Podcast appearances and mentions of Robb Willer

What are the psychological forces driving that partisan animosity? What's causing Americans to vote for anti-democracy candidates?  Are there any interventions that might actually work  to turn down the heat and save our democracy?  Robb Willer, professor of sociology, psychology, and organizational behavior at Stanford University talks with Ron Steslow about Stanford's Strengthening Democracy Challenge, reducing partisan animosity and support for anti-democracy candidates . (01:31) Robb's background (02:46) The growth of polarization and partisan animosity  (15:08) The Strengthening Democracy Challenge (22:40) Negative partisanship and support for undemocratic candidates (29:46) How cues from leaders can reduce support for anti-democracy candidates (32:17) Working together and respectfully discussing differences reduces partisan animosity  (37:47) Misperceptions about how how you're viewed by members of another party fuels animosity  (46:47) Is there hope for overcoming animosity and acceptance of undemocratic candidates?  (53:16) How to implement these ideas (59:23) The role of emotions in decision making You should check out the interventions we discussed:  Elite Cues: https://bit.ly/3TEeS6Z Positive Contact (Heineken Ad): https://bit.ly/3N74PEM Misperceptions: https://bit.ly/3W4iMaN Fear of Democratic Collapse: https://bit.ly/3W4awHO Follow Robb and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobbWiller https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a saying that's attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher. It's a nice idea, but in reality, when people don't share our values, it's hard for us to tolerate theirs. This week, we talk with sociologist Robb Willer about the common mistakes we make in trying to persuade others of our point of view — and how we can break out of our echo chambers.Did you catch last week's kick-off to our US 2.0 series? You can find it in this podcast feed, and here.  

Do you suffer from the sin of certainty? How did Angela react when a grad student challenged her research? And can a Heineken commercial strengthen our democracy? RESOURCES:"Disagree Better," National Governors Association initiative led by Spencer Cox (2023-2024)."Cooling Heated Discourse: Conversational Receptiveness Boosts Interpersonal Evaluations and Willingness to Talk," by Julia Minson, David Hagmann, and Kara Luo (Preprint, 2023)."Megastudy Identifying Effective Interventions to Strengthen Americans' Democratic Attitudes," by Jan G. Voelkel, Robb Willer, et al. (Working Paper, 2023).Conflicted: Why Arguments Are Tearing Us Apart and How They Can Bring Us Together, by Ian Leslie (2021)."How to Disagree Productively and Find Common Ground," by Julia Dhar (TED, 2018)."From the Fundamental Attribution Error to the Truly Fundamental Attribution Error and Beyond: My Research Journey," by Lee Ross (Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2018)."The Humanizing Voice: Speech Reveals, and Text Conceals, a More Thoughtful Mind in the Midst of Disagreement," by Juliana Schroeder, Michael Kardas, and Nicholas Epley (Psychological Science, 2017)."Worlds Apart," ad by Heineken (2017)."Gritty Educations," by Anindya Kundu (Virginia Policy Review, 2014).Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman (2011)."Experiences of Collaborative Research," by Daniel Kahneman (American Psychologist, 2003).EXTRAS:TikTok with advice from Apple Store employee (2023)."Can You Change Your Mind Without Losing Face?" by No Stupid Questions (2022).12 Angry Men, film (1957).

Original Air Date 9-11-2018 Strategies to, and reasons why we need to, have better political conversations. As the first GOP debate signals the beginning of a new election cycle with the country divided as ever, we could always use a refresher on better ways to communicate. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Robb Willer: How to have better political conversations - @TEDTalks - Air Date 2-9-17 Robb Willer studies the forces that unite and divide us. As a social psychologist, he researches how moral values -- typically a source of division -- can also be used to bring people together. Ch. 2: Understanding the backfire effect Part 1 - You are not so smart - Air Date 2-10-17 Stephan Lewandowsky takes us step-by-step through The Debunking Handbook, a guide he and John Cook wrote for avoiding the backfire effect when confronting vaccine and climate change deniers. Ch. 3: THE MIDTERMS MINUTE: California's Battleground Races! - Best of the Left Activism Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. Ch. 4: Van Jones: Exposing Liberal Hypocrisy and Conservative Close-Mindedness - Big Think - Air Date 11-23-17 The amount of political disagreement in the nation is matched only by righteous indignation. But in order to disagree without disrespecting each other, we need to look hard at our own positions, and Van Jones does just that. Ch. 5: Understanding the backfire effect Part 2: Replacing the leg of a table - You are not so smart - Air Date 2-10-17 Explaining the key takeaway regarding the backfire effect. Always replace a faulty idea with a valid one. Never debunk a claim only to leave a void. Ch. 6: In This Life - How to argue with those we oppose - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 7-15-18 Explaining why saying the things you may want to say to your political adversaries is more likely to exacerbate the problems in our political divide further, making you part of the problem.   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher! ​ ​

