Research

Published Research
Social Psychology

Safety in Numbers: Why the Mere Physical Presence of Others Affects Risk‐taking Behaviors

Authors: Eileen Chou, Loran F. Nordgren

As social mammals, being in a group signals a state of relative security. Risk‐taking behavior in other social mammals formed the basis for our prediction that the mere physical presence of others, absent any social interaction, would create a psychological state of security that, in turn, would promote greater risk‐taking behavior.

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Published Research
Social Psychology
Racial Justice and Equity
Research and Commentary

Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites

Authors: Sophie Trawalter, Kelly M. Hoffman, Jordan R. Axt, M. Norman Oliver

Black Americans are systematically undertreated for pain relative to white Americans. We examine whether this racial bias is related to false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites (e.g., “black people’s skin is thicker than white people’s skin”).

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Published Research

Freshman year financial aid nudges: An experiment to increase FAFSA renewal and college persistence

Authors: Benjamin Castleman, Lindsay C. Page

In this paper we investigate, through a randomized controlled trial design, the impact of a personalized text messaging intervention designed to encourage college freshmen to refile their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and maintain their financial aid for sophomore year. The intervention produced large and positive effects among freshmen at community colleges where text recipients were almost 14 percentage points more likely to remain continuously enrolled through the Spring of sophomore year.

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Published Research

Congress and Policymaking in the 21st Century

Authors: Eric M. Patashnik, Jeff Jenkins

Congress is frequently said to be ‘broken’, ‘dysfunctional’, and ‘weak’, but how does the contemporary Congress really work? Does Congress have the capacity to solve major policy problems? 

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