientific racism in school and university level science curricula
5. Acknowledge and contextualised the racist histories of academic fields
Reposted by Lara Wood
kevinlala.bsky.social
Our article "Impediments to countering racist pseudoscience" (with @gillianrbrown1.bsky.social, @kztwyman.bsky.social & Marc Feldman) is now published online.

We describe five factors that contribute to the spread of racism and suggest strategies for countering them.

doi.org/10.1017/ehs....
Reposted by Lara Wood
barbarakerr.bsky.social
This is an important essay. Surprisingly the comments push back, with only scant evidence to support arguments for the use of race as a biological construct.

Medicine Still Treats Race as Biology. As a Physician, I Choose Evidence Instead. www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/seco...
Opinion | Medicine Still Treats Race as Biology. As a Physician, I Choose Evidence Instead.
Treatment should be tailored to underlying causes of poor health
www.medpagetoday.com
Reposted by Lara Wood
mellymeldubs.bsky.social
For the @puddingviz.bsky.social, I explored which animals we gender, and why.

Come for the extremely cute interactive viz of animals, stay for the extremely nerdy etymology of the ladybug.

Story: pudding.cool/2025/07/kids...
larawood.bsky.social
Great article showing that animal characters are gendered in children's books too- pudding.cool/2025/07/kids...

(see onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... for my study looking at this in films)
Bears Will Be Boys
A data analysis of animal gender in children’s books
pudding.cool
Reposted by Lara Wood
endsexisminschools.bsky.social
What can schools do to help end sexism?

Dr Lara Wood, Reader in Socio-Cognitive Development at Abertay University, argues that to end sexism and misogyny in schools, we need to start young and be proactive in positively challenging children’s behaviour.

@larawood.bsky.social
What can schools do to help end sexism? - End Sexism in Schools
The question "what can schools do to end sexism?" is a hot topic. Dr Lara Wood gives 8 simple actions for schools beyond PSHE.
endsexisminschools.org.uk
Reposted by Lara Wood
standupforscience.bsky.social
#Resistance tools from bsky.app/profile/whys... when asked “why are we funding this” from uncles & Senators alike.

www.americanscientist.org/article/%E2%...

Shoutout bsky.app/profile/amer... for keeping the lights on while we reclaim #Science from the privatizing dismantlers.

#StandUpForScience
Reposted by Lara Wood
makespaceforgirls.bsky.social
Great to see the conversation in the US around how gender-blind design leaves girls out of parks.

Also great to see Brickfield Park in Bath mentioned – co-created with teenage girls, alongside inspiring examples from Vienna. Awareness is growing!

nextcity.org/urbanist-new...
Our Public Spaces Are Failing Teen Girls
Op-ed: Adolescent girls are missing from parks, playgrounds — and our gender-blind urban planning. So let’s ask them what they need.
nextcity.org
Reposted by Lara Wood
alexmesoudi.com
Join us on the @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social executive committee! Shape the field of cultural evolution alongside amazing colleagues @maximederex.bsky.social, @nicolewen.bsky.social, @hyperadapthyrax.bsky.social, @lucymaplin.bsky.social, @ferylbadiani.bsky.social & incoming President Fiona Jordan
culturalevolsoc.bsky.social
It's CES election time! We have FOUR positions that have come up for renewal, so please consider nominating yourself or your colleagues. Nominations close June 20th, with voting from June 30th -July 4th.
larawood.bsky.social
Really important work here from @daveleavens.bsky.social and team. Will be covering this in next year's teaching
Reposted by Lara Wood
culturalevolsoc.bsky.social
It's CES election time! We have FOUR positions that have come up for renewal, so please consider nominating yourself or your colleagues. Nominations close June 20th, with voting from June 30th -July 4th.
Reposted by Lara Wood
Reposted by Lara Wood
sheinalew.bsky.social
Did you know that our field guide to cross-cultural research on childhood learning is completely FREE?

books.openbookpublishers.com/10.11647/obp...
books.openbookpublishers.com
Reposted by Lara Wood
kevinlala.bsky.social
there are times when the dangers of inaction become sufficiently threatening to individuals or the planet that
scientists who are able and willing to do so will have to enter the public arena and bring their voices to debates of critical societal importance. This is such a time.
petergleick.bsky.social
Just released. My Nature piece:

"Never before has the USA seen such an anti-intellectual, anti-science assault...
History tells us that there are times when the dangers of inaction become sufficiently threatening to individuals or the planet that scientists...

rdcu.be/eo3Hb
More US scientists must speak out
Nature Human Behaviour - The Trump administration has launched an extraordinary and dangerous attack on US science. Climate and water scientist Peter Gleick calls on scientists who are able and...
rdcu.be
Reposted by Lara Wood
drboothroyd.bsky.social
A common claim in #EvoPsych is that the persistence of psychological sex differences in gender-egalitarian* countries shows that the differences are innate. I've argued that ignores the highly-gender-unequal media environment. Now @larawood.bsky.social has proved me right!

#EHBEA
#HBES
larawood.bsky.social
I've just finished reading @anthrofuentes.bsky.social's book #SexIsASpectrum, a digestible, & evidence-packed exploration of the issues around oversimplifying and essentialising sex/gender.

I wish this was a core textbook for all human science fields!

press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
Sex Is a Spectrum
Why human biology is far more expansive than the simple categories of female and male
press.princeton.edu