What are the most effective collective actions that social protest movements can or should undertake in the context of deep societal conflict and polarization? CASBS fellows Eran Halperin (2022-23) & Robb Willer (2012-13, 2020-21) compare their cross-national research findings and explore Halperin's real-time applied work with the dramatic, ongoing protests in Israel.ERAN HALPERIN links:Psychology of Intergroup Conflict and Reconciliation Lab (PCIL)Halperin on Google ScholaraChord: Social Psychology for Social ChangeROBB WILLER links:Willer's Stanford faculty pageWiller's personal web pagePolarization and Social Change LabWiller on Google ScholarArticle in JPSP, "The Activist's Dilemma" (2020)Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford UniversityCASBS:website|Twitter|YouTube|LinkedIn|podcast|latest newsletter|signup|outreach​Follow the CASBS webcast series,Social Science for a World in Crisis 

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Republicans and Democrats dislike and misunderstand each other and anti-democratic attitudes are on the rise. But some strategies are effective for reducing polarization and animosity. Robb Willer tested 25 short interventions like videos and informational messages from across the scholarly and practitioner community, finding that many reduced partisan animosity and some reduced support for antidemocratic practices. The effects lasted and provided some ideas for real-world tactics to tackle polarization. The results offer some good news for a change.

How can you persuade someone who disagrees with you on everything? In this episode, we discover the secrets of political persuasion with Robb Willer, a leading expert on political persuasion and moral reframing. Igor grills Robb on the ethics of activism in social science, Robb defends his mission to make a difference in the world, and Charles is amazed to find out that he can fix his misperceptions with a few simple tricks. Don't miss this inspiring and ground-breaking conversation that will transform how you communicate with others. Tune in to Episode 53 now! Special Guest: Robb Willer.

What are the psychological forces driving that partisan animosity? What's causing Americans to vote for anti-democracy candidates?  Are there any interventions that might actually work to turn down the heat and save our democracy?  Robb Willer, professor of sociology, psychology, and organizational behavior at Stanford University talks with Ron Steslow about Stanford's Strengthening Democracy Challenge, reducing partisan animosity and support for anti-democracy candidates . (01:31) Robbs background (02:46) The growth of polarization and partisan animosity  (15:08) The Strengthening Democracy Challenge (22:40) Negative partisanship and support for undemocratic candidates (29:46) How cues from leaders can reduce support for anti-democracy candidates (32:17) Working together and respectfully discussing differences reduces partisan animosity  (37:47) Misperceptions about how how you're viewed by members of another party fuels animosity  (46:47) Is there hope for overcoming animosity and acceptance of undemocratic candidates?  (53:16) How to implement these ideas (59:23) The role of emotions in decision making You should check out the interventions we discussed:  Elite Cues: https://bit.ly/3TEeS6Z Positive Contact (Heineken Ad): https://bit.ly/3N74PEM Misperceptions: https://bit.ly/3W4iMaN Fear of Democratic Collapse: https://bit.ly/3W4awHO Follow Robb and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobbWiller https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore a massive new study on improving the health of democracy. The Strengthening Democracy Challenge invited more than 30-thousand people to engage with 25 interventions. The goal was to find ways to reduce things like partisan animosity, partisan violence, and anti-democratic attitudes, and increase social trust and a willingness to engage with people across socially salient differences. An intervention from the nonprofit, Civity, was one of 25 chosen from a pool of 250-plus… and it was number 1 at increasing social trust, number 2 in decreasing social distance and opposition to bipartisanshi, and number 4 in reducing partisan animosity. Civity's relational, story-based intervention also reduced support for un-democratic practices and helped people accept others from across the political divide. We talk with researcher Robb Willer, professor of sociology, psychology, and organizational behavior at Stanford University; as well as Director of the Polarization and Social Change Lab… and Co-Director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society.

In this episode, we explore a massive new study on improving the health of democracy. The Strengthening Democracy Challenge invited more than 30,000 people to engage with 25 interventions. The goal was to find ways to reduce things like partisan animosity, partisan violence, and anti-democratic attitudes, and increase social trust and a willingness to engage with people across socially salient differences.Civity's intervention was one of 25 chosen from a pool of 250-plus… and it was number 1 at increasing social trust, number 2 in decreasing social distance and opposition to bipartisanship, and number 4 in reducing partisan animosity.Civity's relational, story-based intervention also reduced support for un-democratic practices and helped people accept others from across the political divide.We talk with researcher Robb Willer, professor of sociology, psychology, and organizational behavior at Stanford University; as well as Director of the Polarization and Social Change Lab, and Co-Director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society.

