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POST-DOC
PHILIP PARNAMETS - NYU Social Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow
Philip completed his PhD in cognitive science at Lund University and has spent two years as a postdoc with the Emotion Lab at Karolinska Institutet. His research is grounded in a broad interest in the cognitive and computational mechanisms underlying preference change, decision making and learning, especially in the moral domain. In the Social Identity and Morality lab his work focuses on dynamic models of social learning about moral agents and of moral choices generally. Philip spends his spare time creating, listening or dancing to electronic music.
New York University
Director: Jay Van Bavel



WHO WE ARE
From neurons to social networks, we examine how collective concerns—group identities, moral values, and political beliefs—shape the mind, brain, and behavior. To study these issues, we employ methods from cognitive neuroscience, social cognition, behavioral economics, and computational social science.
National identity predicts public health support
during a global pandemic.
Van Bavel, J. J., Cichocka, A., Capraro, V., Sjåstad, H., Nezlek, J. B., Pavlović, T., Alfano, M., Gelfand, M. J., Azevedo, F., Birtel, M. D., Cislak, A., Lockwood, P. L., Ross, R. M., Abts, K., Agadullina, E., Aruta, J. J. B., Besharati, S. N., Bor, A., Choma, B. L., … Boggio, P. S. (2022). Nature Communications, 13(1), 517.
How social media shapes polarization.
Van Bavel, J. J., Rathje, S., Harris, E., Robertson, C., & Sternisko, A. (2021). Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 25(11), 913-916.
Out-group animosity drives engagement on social media.
*Rathje, S., Van Bavel, J. J., & van der Linden, S. (2021). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(26).

Does social media increase polarization?
What motivates groups to cooperate?
Related papers:
Why do people spread misinformation?
Much of What You Know About Groupthink Is Wrong
Dominic Packer & Jay Van Bavel
October 31, 2021. The Wall Street Journal
Why Facebook really, really doesn’t want to discourage extremism
Steve Rathje, Jay Van Bavel, & Sander van der Linden
July 13, 2021. The Washington Post
Why do bystanders fail to intervene when they see others in pain?
Dominic Packer & Jay Van Bavel
April 4, 2021. Los Angeles Times