JESP

How stereotypes develop from memory limitations and second-hand knowledge We investigated the evolution of stereotypes in three experiments using the social transmission paradigm (Martin et al., 2014). Participants studied “…

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Why do people form stereotypes? In a new study
Diane Pecher et al. found that memory plays an important role: People confuse individuals who look similar and reconstruct their memory based on unfounded statements about groups. This happened even when these individuals are friendly looking aliens!

Chicago skyline at night

Goodnight, Chicago!

Now the real work: write up the science you presented and submit it. Let’s make sure those great ideas don’t stay in the conference room @spspnews.bsky.social #spsp2026

Can’t wait to see all of the new science at #spsp2026 Remember to think of JESP as a home for your work! See you all in Chicago!

Complete anonymity compromises the accuracy of self-reports Studies have shown that allowing people to answer questionnaires completely anonymously yields more reports of socially inappropriate attitudes, belie…

Read the actual science by Yphtach Lelkes, Jon Krosnick, David Marx, Charles Judd, & Bernadette Park here!
@stanforduniversity.bsky.social @sandiegostate.bsky.social @colorado.edu

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Rant: Students Should Not Depend on Rate My Professors - Pepperdine Graphic Rate My Professors is a popular website for students to share grievances and compliments of their professors. Perspectives Staff Writer Alyssa Hunnicutt argues Rate My Professors harbors unreliable ev...

Anonymous reviews don’t just “free people to be honest” they can amplify negative emotion. Past work in our journal shows anonymity increases stronger negative reactions, which can skew evaluations. Something to keep in mind when browsing Rate My Professor!

pepperdine-graphic.com/rant-student...

“If you agree with me, it must be true”: Social verification creates shared reality and consolidates impressions A scarcely studied route to shared reality is the social verification of one's impressions, a process that should promote impression consolidation. We…

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A simple nod of agreement can lock in first impressions. Across 4 studies, brief social verification made evaluations of job applicants more consistent and stable. Shared reality doesn’t just feel real—it consolidates what we think. @m-atteomasi.bsky.social Gerrit Lamers & Gerald Echterhoff

The limits of moral framing in promoting pro-environmentalism: A preregistered replication of Previous research consistently finds that conservatives express less concern about anthropogenic climate change and engage in fewer environmentally fr…

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Moral framing has long been proposed as a way to shift attitudes. @marlenevoit.bsky.social @mtwardawski.bsky.social & Moritz Fischer tested this with conservatives who are often skeptical about climate change and found it didn’t work. Thus, there are understudied limits of moral reframing.

Why do people choose extreme candidates? The role of identity relevance Elected officials are increasingly extreme. Research trying to understand this trend has tended to focus on structural factors, such as primary electi…

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Linking personal identity to political issues predicts a preference for extreme candidates Evidence from the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests that connecting identity to political stances promotes extremity. This suggests that voters choose radical candidates because extre...

New work by Mohamed Hussein, Zakary Tormala, & S Christian Wheeler shows that when political issues become identity-relevant, people favor radical candidates. Identity—not just policy—drives polarization. @columbiauniversity.bsky.social @stanforduniversity.bsky.social
www.psypost.org/linking-pers...

Are leaders blamed for disasters that eventually did not occur? The answer points to the crucial impact of partisanship in assigning blame for events that almost happened. @jexpsocpsych.bsky.social w/ Matejas Mackin, @danieleffron.bsky.social, and Neal Roese
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

Counter-stereotypes reduce emotional intergroup bias by eliciting surprise in the face of unexpected category combinations In three experiments we investigated the impact that exposure to counter-stereotypes has on emotional reactions to outgroups. In Experiment 1, thinkin…

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Dehumanization: The Catastrophic Loss of Our Shared Humanity Autoimmune diseases misidentify parts of the body as a threat. Dehumanization mirrors this error. Here's why we dismiss others’ humanity and how to break the cycle.

This @psychologytoday.com piece by @rossgwhite.com explores what fuels dehumanization, citing past work by Francesca Prati, Richard Crisp, & Monica Rubini showing that counter-stereotype exposure reduces prejudice and helps re‑humanize others. 🧠💙

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-...

