2025 MIT Polarization Workshop

Directions of Polarization,

Social Norms & Trust in Societies

December 5-6, 2025
@ MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA

Organizers: Kati Kish Bar-On (MIT), Adam Berinsky (MIT), Eugen Dimant (UPenn), Yphtach Lelkes (UPenn), David G. Rand (MIT)

Want to attend without presenting? Register here (early bird rate)

About the Event

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.

Keynote Speakers

Beth Goldberg
(Jigsaw, Google & Yale)

Adam Berinsky
(MIT)

Invited Speakers

Daniel Aldrich
(Northeastern University)

Justin de Benedictis-Kessner
(Harvard University)

Yiling Chen
(Harvard University)

James Druckman
(University of Rochester)

Gabriel Lenz
(UC Berkeley)

List of Confirmed Speakers

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 University)
Saumitra Jha (Stanford University)

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)

List of Confirmed Poster Presenters (Early Career Researchers)

Scott Abramson (University of Rochester)
Jane Acierno (Northeastern University)
Tristan Boedts (University of Warwick)
Shauna Bowes (University of Alabama in Huntsville)
Abigail Cassario (Michigan State University)
Xiaoyi (Mimi) Chen (Oxford Internet Institute)
Éloïse Côté (University of Toronto)
Alexander Dalheimer (University of Vienna)
Halel Davidson (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Cristina Figueroa (University of Amsterdam)
Giuliano Formisano (University of Zurich)
Sam Frederick (University of Pennsylvania)
Chang Ge (University of Michigan)
Isaias Ghezae (Harvard University)
Tal Orian Harel (University of Pennsylvania)
Shaye-Ann Hopkins (Duke University)
Christian Höhne (University of Cambridge)
Jenna Landy (New York University)
Noah Laskey (University of Toronto)
Nathan Lee (New York University)
David Levari (Brown University)
Josef Lolacher (University of Oxford)

Katherine Mason (New York University)
Daniel Markovits (Columbia University)
Jules Oberschulte (Harvard University)
Lauren Palladino Olson (University of Pennsylvania)
Folco Panizza (IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca)
Samantha Phillips (Carnegie Mellon University)
Isabella Rebasso (University of Vienna)
Sunny Qingyi Wang (University of Michigan)
Hong Qu (Harvard University)
Diego Reinero (University of Pennsylvania)
Claire Robertson (Colby College)
Daniela Rodriguez-Mincey (Columbia University)
Dot Sawler (University of Rochester )
Miriam Schirmer (Northwestern University)
Dominik Suri (University of Bonn)
Rémi Thériault (New York University)
Dilan Tulan (Harvard University)
Fatima Umar (Geisinger Health System)
Karin Vervuurt (University of Texas at Austin)
Lucas Woodley (Harvard University)
Itamar Yakir (Yale University)
Federico Zimmerman (Harvard University)

Program (Version: August 23)

Workshop Program (Aug 19).pdf

Registration & Deadlines

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.