Research and Insights

“Don’t Believe Everything You Read Online”: How AI Fact-Checking Could Challenge Political Bias in Science Information Processing

“Don’t Believe Everything You Read Online”: How AI Fact-Checking Could Challenge Political Bias in Science Information Processing
As social media has grown into many people’s primary news source, so has its potential for misinformation. Facebook and X have both launched fact-checking tools to combat so-called fake news. Yet many users dismiss the fact-check itself as false, especially when it challenges their preexisting views. Could an AI fact-checker seem more objective and help change minds?

The Science Behind Storytelling: Why We Root for Underdogs and Resent Lucky Breaks

The Science Behind Storytelling: Why We Root for Underdogs and Resent Lucky Breaks
Audiences' perceptions of characters are often influenced by events independent of a character’s behavior. New research suggests that behavior-independent events affect audience loyalty in systematic but surprising ways.

Strong Black Woman: How the Media Misses the Intersectionality Story

Strong Black Woman: How the Media Misses the Intersectionality Story
Using intersectionality, new research suggests that the media does a disservice to Black women by upholding the stereotype of the Strong Black Woman. This approach undermines Black women’s mental health by emphasizing individual resilience while ignoring collective systemic struggles.

The Election is Over. How Do we Make Progress on Social Issues?

The Election is Over. How Do we Make Progress on Social Issues?
As the political environment changes, one thing won't change: We still will face a raft of thorny social problems — a critical lack of affordable housing, a changing climate that brings disaster upon disaster, gun violence, a lack of affordable health care and so much more. "If we hope to make any progress on these issues — and yes, I believe we can make progress, particularly at the local and state levels — advocacy organizations on both sides of the aisle will need to engage a broader swath of people."