Friends,At President Biden's State of the Union address last week, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly yelled “Liar!,” Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles shouted, “It's your fault!,” and another Republican yelled “B******t!”Fourteen years ago, Republican Rep. Joe Wilson was formally rebuked by the whole House after shouting “you lie” at Obama.Yet now, anything goes.Meanwhile, Rep. George Santos remains in Congress despite mounting revelations of outright lies, fabrications, and shady deals that years ago would have sent a member of Congress packing.We've also just learned about Jared Kushner's quid pro quo with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). As Middle East adviser to his father-in-law, Kushner gave MBS everything he wanted — Trump's first trip abroad, permission to blockade Qatar, a pass on imprisoning leading Saudi citizens until they paid him billions and another on killing and dismembering journalist Jamal Khashoggi (as Trump later put it, “I saved his [MBS's] ass.”).Then, after Kushner left the White House, MBS reciprocated by putting $2 billion from the sovereign wealth fund he chaired into Kushner's private equity company.Where's the shame?Elon Musk's concern about the dwindling number of people seeing his tweets prompted the zillionaire to convene a group of engineers last Tuesday to discover why his engagement numbers were tanking. When one of the company's two remaining principal engineers explained it was likely due to waning public interest in Musk's antics, Musk fired the engineer.We used to call such behavior shameless. Now, it's just what the rich and powerful do.Shame once reenforced social norms. Through most of human history, survival depended on extended families, clans, and tribes. To be shamed and ostracized for violating the common good often meant death.Charles Darwin, in his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, thought shame may have evolved as a way to maintain social trust necessary for the survival of a group and, therefore, of its members.In a 2012 paper, psychologists Matthew Feinberg and Dacher Keltner and sociologist Robb Willer found evidence that shame and embarrassment function as a kind of “nonverbal apology” for having done something that violates social norms. A display of embarrassment shows others that the embarrassed person is still aware of the group's expectations and is still committed to the group's well-being.Four centuries ago, public shaming included scarlet A's. “Ignominy is universally acknowledged to be a worse punishment than death,” wrote Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who also sought to put an end to public stocks and whipping posts.A more recent version of public shaming occurred in 1954 when Joseph Welch, then chief council for the U.S. Army, stood up to Sen. Joseph McCarthy before a nationwide television audience. During a hearing in which McCarthy accused the army of harboring communists, McCarthy attacked one of Welch's young assistants for having once belonged to the National Lawyers Guild, which McCarthy considered a communist front.Welch responded: “Until this moment, Senator, I think I have never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness …. Have you no sense of decency, sir?” Millions of Americans watching the proceedings from their living rooms saw McCarthy as the dangerous bully he was. By shaming him, Welch shamed America for having tolerated McCarthy and the communist witch hunt he was leading. It was the beginning of the end of McCarthy's reign of terror.But today, shamelessness has gained a certain elan. Audacity, insolence, and impudence are welcomed. Irreverence is celebrated. We hoot when someone gives society the bird. Many Americans love Donald Trump's loutishness. Meanwhile, instead of being directed at behavior that undermines the common good, shame is now often deployed against people who don't fit in. Social media unleashes torrents of invective on people for little more than saying something silly or looking different or being socially inept. Shaming like this can cause a sensitive teenager to take his or her life.Why are those who violate social norms now treated like Wild West outlaw heroes, while those who are different are ridiculed? Why are bullies now applauded while those at the margin are ostracized? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Air Date 12/6/2022 Today, we take a look at some of the factors driving hyper-partisanship in the US right now along with multiple arguments to not give up on the power of persuasion.  Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What If We Don't Need To 'Fix' Polarization? - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 3-20-21 NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben interviews Lilliana Mason, associate professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, about her book Uncivil Agreement. Ch. 2: Getting Past Polarization: Anand Giridharadas - Ideas - Air Date 11-23-22 The extremes are extreme in U.S. politics. But Anand Giridharadas and some other progressives are convinced that there are uncompromising approaches that can move up to 60 percent of voters to value democracy and human rights. Ch. 3: How to fix our polarized conversations (with Robb Willer) - How to Be a Better Human - Air Date 2-1-21 Is your family, community, or even your country more divided than ever? Today's guest Robb Willer is here to share some compelling insights on how we might bridge the ideological divide and offer some intuitive advice on ways to be more persuasive. Ch. 4: Can persuasion bridge the political divide? - Front Burner - Air Date 11-25-22 In his book, Giridharadas speaks with experts on reaching people — organizers, activists, politicians, cognitive scientists, and even a cult deprogrammer — and takes a critical look at his fellow American progressives. Ch. 5: Why We're So Polarized - The Truth of the Matter - Air Date 10-25-21 Johns Hopkins University professor Dr. Lillianna Mason joins the podcast for a discussion of political polarization in the U.S. and how politics have become central to the identities of many Americans across racial, religious and cultural lines. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 6: An innovative polling model can move us past political polarization - The Future of Everything - Air Date 6-24-22 A Stanford professor explains how the deliberative polling model can get people to listen to one another and even compromise on some of society's most complex policy issues. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 7: Final comments on hyper-partisanship in the ballot box MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions): Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr  Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard (https://theobard.bandcamp.com/track/this-fickle-world) Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Professor of Sociology and Psychology Robb Willer joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about improving political persuasion and how the Polarization and Social Change Lab at Stanford is running experiments to find out what brings people together and what drives them apart.

