Christopher Petsko

I'm excited to share that I’ll be reviewing PhD applications this cycle for students interested in working with me starting Summer/Fall 2026.

I’m especially looking for applicants excited about research on trust/persuasion, responses to historical harm, addressing inequality, and/or mindsets.

igure 3.3. Growth in Incomes at the Very Top, 1917–2006 (in 2006 Dollars) Source: Emmanuel Saez’s computations from IRS income tax statistics, http://elsa.berkeley .edu/~saez

it's fascinating that you can see when exactly the Reagan revolution happened

Social identities play a crucial role in shaping how individuals interpret their position in society and navigate social interactions to serve both personal and ingroup interests. Existing social identity theorizing and research have offered only limited insights into how social identification operates among stigmatized group members, whose experiences may differ both in content and complexity from non-stigmatized group members. The present research addressed this gap by investigating the multicomponent ingroup identification model across 18 stigmatized groups in the U.S. (N = 3.969). Confirmatory factor analyses showed only an acceptable model fit for the overall sample and substantial variability in model fit and factor structure across subsamples – challenging assumptions of a universal social identification structure. Multilevel analyses revealed that between-group heterogeneity can be explained by group-level factors (socioeconomic status and group entitativity) and individual belief systems (permeability and legitimacy), aligning with core assumptions of Social Identity Theory. Our findings suggest important differences in social identification between stigmatized groups and point to both group- and individual-level determinants of social identification. We discuss the implications for existing measurement models and highlight the need for further theorizing and empirical work on social identification in the context of stigmatized identities.

"While ingroup evaluation may not always be positive, this does not preclude strong ingroup identification."

Open Access: doi.org/10.1080/1529...

This agreement maintains that Cornell has full autonomy. Cornell also maintains that it has not done anything wrong.

So, essentially, Trump used the power of his office (e.g. by not paying ongoing grants) to force a $30 million payout.

I understand why Cornell did this, but it doesn't feel good.

<em>British Journal of Social Psychology</em> | Wiley Online Library <em>British Journal of Social Psychology</em> is an international journal publishing impactful basic and applied social psychological research from all parts of the world.

-- Call for Papers --

Special issue on "Intersectionality in Social Psychology: Perspectives, Methods, and Applications" in the British Journal of Social Psychology.

Abstract submission deadline: 15 December 2025

I can’t wait to read this! Thanks very for tagging me so I didn’t miss it.

And congrats on publishing the paper.

🎉 New paper accepted at JPSP: ASC!
Verena Heidrich, Felicitas Flade & I ask:
When people meet others, which social lens do they use — age, gender, race?
Our paper: “Face the Difference: Meta-contrast as an Affordance to Spontaneous Social Categorization.”
osf.io/preprints/ps...

Front page of The New York Times, dated Wednesday, November 5, 2025. The headline reads: “Mamdani Is Elected Mayor, Capping Ascent.” Sub-headline: “First Muslim to Lead the City — A Triumph for Progressives.” Large central photo shows Zohra Mamdani smiling and walking outside among supporters and press, with cameras and phones pointed toward him. He is wearing a white shirt, black blazer, and campaign button, holding papers and waving. A crowd surrounds him, some taking pictures. Caption beneath: “New York City — Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday. The Democratic mayoral nominee defeated Andrew M. Cuomo and other candidates.” On the left bottom corner, another photo shows Mikie Sherrill hugging a supporter in New Jersey after winning a governor’s race. On the right bottom corner, a photo of Abigail Spanberger clapping on stage in Virginia after her gubernatorial win. Article text highlights Mamdani’s historic election as New York City's first Muslim mayor, his progressive platform, strong support from immigrant and working-class communities, and comparisons with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whom he defeated. Mentions national implications, turnout from South Asian and Muslim voters, his housing and social safety net policies, and broader Democratic wins nationwide. Weather and NYT slogan appear at the top; price listed as $4.00.

Tomorrow's frontpage

I really enjoyed this conversation with @smettler.bsky.social about America’s urban-rural divide. In particular, emphasizing that Democrats should be consistently organizing—not just messaging—to rural Americans (and everyone for that matter) should be front of mind for the party.

(1/4)

😂

The degree of corruption is just breathtaking.

A national randomized controlled trial of the impact of public Montessori preschool at the end of kindergarten | PNAS Although seminal studies from the early 1960s suggested quality preschool can have lasting positive effects, agreement is lacking on the efficacy o...

This is so interesting. Causal evidence that attending Montessori schools before and during kindergarten increases children’s reading ability, short-term memory, executive function, and theory of mind.

