Research & Thought Leadership

College Campuses Are Becoming More Diverse. But How Much Do Students from Different Backgrounds Actually Interact?

When six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked through the doors of her Louisiana elementary school in 1960, she made history as the first Black student to enroll in an all-white school following Brown vs. Board of Education. Yet it soon became clear that simply having students of different races in that same building would not spell the end of segregation in American schooling. Bridges received instruction in an empty classroom for several days while the white students boycotted the school. And throughout the school year, federal marshals had to accompany Bridges into the building to shield her from the irate mob that gathered daily to shout threats and racist insults.

4 Science-Backed Strategies to Curb Partisan Animosity

Do political conversations at the Thanksgiving table feel tenser than they used to? Do social-media discussions of social issues seem nastier? Do you find yourself feeling angrier at your political opponents than ever before?

How COVID Changed the Way Americans Think about Economic Inequality

As COVID-19 spread around the world in early 2020, many people, from politicians to pop stars, speculated that the pandemic could turn out to be “the great equalizer.” After all, the rich and famous were not immune to the disease, and everyone was subject to the same lockdowns and containment measures, regardless of status.

Take 5: The Surprising Ways Emotions Shape Consumer Behavior

Emotions can have a big impact on how consumers think and behave—often in ways you would never expect.

Why Are So Many Politicians Embracing Conspiracy Theories?

By all accounts, the 2022 U.S. midterm elections will be unlike any in our recent history. With the 2020 presidential election and its fallout still fresh in voters’ minds—and hundreds of election deniers on the ballot—conspiratorial rhetoric is central to shaping many voters’ perceptions.