Democracy is on the ballot, croquet's a game played with a mallet, an onion is a grown-up shallot. Also the return of Robb Willer, Director of the Polarization and Social Change Lab at Stanford University. He conducted a mega-study of ways to strengthen Americans' attitudes toward Democracy, which you may have heard is on the ballot. It shall not whither … or shall it? Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robb Willer, director of the Polarization and Social Change Lab at Stanford University, is here to discuss his “Strengthening Democracy” mega-study, which looks at effective ways to reduce anti-democratic attitudes and partisan animosity. Plus, the red-wave doubters—the most straight forward theory of political success. That's the theory: whoever's the most straight forward has the most political success. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the psychological forces driving that partisan animosity? What's causing Americans to vote for anti-democracy candidates?  Are there any interventions that might actually work to turn down the heat and save our democracy?  Robb Willer, professor of sociology, psychology, and organizational behavior at Stanford University talks with Ron Steslow about Stanford's Strengthening Democracy Challenge, reducing partisan animosity and support for anti-democracy candidates . (01:31) Robbs background (02:46) The growth of polarization and partisan animosity  (15:08) The Strengthening Democracy Challenge (22:40) Negative partisanship and support for undemocratic candidates (29:46) How cues from leaders can reduce support for anti-democracy candidates (32:17) Working together and respectfully discussing differences reduces partisan animosity  (37:47) Misperceptions about how how you're viewed by members of another party fuels animosity  (46:47) Is there hope for overcoming animosity and acceptance of undemocratic candidates?  (53:16) How to implement these ideas (59:23) The role of emotions in decision making You should check out the interventions we discussed:  Elite Cues: https://bit.ly/3TEeS6Z Positive Contact (Heineken Ad): https://bit.ly/3N74PEM Misperceptions: https://bit.ly/3W4iMaN Fear of Democratic Collapse: https://bit.ly/3W4awHO Follow Robb and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobbWiller https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robb Willer studies social and political divides, and maybe more importantly, he tries to find ways to overcome them. In our conversation, he shares his personal background, unpacks persuasion strategies that cut across political lines, and reveals the results of a major new study in his lab that tested a bunch of strategies for reducing political animosity and encouraging people to value democracy over other political attitudes.Some things that come up in the episode:How moral values can be used in persuasion to appeal to audiences across the political spectrum (Feinberg & Willer, 2019; also see this New York Times article)The value of correcting "meta-perceptions" as a way to curb political prejudice (Mernyk, Pink, Druckman, & Willer, 2022)A "mega-study" testing 25 interventions to address political animosity and democratic attitudes (Voelkel et al., working paper)Audio for the opening of the show from BBC, CBC, and CNN.For a transcript of this episode, visit: http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/episode/saving-democracy-with-robb-willer/ Learn more about Opinion Science at http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/ and follow @OpinionSciPod on Twitter.

“There's people wandering around in packs, not thinking for themselves, seized by this mob mentality trying to spread their disease and destroy society. And you probably think, as I do, that you're the good guy in the zombie apocalypse movie, and all this hate and polarization, it's being propagated by the other people, because we're Brad Pitt, right?” —Dr. Robb Willer, Polarization and Social Change Lab at Stanford University When it comes to navigating our deepening ideological divide in America, what if we're not so much the hero fighting the forces of evil—instead we're accidentally acting just a little too much like “foot soldiers in the army of the undead,” wonders our special guest, Dr. Robb Willer. Robb has been working on understanding the moral underpinnings of this accelerating anger—and his research shows that we're speaking different languages. Dr. Willer, professor of psychology and sociology at Stanford University and Director of the Polarization and Social Change Lab (and movie buff), shares his highly-relatable, user-friendly and scientifically-grounded advice on how we might improve the quality of our political conversations—and possibly ditch a few zombies along the way. Kristin Hansen, Executive Director of Civic Health Project (and one of our favorite civic superheroes) joins us to facilitate the conversation.  Dr. Robb Willer is a Professor of Sociology, Psychology (by courtesy), and Organizational Behavior (by courtesy) and the Director of the Polarization and Social Change Lab at Stanford University. He studies politics, morality, cooperation, and status. Learn more about Dr. Willer's work here, see below for some of Dr. Willer's articles. Kristin Hansen, Executive Director of Civic Health Project, is a national leader in the field of bridge building, having taken a “civic sabbatical” from her tech career to help save American democracy (and we're so glad she has). She's devoted to accelerating the efforts of academics and practitioners who seek to reduce polarization and improve civil discourse in our citizenry, politics and media. Previously, she's held senior executive roles at Intel, IBM and multiple start-up software companies. This important programming is offered in partnership with Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of our multi-year series “UNUM: Democracy Reignited.”  Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

There's no denying political polarization is a major concern across the U.S. But researchers at Stanford University are taking steps to address the root causes through an experiment called the "Strengthening Democracy Study." The study comprised 31,000 participants and tested 25 strategies to reduce polarization and anti-democratic attitudes. Robb Willer, director of the Polarization and Social Change Lab at Stanford joins us. And, as the effects of climate change weather on, ancient artifacts and, in some cases, full civilizations are revealing themselves. Dinosaur footprints turned up in Texas after a severe drought and World War II ships were exposed in the receding waters in Serbia, to name a few. Archaeologist and Egyptologist Sarah Parcak joins us.

Eric chats with Robb Willer, Professor of Sociology, Psychology, and Organizational Behavior, and the Director of the Polarization and Social Change Lab at Stanford University. Robb is also the co-Director of Stanford's Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society. He studies social forces that bring people together (such as morality and altruism), forces that divide them (such as fear and prejudice), and domains of social life that feature the complex interplay of the two (such as hierarchies and politics). Robb has published in top journals across different fields, and his lab's work has been featured in outlets such as the New York Times, Vox, and Washington Post.In this episode, Eric chats with Robb about his latest work on false meta-perceptions. This line of work suggests something counter-intuitive: Democrats and Republicans might overestimate how violent the other party is. Such misguided perceptions can become self-fulfilling: each party risks reacting with violence to the overly violent picture they have painted of the outgroup. Robb also shares how he knows what research ideas to pursue and what other projects he is excited about these days. Finally, he talks about his less-than-straightforward journey into psychology and gives advice on how to teach psychology in a fun and engaging way.If you found this episode interesting at all, consider leaving us a good rating! It just takes a second but will allow us to reach more people and make them excited about psychology.Links:Robb's Paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2116851119Robb's Strengthening Democracy Challenge: https://www.strengtheningdemocracychallenge.org/paperEric's websiteEric's Twitter @EricNeumannPsyPodcast Twitter @StanfordPsyPodLet us know what you think of this episode, or of the podcast! :) stanfordpsychpodcast@gmail.com

A little more than a year ago, a coalition of multidisciplinary researchers at Stanford, MIT, Northwestern, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia set out to crowd source ideas to address the political divide in what was dubbed the https://www.strengtheningdemocracychallenge.org/ (Strengthening Democracy Challenge). “Anti-democratic attitudes and support for political violence are at alarming levels in the US," https://pacscenter.stanford.edu/news/new-study-uses-crowdsourcing-to-strengthen-american-democracy/ (said) https://sociology.stanford.edu/people/robb-willer (Robb Willer), Director of the Polarization and Social Change Lab and Professor of Sociology at Stanford, at the time of the announcement. "We view this project as a chance to identify efficacious interventions, and also to deepen our understanding of the forces shaping these political sentiments.” After reviewing more than 250 submissions from researchers, activists and others, the research coalition selected 25 interventions it deemed most promising to test against one another in an "experimental tournament" utilizing a sample of 31,000 U.S. adults. To learn more about the challenge, some of the promising projects that emerged from it, and whether tech platforms may play a role in efforts to address polarization, I spoke to Willer and his colleague, Jhttps://sociology.stanford.edu/people/jan-gerrit-voelkel (an Gerrit Voelkel), a Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at Stanford University and also a member of the Polarization and Social Change Lab.

Christianne Corbett and Robb Willer explore perceptions of electability of female political candidates.

PanelistsPeter LoewenAdrian RafteryPrerna SinghRobb WillerAlexis MadrigalSuggested Readings, Event Info and moreVisit CASBS onlineCASBS on Twitter

Robb Willer is a social psychologist who suggests that “moral reframing” might be the bridge to ideological divisions. This talk was filmed at TEDxMarin. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's mission of ideas worth spreading. To learn more about TEDxSHORTS, the TEDx program, or give feedback on this episode, please visit http://go.ted.com/tedxshorts. Follow TEDx on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TEDx Follow TEDx on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedx_official Like TEDx on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TEDxEvents

 modified image from Bridgeman Art LibraryMark, Sarah, and James discuss the last technical chapter of Charles Darwin's The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals, Chapter XIII:  Self Attention, Shame, Shyness, Modesty: Blushing. Mark Jackson's graduate research was on shame and guilt and he explained to us the difference between shame, guilt, embarrassment, and humiliation (a concept Darwin did not address) and why they are actually distinctly different emotions. In our discussion Mark explains why parents and teachers should not shame their children/students, but employ guilt, the gift that keeps on giving, if a change in behavior is what you seek.Darwin recognized blushing as a very distinct human behavior. In the chapter Darwin wrote:In most cases the face, ears and neck are the sole parts which redden; but many persons, whilst blushing intensely, feel that their whole bodies grow hot and tingle; and this shows that the entire surface must be in some manner affected. Blushes are said sometimes to commence on the forehead, but more commonly on the cheeks, afterwards spreading to the ears and neck We discussed the adaptive value of the blush as an honest signal that is exhibited in all humans, regardless of their skin color. Some of the studies we discuss indicated that when people see another blushing after being involved in a transgression or a mishap, the observer is more likely to give them sympathy or see them in a more positive light than if the person has a guilty or expression of shame without the blush.  Sarah discussed James' proclivity to blushing, and her warped sense of fun in making him blush. Some papers we referencedDijk, Corine, Peter J. De Jong, and Madelon L. Peters. "The remedial value of blushing in the context of transgressions and mishaps." Emotion 9.2 (2009): 287.Feinberg, Matthew, Robb Willer, and Dacher Keltner. "Flustered and faithful: Embarrassment as a signal of prosociality." Journal of personality and social psychology 102.1 (2012): 81.Jackson, Mark A. Distinguishing shame and humiliation. Diss. University of Kentucky, 1999.The opening and closing theme to Discovering Darwin is "May" by Jared C. Balogh.Interlude music Too Shy by Kajagoogoo

This week, we chat with fellow podcaster and social psychologist Mickey Inzlicht, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, and co-host of Two Psychologists Four Beer (with Yoel Inbar). We talk about the advisor-graduate student dynamic, the past and future of social psychology, the replication crisis, and discuss some of the recent Psych Academic Twitter controversies. Two Psychologists Four Beers: https://www.fourbeers.com/Sexism and Racism on Campus (with Anne Wilson): https://www.fourbeers.com/58The COVID debate (with Robb Willer and Simine Vazire): https://www.fourbeers.com/53Lee's tweet: https://twitter.com/PsychRabble/status/1360973699822796802Turns out Hoegaarden is Belgian: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoegaarden_Brewery

Is your family, community, or even your country more divided than ever? Today’s guest Robb Willer is here to share some compelling insights on how we might bridge the ideological divide and offer some intuitive advice on ways to be more persuasive. Robb is a professor of sociology, psychology and organizational behavior at Stanford University. He studies the role of morality in politics. His research shows how moral values, typically a source of ideological division, can also be used to bring people together. His political research has investigated various topics, including economic inequality, racial prejudice, masculine overcompensation and Americans' views of climate change. Willer's writing has appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post, including his op-eds "The Secret to Political Persuasion" and "Is the Environment a Moral Cause?” Willer received a Ph.D from Cornell University and a BA from the University of Iowa. Before becoming a professor, he worked as a dishwasher, construction worker, mover, line cook and union organizer.

In this episode we sit down with psychologist Robb Willer to discuss the psychology of gossip: how much we do it, why we do it, its major functions, and what life would be be like without it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robb Willer and Simine Vazire join the podcast to debate whether social science, in its current form, can usefully contribute to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Is psychology ready to give trustworthy advice to policy-makers? Plus: Yoel shirks his beer-drinking, yet again. Special Guests: Robb Willer and Simine Vazire.

Yoel and Mickey welcome Stanford sociologist and psychologist Robb Willer to the show, who serves up hot takes about the replication crisis. Did the low replicabilty era in social psychology have consequences for political science or sociology? Has the open science movement benefited from motivated morality, only effecting change when change was easy? Despite intentions, will the open science movement make science even more elitist? Bonus: Taking psychedelic drugs at music concerts is fun! Special Guest: Robb Willer.

We're living in a time of intense ideological division, and it often feels impossible to bridge the gap. But can we afford not to?This hour, TED speakers explore how to communicate across the divide. Guests include social media activist Megan Phelps-Roper, social psychologist Robb Willer, former Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, public radio host Celeste Headlee, and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.Commercial free broadcast from July 27, 2019 (originally recorded October 27, 2017) on the Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, online at heartlandnewsfeed.com, Spreaker and other platforms.Listen Live: https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/listenliveFollow us on social mediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hlnfradionetworkTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/HLNF_BulletinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandnewsfeedMastadon: https://liberdon.com/@heartlandnewsfeedDiscord: https://discord.gg/6b6u6DTSupport us with your financial supportStreamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/heartlandmediaPayPal: https://www.paypal.me/heartlandmediaSquare Cash: https://cash.app/$heartlandnewsfeedPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/heartlandnewsfeedCrypto via 1UpCoin: https://1upcoin.com/donate/heartlandmedia

Original broadcast date: October 27, 2017. We're living in a time of intense ideological division, and it often feels impossible to bridge the gap. But can we afford not to? This hour, TED speakers explore how to communicate across the divide. Guests include social media activist Megan Phelps-Roper, social psychologist Robb Willer, former Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, public radio host Celeste Headlee, and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Air Date: 9/11/2018 Today we take a look at some strategies to and reasons why we need to have better political conversations Be part of the show! Leave a message at 202-999-3991   Episode Sponsors: The Daily Show: Ears Edition Podcast| Amazon USA| Amazon CA| Amazon UK  Support Best of the Left on Patreon!   SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Robb Willer: How to have better political conversations - @TEDTalks - Air Date 2-9-17 Robb Willer studies the forces that unite and divide us. As a social psychologist, he researches how moral values -- typically a source of division -- can also be used to bring people together. Ch. 2: Understanding the backfire effect Part 1 - You are not so smart - Air Date 2-10-17 Stephan Lewandowsky takes us step-by-step through The Debunking Handbook, a guide he and John Cook wrote for avoiding the backfire effect when confronting vaccine and climate change deniers. Ch. 3: THE MIDTERMS MINUTE: California’s Battleground Races! - Best of the Left Activism Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. Ch. 4: Van Jones: Exposing Liberal Hypocrisy and Conservative Close-Mindedness - Big Think - Air Date 11-23-17 The amount of political disagreement in the nation is matched only by righteous indignation. But in order to disagree without disrespecting each other, we need to look hard at our own positions, and Van Jones does just that. Ch. 5: Understanding the backfire effect Part 2: Replacing the leg of a table - You are not so smart - Air Date 2-10-17 Explaining the key takeaway regarding the backfire effect. Always replace a faulty idea with a valid one. Never debunk a claim only to leave a void. Ch. 6: In This Life - How to argue with those we oppose - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 7-15-18 Explaining why saying the things you may want to say to your political adversaries is more likely to exacerbate the problems in our political divide further, making you part of the problem.   VOICEMAILS Ch. 7: How do I know I'm not just in my own echo chamber? - Michael from the UK   Ch. 8: Final comments on expanding your view and understanding of news media   THE MIDTERMS MINUTE  ASAP: Check your state registration deadlines and voter ID laws GET INVOLVED: Swing Left (Help flip districts from anywhere) Voter Circle(friend-to-friend outreach tool) Volunteer for Democrats  Abroad? Phone bank for Democrats  Let America Vote (voting rights focus) Justice Democrats “Justice Dialer”  Brand New Congress GOTV Dialer  National Democratic Redistricting Committee Easily donate to candidates with DownTicket.comon your mobile browser. “15 Ways to Help a Campaign Win Their Election” (Political Charge) CALIFORNIA BATTLEGROUNDS (Note: List may vary by org or outlet): Important Dates: Must be registered/postmarked by October 22nd (more info) Local Action:California Democratic Party https://www.cadem.org/take-action Push Left! U.S. Senate - Kevin de Leon (D Safe Seat) Flip CA-10th: Josh Harder  Swing Left: https://swingleft.org/district/CA-10 Flip CA-25th: Katie Hill  Swing Left: https://swingleft.org/district/CA-25 Flip CA-39th: Gil Cisneros  Swing Left: https://swingleft.org/district/CA-39 Flip CA-45th: Katie Porter  Swing Left: https://swingleft.org/district/CA-45 Flip CA-48th: Harley Rouda  Swing Left: https://swingleft.org/district/CA-48 Flip CA-49th: Mike Levin  Swing Left: https://swingleft.org/district/CA-49 Sources: Ballotpedia; NBC News; Swing Left Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman    MUSIC: Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr  Slow Lane Lover - Barstool (Blue Dot Sessions) Algea Trio - Algea Fields (Blue Dot Sessions) These Times - The Pine Barrens (Blue Dot Sessions) LaBranche - Bayou Birds (Blue Dot Sessions) Gullwing Sailor - Migration (Blue Dot Sessions) Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher| Spotify| Alexa Devices| +more Check out the BotL iOS/AndroidApp in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on iTunesand Stitcher!

Robb Willer studies the forces that unite and divide us. As a social psychologist, he researches how moral values -- typically a source of division -- can also be used to bring people together. Willer shares compelling insights on how we might bridge the ideological divide and offers some intuitive advice on ways to be more persuasive when talking politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this divisive and polarized era how do you bridge the political divide between left and right? How do you persuade the people on the other side to see things your way? New research by sociologist Robb Willer and psychologist Matthew Feinberg suggests that the answer is in learning how to cross something they call the empathy gap. When we produce arguments, we do so from within our own moral framework and in the language of our moral values. Those values rest on top of a set of psychological tendencies influenced by our genetic predispositions and shaped by our cultural exposure that blind us to alternate viewpoints. Because of this, we find it very difficult to construct an argument with the same facts, but framed in a different morality. Willer’s work suggests that if we did that, we would find it a much more successful route to persuading people we usually think of as unreachable. - Show notes at: www.youarenotsosmart.com - Become a patron at: www.patreon.com/youarenotsosmart SPONSORS • The Great Courses: Free month at www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/smart * Squarespace: 10 percent off at www.squarespace.com with the offer code SOSMART See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're living in a time of intense ideological division, and it often feels impossible to bridge the gap. But can we afford not to? This hour, TED speakers explore how to communicate across the divide. Guests include social media activist Megan Phelps-Roper, social psychologist Robb Willer, former Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, public radio host Celeste Headlee, and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

A big problem with political arguments, says Robb Willer, is that everyone sees himself or herself as the hero in a zombie movie. “American liberals see themselves as Brad Pitt warding off a zombie horde,” says Willer. “But the problem is conservatives see themselves the same way,” and no one is able to make arguments that appeal to the other side. Willer teaches sociology at Stanford and writes about the delicate art of political persuasion for places such as the New York Times. In the Spiel, please Mr. President, don’t throw the special prosecutor into the briar patch.  Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robb Willer studies the forces that unite and divide us. As a social psychologist, he researches how moral values -- typically a source of division -- can also be used to bring people together. Willer shares compelling insights on how we might bridge the ideological divide and offers some intuitive advice on ways to be more persuasive when talking politics.

