Psychology for You!

Are voters rational? There is, unfortunately, no easy answer to the question. Social psychological science, like all science, is a quest for knowledge in a complicated world. However, research helps us advance closer to a genuine understanding of voter rationality – or irrationality, as the case may be. As a part of a three-part series on the subject of voter rationality, my colleagues Matt Motyl, Mark Brandt, and I will discuss some theories and research dealing with voters’ attitudes and behaviors. We hope you will stay a part of the conversation with us! more

In this blog post, I will discuss new research in political psychology that is changing our understanding of what prejudice is, and who is prejudiced. more

In this post, I recount part of my journey into the nitty-gritty of cross-cultural differences in behavior. More specifically, I discuss the link between skateboarding across the USA, attractive Japanese women in tights, and the paradoxical nuances in conformity between cultures. more

In this post, I assert that two opposing theories about how opinions friends and family hold affect one’s romantic relationship (Romeo and Juliet effect vs. social network effect) can actually coexist. Though there is little empirical support for the Romeo and Juliet effect, current research demonstrates that this effect may exist in certain circumstances. more

My first blog post tells the story of my discovery of the conditions that reveal the political biases of liberals and conservatives. It’s also a story of coming to terms with my own biases. more

Even though the death of Trayvon Martin drew much public attention in the last year and a half, the shooting of an unarmed, innocent black male is in no way an isolated case in America. Jonathan Ferrell, a 24-year-old African-American man in Florida, was recently killed by police officers when he was looking for help after crashing his car. Roy Middleton, a 60-year-old Florida man, was crippled after the sheriff’s deputies mistook him for a car thief and shot him 15 times in his own driveway. Omar Edwards, an African-American policeman, was shot in Harlem by another officer who mistook him for a car thief. And Jordan Davis, 17, was shot and killed by a 45-year-old man who said he felt threatened in an argument at a gas station. more