Second "No Kings Day" protests likely the largest single-day political demonstration since 1970, with 4.2-7.6 million participants Here are the initial results from our crowdsourced crowd-counting estimates

After adding new data to our spreadsheet, our central estimate of turnout for the No Kings Day protests yesterday has risen to 5.5 million, with an upper bound of 8.7 www.gelliottmorris.com/p/second-no-...

US has seized survivors after strike on suspected drug-carrying vessel in Caribbean, AP sources say The U.S. has seized survivors after a strike on a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, the first since President Donald Trump began launching deadly attacks in the region this summer.

WHOA. The AP reports that in the latest strike on a boat alleged to be carrying drug smugglers (which has never been proven), there were actually survivors, and they've been rescued.

The Pentagon has yet to formally acknowledge they have survivors in custody.
apnews.com/article/vene...

M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment

Breaking: MIT just became the first university to reject an agreement that would trade support for the Trump admin's higher education agenda in exchange for favorable treatment.

"Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

Over 400 faculty and staff from the #uva College of Arts and Sciences convened for an emergency vote. 97% of eligible voters endorsed a resolution demanding President Mahoney refuse to consider the Trump admin's Compact for Academic Freedom!!

In a new paper, we find that sycophantic #AI chatbots make people more extreme--operating like an echo chamber

Yet, people prefer sycophantic chatbots and see them as less biased

Only open-minded people prefer disagreeable chatbots: osf.io/preprints/ps...

Led by @steverathje.bsky.social

Letters on Wednesday were going out to solicit agreement and feedback from Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown University and the University of Virginia, according to an administration official.

The government is officially shut down, but the Trump administration is trying to get nine selective colleges to agree to major controls on their operations in order to get a leg up on federal funding.

www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

Happy birthday and congratulations, Erin!!

2020: Biden, 51.3% popular vote, 306 EV; Trump, 46.8%, 232 EV
2024: Trump, 49.7% popular vote, 312 EV; Harris, 48.2%, 226 EV

🚨We're hiring!🚨 The Dept of Psychology at Rutgers is hiring an Assistant Professor in Social Psychology. Review of applications begin on Oct 18. Details here: jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/259...

I'm chairing the search committee and am happy to field questions about the position. 🧵

The psych job market may not be dead... but it is gravely injured 😬 So far it's looking like the Trump administration's attacks on higher ed/research are going to have more than 2x the impact on the job market as the covid-19 pandemic. #psychjobs #neurojobs #academicjobs

Self-care is overrated—helping others has the biggest benefits for everyone involved

A new 2-week intervention finds that helping others improves well-being more than "self-kindness", with benefits for depressed mood, anxiety, and loneliness due to social connection psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

After a brief, injury-induced hiatus from libraries, I’m pleased to report that I am BACK IN THE MIX.

Hello from the reading room of DuPont Circle’s Masonic Temple! 👋

Corporation for Public Broadcasting says it's shutting down The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funnels federal money to public media stations, says it's winding down operations after President Trump signed a law rescinding all funding.

"CPB informed employees that the majority of staff positions will be eliminated with the close of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025."

www.npr.org/2025/08/01/n...

Trump removes official overseeing jobs data after dismal employment report President Donald Trump on Friday had his team remove the head of the agency that produces the monthly jobs figures, after a weak report showed hiring slowed and was much weaker in April and May than p...

Look, it's like I always tell my students. If you don't like the data, just fire the person who told you about them!

Bada bing, bada boom.

apnews.com/article/trum...

A D.O.J. Whistleblower Speaks Out The Daily · Episode

I can’t imagine the courage it takes to be whistleblower, but I’m so grateful for those working to shed light on government corruption.

If you want a credible snapshot of what’s happening in the DOJ right now, I highly recommend listening to this interview.

open.spotify.com/episode/3eO0...

UNC Board of Governors Demands New DEI Compliance Committees The campus-level committees will scrutinize whether schools have complied with policies targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Oh goodness.

The UNC Board of Governors is now requiring every campus to form “compliance committees” to audit whether hiring, training, and departmental practices are sufficiently ideologically neutral.

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

On Data and Democracy (Mid-Year Roundup): Charting the Assault on American Democracy and A Path Forward A narrative of a democracy in the balance, told through 29 data visualizations.

Been a busy year in the data mines.📊 Just published my mid-year roundup: 29 data visualizations on the state of US democracy, tracking everything from judicial resistance to billionaire influence to why Dems have a mobilization crisis, not a moderation problem.

All charts free to use: