Returning to MIT in Fall 2025 after a successful 2023 edition, Directions of Polarization, Social Norms, and Trust in Societies: Perspectives from the Behavioral Sciences is a two-day interdisciplinary workshop that brings together scholars and practitioners to explore the evolving dynamics of polarization.
This year, the workshop broadens its scope to include insights from academia and industry, recognizing that polarization, shifting norms, and declining trust shape political discourse and affect workplaces, technologies, and communities. By drawing on a range of analytical perspectives — from behavioral science and social psychology to organizational research and public policy — the event aims to advance our understanding of how these forces emerge, interact, and can be addressed in an increasingly polarized world.
We will feature both speakers (faculty/post-docs/industry) and poster presenters (graduate students). To submit your work, see the information below.
Rachel Bernhard (University of Oxford)
Jeremy Bowles (University College London)
Michael Brownstein (City University of New York)
Ana Gantman (City University of New York)
Anna Hochleitner (Norwegian School of Economics)
Daniel Hopkins (University of Pennsylvania)
Gregory Huber (Yale)
Saumitra Jha (Stanford GSB)
Eunji Kim (Columbia University)
Erik Kimbrough (Chapman University)
Giulia Maimone (University of Florida)
Rajeshwari Majumdar (George Washington University)
Amnon Maltz (University of Haifa)
Cameron Martel (Johns Hopkins University)
Brendan Nyhan (Dartmouth College)
Jane Acierno (Northeastern University)
Abigail Cassario (Michigan State University)
Alexander Dalheimer (University of Vienna)
Sam Frederick (University of Pennsylvania)
Chang Ge (University of Michigan)
Isaias Ghezae (Harvard University)
Christian Höhne (University of Cambridge)
Noah Laskey (University of Toronto)
Nathan Lee (New York University)
David Levari (Brown University)
Daniel Markovits (Columbia University)
Jules Oberschulte (Harvard University)
Tal Orian Harel (University of Pennsylvania)
Samantha Phillips (Carnegie Mellon University)
Isabella Rebasso (University of Vienna)
Sunny Qingyi Wang (University of Michigan)
Hong Qu (Harvard University)
Daniela Rodriguez-Mincey (Columbia University)
Dot Sawler (University of Rochester )
Dominik Suri (University of Bonn)
Rémi Thériault (New York University)
Dilan Tulan (Harvard University)
Lucas Woodley (Harvard University)
Itamar Yakir (Yale University)
Federico Zimmerman (Harvard University)
The registration for non-presenting attendees is now open! The registration fee of $150 ($100 'Early Bird Registration' through September 15!) will cover breakfasts, lunches, etc.
Please register here to confirm your participation: link.
Kati Kish Bar-On (MIT)
Adam Berinsky (MIT)
Eugen Dimant (UPenn)
Yphtach Lelkes (UPenn)
David G. Rand
(MIT)