Connecting with other people increases well-being, but people may be reluctant to reach out and connect. Why? Check out our new review paper (w/Nick Epley, Mike Kardas Stav Atir Juliana Schroeder) in Trends in Cognitive Science Elsevier Roman Family Center for Decision Research! authors.elsevier.com/a/1eoPW4sIRvLY…

Undersociality: miscalibrated social cognition can inhibit social connection By Nicholas Epley, Michael Kardas, Xuan Zhao, Stav Atir, Juliana Schroeder 50-day free access: authors.elsevier.com/a/1eoPW4sIRvLY…

Our new paper, “Computational Ethics”, is out now in Trends in Cognitive Sciences!  Edmond (Eddy) Awad and I spearheaded this collaboration of 20 authors across 8+ disciplines, arguing that the study of machine ethics and human ethics should be in dynamic exchange. authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S13… 1/

We're hiring full-time interns for our SPARQ Summer Research Opportunity about race and media. Please RT and share with any undergraduates or college graduates who would be a good fit! sparq.stanford.edu/sparq-summer-r…

In 2016, my PhD advisor (Bertram Malle) and I found that people were more likely to take the visual perspective of a human than a robot. That paper has been cited a few dozen times. But we were wrong. It really depends on how human-looking the robot is. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

These findings surprised us and led us to see the limitation of the "uncanny valley" hypothesis and the mind perception approach. Check out our new paper at Cognition!

Sharing this amazing (and paid) summer research opportunity for undergrads at SPARQ!

Our partner Nextdoor has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies of 2022. The list highlights the app’s Kindness Reminder, a feature informed by SPARQ Co-Director Jennifer Eberhardt’s work detecting and disrupting racial bias. time.com/collection/tim…

Should you say businessperson or businesswoman? New piece out in TICS!

We find that people consistently underestimate how much they would learn from conversations. New paper out in PNAS! pnas.org/eprint/DPJI9F3…

Why do people hesitate to ask for help? SPARQ Research Scientist Xuan Zhao explains although we often assume others will reject our requests, people are not only willing, but are often even happy, to provide a helping hand. Learn more here: news.stanford.edu/2022/09/08/ask…

Today, I'm excited to announce the publication of my new book, Belonging:  The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides.  wwnorton.com/books/97813240…

Facsinating study suggests many of us underestimate how willing—even happy!—others are to lend a helping hand. by Xuan Zhao @StanfordSPARQn & Nicholas Epley Roman Family Center for Decision Research in Association for Psychological Science nytimes.com/2022/09/15/wel…

Asking for help can be hard—but you're probably underestimating how willing people are to lend a hand. New research from SPARQ scientist Xuan Zhao ⬇️ nytimes.com/2022/09/15/wel…

💭 Do you worry about inconveniencing others before asking for help? On #SciFriLive📻, Xuan Zhao shares research that found people are more willing to lend a hand than we might think. And how both asker and helper often walk away feeling happier. sciencefriday.com/segments/scien…

Do you feel awkward asking for help? It's a common reaction but that impulse may be mistaken. Xuan Zhao stopped by Science Friday to discuss her research with @chicagobooth's Nick Epley. sciencefriday.com/segments/scien…

Loneliness is on the rise, yet people remain reluctant to connect with strangers. Why, and what can we do? A new piece I wrote with Xuan Zhao and Midge for Current Opinion in Psychology. authors.elsevier.com/a/1h973,rU%7EN…

This week, The Happiness Lab launches our new season on Connecting Better: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how…. This week, I chat w/Xuan Zhao about the science of compliments + Troy Hawke gives me some tips on how to compliment better. Check out Troy's work here: tiktok.com/@troy_hawke/vi…