Thomas Talhelm

I'm honored to be elected an APS fellow! 🥳 Thanks to those who nominated me. @psychscience.bsky.social www.psychologicalscience.org/members/fell...

Congrats to Igor! 👏

Responsibilism predicts less dating.

It turns out, warm fuzzy collectivism predicts more dating…

Proud of Lindsay Ackerman for presenting new data on responsibilism and romantic relationships at SPSP! @spspnews.bsky.social #SPSP2026

Proud of Richard for speaking at SPSP! 👏 Go, Richard!

It could be because scales mix “warm fuzzy” collectivism (which is higher in western cultures) with duties in close relationships (higher in sub-Saharan Africa). The results differ a lot if you make the distinction clear!

Richard Homenya presents an odd finding: why do cultures in sub-Saharan Africa score lower than the West on collectivism? #spsp2026 @spspnews.bsky.social

“Which town do you think has more prejudice? I bet you have a pretty strong intuition,” says Keith Payne. @spspnews.bsky.social #SPSP2026

Yangyilin Guo presenting on regional personality in Colombia, Japan, and New Zealand. 🇳🇿 @spspnews.bsky.social #SPSP2026

This shouldn't be happening! As more and more people leave farms for cities in China, why would rice-wheat differences be increasing? I'll offer an explanation today at 9:30-10:40 AM Room E450B. Stop by! #SPSP2026 @spspnews.bsky.social

Interesting! How are they measuring analytic language there? That’s something I’ve dipped a toe into before.

Wish I could have gone! (This was today [Friday], yeah?)

People aren't idiots! The biggest problem in cultural psychology for the last 30 years is *by design*. That's what I'll argue today from 2-3:10pm E350. Join me! @spspnews.bsky.social #SPSP2026

Thanks to everyone who helped make the culture pre-conference a “successful failure!” We didn’t make the main pre-conference time, but we had a packed house and a great time. #SPSP2026

Gender polarization increases with gender equality, finds Kodai Kusano, culture pre-conference #SPSP2026

Hello from the Culture Pre-Conference! 👋 #SPSP2026

That's what I wanted to know!

Are SPSP'ing this year? Join me Friday! I'll explain the two elements that predict whether survey items "work" across cultures. On their own, each element is weak. But with powers combined, they explain much more! Fri. 2-3:10pm Room E350.
@spspnews.bsky.social #SPSP2026

Seen at UCLA: PhD students wishing for good fortune, Science, and Nature! 😃 Happy lunar new year! 🧧 @uclaanderson.bsky.social

The best way to change people's behaviour? Pay them!

At least, in WEIRD countries.

Elsewhere nudges would seem to have the edge.

@thomastalhelm.bsky.social explains why it is important to look at culture to pick the most effective intervention:

buff.ly/FNDhanl

If you're attending #SPSP, come check out the museum our department started! You can play around with behavioral science demos; eat free food; and maybe leave with some free swag. Register here: forms.gle/pTqBu5Pvaayn... @spspnews.bsky.social

What a feeling to see my dissertation catch people's interest! I would have thought it'd be nice if even just my dad reads it. 😅

Someone on Reddit posted about the rice theory, and it generated a lot of buzz! What a feeling to have your dissertation get people interested in research. 🤓 The only downside I see is the poster demoted it from theory to hypothesis. Fair! 😆https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/s/s0ltdiwdwf

Woohoo! 🥳

Interesting to think about prevention vs. promotion focus as applied to romantic relationships. Jealousy = protect relationships from threats. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Credit to Ronnie Lee at Wharton @upenn.edu. 👏 Presentation at
@unlv.edu

Why? In interviews, applicants said they read autonomy as “we don’t know what we’re doing” or “you won’t get mentorship.” Autonomy sends unintentional signals.

But mentioning autonomy led to FEWER applicants - particularly for people with masters or PhDs.

So does mentioning freedom help? Researchers randomized job applicants to get an invitation to apply for a real job that emphasized autonomy or not.