Online misunderstandings can also result from excessive clarity

t is often assumed that online discussions escalate because people become less socially concerned when they are anonymous, or because online messages are unclear and easily misunderstood. In her PhD-dissertation, which she defended on September 22, Carla Roos reveals that the opposite is often the case: online communication is sometimes so clear that it can make people appear antisocial.

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Duo interview with Jan Brouwer thesis prize winners (Chantal D’Amore & Rinske Vermeij)

The Jan Brouwer Scriptieprijs is awarded every year by the Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities) to recognize the best master thesis in the country across eight categories. Last year, two students from the Heymans Institute captured both of the awards that relate to our interests: Chantal D’Amore […]

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The subtle spreading of sexist norms

Suppose you are in a conversation and someone makes a sexist remark. How do you respond? Do you actively confront the sexist person by engaging in discussion? Do you fall silent in search of a response? Or do you swiftly switch topics to avoid an awkward situation? In our recently published set of studies, we examined how such responses may contribute to (or undermine) the spreading of sexist norms. 

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Solving the Cultural Paradox of Loneliness

Do people in individualistic cultures feel lonelier than in collectivistic cultures? Surprisingly, they don’t: Although people in individualistic cultures often have less stable relationships and spend more time alone, average loneliness seems to be lower than in more collectivistic cultures. In my dissertation, I provide an explanation for this “cultural paradox of loneliness”.

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