My new @science.org editorial on the role of scientists in defending democracy is out today. As authoritarianism takes hold in the US, we must fight for the democratic principles that enable a free society and scientists have a key role. I hope you'll join us. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

🔍 “I just want a second opinion.” More people are turning to ChatGPT for health advice. Many would use it for self-diagnosis. But here's the problem: These tools don’t just answer, they align. And that’s where things get risky. 🧵 on GenAI, health, and confirmation bias

New research out!🚨 In our new paper, we discuss how generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT can mediate confirmation bias in health information seeking. As people turn to these tools for health-related queries, new risks emerge. 🧵👇 nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Generative AI (GenAI) can do more than just answer questions - it can tailor its responses based on users’ preferences, habits, and even emotional tone. We call this capability hypercustomization - explored in our new paper in Behavioral Science & Policy. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

We are hiring, @arc-mpib.bsky.social a postdoc for a project to investigate why citizens feel alienated from liberal democracy and how a shared sense of reality can be restored. Work with @lfoswaldo.bsky.social @anaskozyreva.bsky.social, Ralph Hertwig and me: www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/2084802/2025...

#Demokratie retten – Forschende verschiedenster Disziplinen unter Leitung des Potsdamer Kognitionswissenschaftlers Prof. @lewan.bsky.social haben ein "Anti-Autocracy Handbook" veröffentlicht, in dem sie auf das weltweite Wiederaufleben der Autokratie reagieren: www.uni-potsdam.de/de/medieninf...

I am privileged to announce the publication of the Anti-Autocracy Handbook: sks.to/autocracy 1/12

Nudging has shaped behavioral policy for years—but what are its downsides? In our latest episode, 𝐑𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐠 makes the case for shifting from nudging to 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠—an alternative behavioral science approach that fosters people’s agency, self-control, and decision-making skills. tinyurl.com/3yvfwxc8

Honest people don’t lie. Or do they? Liars aren’t honest. Or are they? One puzzling conundrum in contemporary politics is that politicians who seem to be estranged from facts and evidence are nonetheless considered honest by their followers. 1/n

Unbemerkt wachsende Probleme, dann der abrupte Kollaps: Der Psychologe Ralph Hertwig beschreibt den Zerfall von Demokratien wissenschaftlich. Das hilft bei ihrer Rettung.

Very comprehensive and thought-provoking interview about our paper on democratic backsliding. Definitely worth reading (in German)

I had the pleasure of writing for the BPP Blog, exploring how behavioral science can step up where social media fails to tackle misinformation. Key takeaway: As platforms step back from accountability, a vigilant and resilient public is the strongest shield against misinformation.

Science is under a wide-ranging attack in the U.S. From arbitrary and catastrophic funding cuts to censorship based on keywords, scholarship is no longer free from government interference. How can scientists respond? 1/n

A large number of members of the Psychology chapter of the German National Academy of Sciences (The Leopoldina) have signed an expression of concern about recenr developments in the U.S. relating to science: docs.google.com/document/u/1... 1/n

As the Trump administration and Elon Musk work to dismantle USAID, the government’s lead agency for delivering humanitarian aid for generations, right-wing influencers have flooded the internet with falsehoods about its work, promoting unfounded claims and conspiratorial thinking. nyti.ms/4htWHN0

How do autocrats stay in power? Our new research dives into the strategies of political control—repression, co-optation, and indoctrination—used across 229 autocracies from 1946 to 2010. What we found will change the way you think about authoritarian resilience. 🧵👇

🌟🧠💪📝 #BOOSTING: Empowering citizens with behavioral science New, freely available paper in Annual Review of Psychology. PDF: tinyurl.com/boosting2025 For more: scienceofboosting.org @arc-mpib.bsky.social @mpib-berlin.bsky.social @annualreviews.bsky.social #policy #behavioralscience 1/ 🧵👇

Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny, Lesson 1: Do not obey in advance.

On this Jan. 6, it’s a fitting moment to reflect on the threats to democracy posed by norm violations from political elites - and by a public that either supports or turns a blind eye to them. @lewan.bsky.social, @kiiahuttunen.bsky.social, Ralph Hertwig, and I discuss this in a recent publication.