Robb Willer estudia las fuerzas que nos unen y nos dividen. Como psicólogo social, investiga cómo los valores morales -normalmente una fuente de división- también pueden usarse para unir a las personas. Willer comparte ideas convincentes sobre cómo podemos superar la división ideológica y ofrece un consejo intuitivo sobre maneras de ser más persuasivo cuando se habla de política.

Robb Willer estuda as forças que nos unem e nos dividem. Como psicólogo social, ele pesquisa como os valores morais, tipicamente uma fonte de divisão, podem também ser usados para juntar as pessoas. Willer compartilha atraentes pensamentos de como podemos diminuir a divisão ideológica e oferecer dicas intuitivos nas formas de sermos mais persuasivos enquanto falamos sobre política.

Robb Willer étudie les forces qui nous unissent et nous divisent. En tant que psychosociologue, il étudie comment les valeurs morales -- qui sont souvent source de division -- peuvent également rapprocher les gens. Il nous offre des idées convaincantes pour rebâtir des ponts avec nos adversaires idéologiques et politiques, et nous donne également des conseils très intuitifs pour être plus persuasifs quand vient le temps de parler politique.

A winter chill is in the air, and there's way too much Christmas music being played. So curl up in an armchair, grab yourself a mug of something, and take a mental vacation with some fascinating conversations from Innovation Hub.

The US just had a very contentious election which showed us, if nothing else, that we are a divided nation. How did we become this way? In this episode I talk about group polarization - how it happens and what we can do about it. Along the way, I'll talk about Moral Reframing - and idea researched by Robb Willer and the idea of "emotional correctness" that Sally Kohn suggests is the way that she, a gay woman, is able to get along in a very conservative workplace. The wonderful You Are Not So Smart blog has a great article on how we can better argue when we know we're talking with someone who is on the "opposite side of the fence" politically. #psychology

Robb Willer has the best twitter handle of any academic ever: @GhostFaceWiller. Yes, he's a Professor of Sociology and Psychology and Business at Stanford...but he also has an amazing twitter handle. All of these things matter. What's most important? That's not for me to say. I think that really the whole is greater than the sum of any of these parts. As the Germans say, it's the gestalt of Robb Willer that makes him especially cool. He's also done some incredibly cool studies. He darkens Obama's face to see if that makes white folk more anxious. He studies how testosterone affects people's tendency to react to potential perceived threats to their masculinity. And, most awesomely, he studies how the work of Jon Haidt can be applied to help groups be better at recruiting people from different tribes/cultures/cults/political parties/religions to their point of view. Of course, one of the big questions for the college-educated crowd is what is up with Trump's supporters. Part of that story is racism. But a big part of that story is also the Hillbilly Honor Culture that has been passed down for ages from the Scots-Irish. It's a culture that made sense in a herding context. It's not a culture that serves the needs of people in the Information Age. That's not a comfortable thing for humanity to talk about but that's the moment in history we've reached. It's time we became more reflective and each took a look at what we've picked up from our families and why. The science is all there. Now, it's time to put it all together. It's time for Mixed Mental Arts.

In this divisive and polarized era how do you bridge the political divide between left and right? You do you persuade the people on the other side to see things your way? New research by sociologist Robb Willer and psychologist Matthew Feinberg suggests that the answer is in learning how to cross something they call the empathy gap. When we produce arguments, we do so from within our own moral framework and in the language of our moral values. Those values rest on top of a set of psychological tendencies influenced by our genetic predispositions and shaped by our cultural exposure that blind us to alternate viewpoints. Because of this, we find it very difficult to construct an argument with the same facts, but framed in a different morality. Willer's work suggests that if we did that, we would find it a much more successful route to persuading people we usually think of as unreachable. Show Notes: www.youarenotsosmart.com SPONSORS • Casper Mattresses - http://casper.com/sosmart • The Great Courses - http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/sosmart • Secrets, Crimes & Audiotape - http://smarturl.it/SCA See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To find meaning in life, people seek happiness, authenticity, spirituality, love, knowledge. But the existence of suffering and injustice begs the question: How can it be right to work on one’s self when others face harder challenges? Professor Willer navigates this tension and offers insights for cultivating a meaningful life without ignoring injustice. Robb Willer is an associate professor in sociology, and a professor, by courtesy, of psychology and at the Graduate School of Business. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015.

Trey talks with Robb Willer and Jan Voelkel about their research on the interventions that increase Americans' democratic attitudes.Topics Trey, Robb, and Jan discuss include:- What led to studying democratic attitudes?- How can we decrease partisanship?- What are antidemocratic behaviors?- Democratic backsliding- Relating to those who are not like usFollow Robb Willer and Jan Voelkel on TwitterThe Politics Guys on Facebook | TwitterListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we're @PoliticsGuys.Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out RedCircle, home of The Politics Guys.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy