A Bit More Complicated

In this episode, we interview Jake Womick and Tom Costello about psychological similarities and differences between liberals and conservatives. Jake is a postdoctoral scholar working with Dr. Kurt Gray at UNC. Tom is working with David Rand at MIT & Gordon Pennycook at University of Regina. We hope you enjoy this conversation. Manny and Jake's article on this topic. Evidence that conservatives think differently than liberals: Reducing uncertainty & ambiguity Wanting order/closure.  Emphasizing purity, sanctity & loyalty  Rigid thinking Viewing threat & danger Upholding status quo Evidence that extremists on both sides: See their beliefs as superior Avoid exposure to counter-beliefs Have motivated disbelief Struggle to find flaws in their sides’ arguments View information more favorably when it supports their preferences Hate each other Align with their tribes more than their own beliefs Other mentions: Feldman, 2013 Malka, 2017 Norris, 2020 Pan & Xu, 2018 Saucier, 2000 Conservatives in the US compared to other countries. GOP voters change in the Trump era Pew data on Black democrats

In this episode, Manny interviews Dylan (no, not a typo) about his research on the psychology of dreams. We talk about how dreams are a social phenomenon, how they connect with daily experiences and ongoing concerns, as well as personality traits such as attachment style. Dylan talks about some formative personal experiences he had which inspired his research. We also talk about how dreams are connected with psychological health and well-being, and sleep. We close the conversation with a discussion about how the science of sleep and dreams can be utilized to improve our lives. Happy dreaming! Citations Dream polling data Dylan’s 2014 paper Dylan’s 2012 paper Social simulation theory paper Dylan’s 2016 paper Demographics of sleep paper Broaden-and-build paper Cartwright, R. D. (2010). The twenty-four hour mind: The role of sleep and dreaming in our emotional lives. Oxford University Press. Hajek, P., & Belcher, M. (1991). Dream of absent-minded transgression: an empirical study of a cognitive withdrawal symptom. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100(4), 487. Iceland's Huge Four-Day Working Week Trial An "Overwhelming Success" (full report here). Image by Biljana Jovanovic from Pixabay

The conclusion of our interview with Dr. Nicolè Ford on the war between Ukraine and Russia. If you haven't yet, listen to Part 1 of this interview first (Ep. 3).  Dr. Nicolè Ford’s webpage& Twitter Dr. Ford’s recent article Dr. Sam Greene’s twitter thread on EU & article Peer reviewed pub by Kari Roberts on NATO & Crimea invasion Interview w John Mearsheimer about Putin’s aggression Article by Stephen Walt for the role of NATO Article by Seva Gunitsky against the focus on NATO Peer reviewed pub by Kimberly Marten: NATO’s role is overblown Reporting on Zelensky forgoing NATO membership to avoid war Reporting about Azov battalion Twitter thread: racist language from reporters on Ukrainian war Article describing why sanctions fail. Article arguing sanctions may push Russian elites closer to Putin. Photo of Zelensky and Trump Dr. Ford’s partially annotated bibliography/reading listfor Russia’s War on Ukraine Peer reviewed pub by Keating et al. (2019) that Russia wield “Conservative soft power” News coverage of the Christian Right’s support for Russia here and here Cover art image by ChiaJo from Pixabay

In this episode, Manny and Dylan interview Dr. Nicolè Ford, who holds a Ph.D. in political science and whose specific area of expertise is on Ukraine and Russia. In the episode, we dive into a deep understanding of this horrible war. Dr. Ford schools us on the historical context, NATO, Putin’s ambitions, and more. We really appreciate Dr. Ford’s knowledge and insight into this topic. Dr. Nicolè Ford’s webpage & Twitter Dr. Ford’s recent article Dr. Sam Greene’s twitter thread on EU & article Peer reviewed pub by Kari Roberts on NATO & Crimea invasion Interview w John Mearsheimer about Putin’s aggression Article by Stephen Walt for the role of NATO Article by Seva Gunitsky against the focus on NATO Peer reviewed pub by Kimberly Marten: NATO’s role is overblown Reporting on Zelensky forgoing NATO membership to avoid war Reporting about Azov battalion Twitter thread: racist language from reporters on Ukrainian war Article describing why sanctions fail. Article arguing sanctions may push Russian elites closer to Putin. Photo of Zelensky and Trump Dr. Ford’s partially annotated bibliography/reading list for Russia’s War on Ukraine Peer reviewed pub by Keating et al. (2019) that Russia wield “Conservative soft power” News coverage of the Christian Right’s support for Russia here and here Cover art image by ChiaJo from Pixabay

In this episode, Manny and Dylan talk about a recent high-profile tenure decision involving Michael Kraus, a psychologist and Associate Professor at the Yale School of Management. Do Ivy League schools promote from within? Are tenure decisions based on merit, or based on ideological preferences of senior faculty? Then, we highlight some of Kraus’s influential research, and specifically do a deep dive into some papers he’s published on the psychology of inequality. Also mentioned in the episode: Dylan’s NPR interview about the science of dreams, Dylan’s Heterodox Academy interview about education and learning, and Manny’s Master’s Thesis. http://www.michaelwkraus.com/ Michal Kraus’s publication record 2016 review of Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences Tenure Appointment Policy 25 Ways to Reduce the Cost of College - Center for College Affordability and Productivity Norton, M. I., & Ariely, D. (2011). Building a Better America—One Wealth Quintile at a Time. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(1), 9–12.  Kraus, M. W., & Tan, J. J. (2015). Americans overestimate social class mobility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 58, 101-111.  Kraus, M. W., Rucker, J. M., & Richeson, J. A. (2017). Americans misperceive racial economic equality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(39), 10324-10331.  Tan, J. J., Kraus, M. W., Carpenter, N. C., & Adler, N. E. (2020). The association between objective and subjective socioeconomic status and subjective well-being: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 146(11), 970.  Recent op-ed by Kraus in LA Times about perceptions of inequality Photo by DS stories from Pexels

[UPDATED AUDIO] In this episode, Manny and Dylan chat with Will Blakey, a post-bac researcher at UNC. Will, along with social psychologist Kurt Gray, recently published a Substack article about our changing perceptions of evil in the world, and a psychological phenomenon known as “concept creep.” Why do we see more villains in the world now compared to 30 years ago? Notes: Will and Kurt’s Substack article. Haslam (2016) Concept Creep: Psychology's Expanding Concepts of Harm and Pathology, Psychological Inquiry, 27:1, 1-17 Haslam et al. (2021) Concept Creep and Psychiatrization. Frontiers in Sociology. Concept Creep example #1 and example #2. Gray & Wegner (2012). Morality takes two: Dyadic morality and mind perception. Pinker (2011): The Better Angels of Our Nature. Ferguson (2009): Pinker's List: Exaggerating Prehistoric War Mortality The Progress Paradox

Manny and Dylan launch a podcast! Here is a brief introduction to the podcast.