On holiday break this week? Some new reading below!! ⬇️⬇️

What types of gratitude expressions promote prosocial behavior?: A registered report Prosociality confers benefits to those who engage in the behavior, as well as those who receive it. So, how can prosociality, especially repeated acts…

Read the actual science out of @sfu.ca here by @anurada.bsky.social, Kelton Travis, Kristina Castaneto, Tiara Cash, & Lara Aknin!

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Do Thank Yous Keep Kindness Going? New research finds that receiving gratitude may inspire you to help again, but not in every situation.

Ever wonder if saying “thank you” makes people more likely to help? Results are mixed. Gratitude, whether for a kind act or character, sometimes increased generosity but wording didn’t matter. The appreciation itself is what counts @greatergoodedu.bsky.social
greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item...

The self-interest bias in moral character judgment persists regardless of cognitive resource availability The self-interest bias, judging morally questionable actions as less wrong when they benefit us, is prevalent, yet the cognitive mechanisms behind thi…

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Even when we try to think harder, we still excuse ourselves. 🧠

A new study by Katarzyna Miazek & Konrad Bocian finds that the self-interest bias—judging bad acts as less wrong when they benefit us—persists even under time pressure or mental load. Fixing it may require awareness, not just willpower.

Looking for some new reading!? 📖

Schadenfreude for undeserved misfortunes: The unexpected consequences of endorsing a strong belief in a just world When witnessing misfortunes, people sometimes react with schadenfreude—malicious pleasure at another's suffering. Previous research suggests that scha…

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Why do we feel good when a star athlete or coach stumbles? 🏈

This article cites a past study showing people enjoy others’ setbacks—especially when they seem hypocritical or undeserving. Even in sports, our sense of “justice” fuels schadenfreude. ⚖️

thedebrief.org/why-we-love-...

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Thanks to everyone who joined us on our @spspnews.bsky.social free form session! The recording will be up on SPSP soon.

@michaeljbernstein.bsky.social would love to hear from anyone interested in submitting an idea for a special issue! Hooray for science!

Join us!!!!

Does reading an anti-free will text affect beliefs related to free will over time? — A registered report Scientists debate how the public would react when anti-free will messages are communicated in the media. Taking part in this debate, social psychologi…

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@olivergenschow.bsky.social
@protzko.bsky.social @sebraem.bsky.social

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Can reading one article change your belief in free will? New studies say maybe—but the effect doesn’t last. Our beliefs might be more resilient than they seem

New work by @olivergenschow.bsky.social
@protzko.bsky.social @sebraem.bsky.social 💡

The do-gooder dilemma: A self/other asymmetry in the perceived emotional costs of self-reporting good deeds Recent research in which individuals are encouraged to share stories of their own charitable giving on social media suggests that such sharing facilit…

Read the actual science here by Jerry Richardson, @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social, Shaun Nichols. & @peez.bsky.social

@cornelluniversity.bsky.social @utoronto.ca

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

The do-gooder dilemma: to disclose or not to disclose | Cornell Chronicle People say they would feel worse telling others about their charitable acts than if they kept the news to themselves, or told others about their personal achievements, the study found.

Why does talking about our good deeds feel bad?

New research @cornelluniversity.bsky.social @utoronto.ca finds people expect shame, not pride, when sharing altruism—worried it’ll seem performative.

Maybe Oscar Wilde was right: the best good deeds are quiet ones.

news.cornell.edu/stories/2025...

SPSP Free-Form Friday Behind the Scenes of Special Issues at JESP: Designing and Submitting Friday, November 7, 2-3 PM ET Hosts: Nick Rule, nicholas.rule@utoronto.ca, University of Toronto; Michael Bernstein, mjb70@psu.edu, Penn State Abington; Sarah Gaither, sarah.gaither@duke.edu, Duke University

Ever wondered what goes into producing a successful special issue at the @jexpsocpsych.bsky.social?

Find out by joining the editors for a Free-Form Friday session on November 7, 2-3 PM ET!

RSVP here: community.spsp.org/e...