The tautology of “you don’t need specialization, just a bigger brain” is being called out: “accounts of brain size tend to be post hoc adaptationist accounts that try to relate the increase in brain size…to the evolution of certain cultural practices thought to necessitate…brain expansion…” 🔥🔥🔥

I’m very proud of our new work on free will, which is in its early phases. This podcast episode is a good overview of how we’re thinking about it.

Another great paper using social network data from >5000 Ethiopians by @drsarahmyers.bsky.social, @danielredhead.bsky.social et al. They show how attitudes towards IPV against women cluster socially on gender-homphilous ties. But opposite-gender ties actually predict *reverse* IPVAW attitudes ‬

No question, this is the most original paper I have ever written It says that something that seems plain and obvious - humans have an intuitive sense of what is and is not grammatical - and describes how this apparent common sense is actually misleading Thread coming soon!

This—on my former university, department, and advisor—is harrowing but required reading for all social psychologists. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

This is so fantastic. 🔥🔥🔥I can’t wait to read it!

🌱 There’s still time to apply to the open #PhD positions in my lab! 🌱 More information below; deadline is December 1st. Please help spread the word! 🌱

New paper out today with Zhian Chen. We argue that modern intensive parenting is not only exhausting for parents, but in some cases disrupts healthy child development. What is 'overparenting'? And can evolutionary theory help us understand how we got here? academic.oup.com/emph/advance...

New paper out on the important role of social learning in breastfeeding! academic.oup.com/emph/article...

This week, @anniewertz.bsky.social talks about her ground-breaking work exploring what infants know, and come prepared to learn, about 🌱plants🌿! (Annie gets credit for all plant-based puns in this episode). youtu.be/bMbDieccEtc www.podbean.com/eas/pb-67k8k... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

New preprint! Led by Bill Pepe, with @brandonwoo.bsky.social and @ashleyjthomas.bsky.social. We asked if infants think helping and hindering stem from actors' dispositions (i.e. good/nice v bad/mean) or their social relationships, by testing expectations for future behavior: osf.io/preprints/ps...

I'm hiring a full-time #labmanager for my new Lab for Infant Learning and Cognition (LILAC) at UCSB! The start date is flexible, but could be as early as August 1, 2025. Application review begins July 17th and will continue until the position is filled 👶🪴 recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02992 #academicjobs

Helicopter parenting is not a human universal! In our sixth episode, @sheinalew.bsky.social discusses studying childhood in the Congo basin. www.podbean.com/ew/pb-bpsfw-... www.youtube.com/watch?v=12mI...

Fifth episode is up! @jaimiekrems.bsky.social on friendship! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e... epthepod.podbean.com/e/friendship... youtu.be/fbrW4Hq0hFc?...

Our Fourth Episode is out today! Our first of many wonderful interviews. This one with Dan Conroy-Beam @dconroybeam.bsky.social where we discuss the good and less good of ep studies of mating. www.podbean.com/ew/pb-f8icb-... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m... www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0qR...

This looks fantastic—a great line up of speakers!

My very personal story about how I discovered evolutionary psychology. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

First Episode arrives May 20th. epthepod.podbean.com www.youtube.com/@Evolutionar...

"A Psychological Explanation of the Problem of Free Will" with Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social osf.io/preprints/ps...

Christian List is consistently clear-minded, explicit about argument structure, and concise. So, as usual, I really liked and learned something new from this paper; Maybe there’s no view from nowhere for the mind?

📣 Seeking PhD applicants passionate about fMRI, EEG, & data science to study race/ethnicity & religion effects on how we see ourselves & world around us. We’re a supportive & hard-working lab committed to open science. Applications due 12/1. Still time to apply — spread the word! spl.psych.ucsb.edu

New paper with Christophe Heintz, in PNAS: "Great ape interaction: Ladyginian but not Gricean" www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

New preprint on how our evolved psychology may be getting in the way of theory progress in Psychology. Highlights include jumping spiders and the concept of difference-detecting mechanisms. @speciestypical.bsky.social Based on my talk @ehbea.bsky.social Comments welcome! osf.io/preprints/ps...

Really pleased to announce that the University of Toronto has an Assistant Professor position in personality/social psychology. Please spread the word! jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...

I'm excited to launch the CENTER FOR CONFLICT & COOPERATION @NYU. We are planning research around the world on topics related to social identity, intergroup relations, polarization & social media. Subscribe to learn about—and join—our research: jayvanbavellab.substack.com/p/introducin...