Dan Willingham
@dtwuva.bsky.social
Professor @UVa who's puttin' the funk back in functional brain imaging and the psycho in psychometrics. One study is just one study, folks.
Retractions in medical journals disproportionately less likely to include women authors. journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
November 27, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Retractions in medical journals disproportionately less likely to include women authors. journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Using PISA data from 73 countries, researchers estimated the extent to which growth mindset mediates the association of SES on achievement, and find results consistent w/ the picture of the last 10 years. It's a real effect. It's small. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 26, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Using PISA data from 73 countries, researchers estimated the extent to which growth mindset mediates the association of SES on achievement, and find results consistent w/ the picture of the last 10 years. It's a real effect. It's small. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Exercise improves academic performance in Norwegian college students (open) www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1...
November 24, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Exercise improves academic performance in Norwegian college students (open) www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1...
Every psychologist knows this feeling: you’re not mad that these two sections are adjacent. You’re grateful that they’re separate sections.
November 23, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Every psychologist knows this feeling: you’re not mad that these two sections are adjacent. You’re grateful that they’re separate sections.
Data from Peru: telling women they've met the exam cut-off to pursue a STEM major increases the probability they'll take it. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 19, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Data from Peru: telling women they've met the exam cut-off to pursue a STEM major increases the probability they'll take it. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Although it's commonly believed that left-handedness is associated with creativity...it's not. link.springer.com/article/10.3...
November 19, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Although it's commonly believed that left-handedness is associated with creativity...it's not. link.springer.com/article/10.3...
RCT of Montessori preschool: at end of K, significantly higher reading, short-term memory, theory of mind, and executive function scores. Intention-to-treat effect sizes > .20. www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
October 22, 2025 at 11:06 AM
RCT of Montessori preschool: at end of K, significantly higher reading, short-term memory, theory of mind, and executive function scores. Intention-to-treat effect sizes > .20. www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
uva rejects the compact
October 17, 2025 at 8:42 PM
uva rejects the compact
Why do people share fake news? "While perceived message truth was the main driver of persuasion, message transmission was primarily driven by positive emotion and social engagement, indicating that social connection is prioritized during information sharing." psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
September 30, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Why do people share fake news? "While perceived message truth was the main driver of persuasion, message transmission was primarily driven by positive emotion and social engagement, indicating that social connection is prioritized during information sharing." psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
State takeovers of districts *not* associated with improved student performance in reading or math. Especially striking as you'd at least expect regression to the mean effects. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
September 14, 2025 at 8:58 PM
State takeovers of districts *not* associated with improved student performance in reading or math. Especially striking as you'd at least expect regression to the mean effects. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Preschool shows smaller advantage than observed in 1960s and 70s--why? Todays programs have too much -whole-class instruction in math & reading & kids who *don't* go have, on average better experiences. files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED6...
September 8, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Preschool shows smaller advantage than observed in 1960s and 70s--why? Todays programs have too much -whole-class instruction in math & reading & kids who *don't* go have, on average better experiences. files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED6...
Drop in LLM Chatbot usage when school lets out for the summer. (Data from OpenRouter, reported by @morningbrew.bsky.social)
August 31, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Drop in LLM Chatbot usage when school lets out for the summer. (Data from OpenRouter, reported by @morningbrew.bsky.social)
Across subjects and grades (6th-college) prequestions improve learning--new evidence from real classrooms (open) psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
August 29, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Across subjects and grades (6th-college) prequestions improve learning--new evidence from real classrooms (open) psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
New review of meta-analyses on the effect of S-T relationships shows large sig relations with 8 clusters of S outcomes: acad ach, acad emotions, student behavior, beh problems, exec funct, motiv, school belonging and engagement, & well-being. psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...
August 29, 2025 at 12:26 AM
New review of meta-analyses on the effect of S-T relationships shows large sig relations with 8 clusters of S outcomes: acad ach, acad emotions, student behavior, beh problems, exec funct, motiv, school belonging and engagement, & well-being. psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...
US Reading decline is dramatic over the last 20 years, but no decline among teens...because they never read much in the first place, a point I've been harping on for years, as people often focus on social media & teens re: ⬇️ in reading.
August 21, 2025 at 11:33 AM
US Reading decline is dramatic over the last 20 years, but no decline among teens...because they never read much in the first place, a point I've been harping on for years, as people often focus on social media & teens re: ⬇️ in reading.
New Substack: review of Tim Shanahan's new book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives. dtwuva.substack.com/p/a-simple-p...
August 19, 2025 at 9:03 PM
New Substack: review of Tim Shanahan's new book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives. dtwuva.substack.com/p/a-simple-p...
New Substack: review of Tim Shanahan's new book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives. dtwuva.substack.com/p/a-simple-p...
August 19, 2025 at 8:57 PM
New Substack: review of Tim Shanahan's new book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives. dtwuva.substack.com/p/a-simple-p...
Do pedagogical agents in digital learning influence motivation? New meta-analysis concludes they affect self-efficacy expectations and interest but not other motivational beliefs (open). link.springer.com/article/10.1...
August 12, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Do pedagogical agents in digital learning influence motivation? New meta-analysis concludes they affect self-efficacy expectations and interest but not other motivational beliefs (open). link.springer.com/article/10.1...
"Controlling for rich measures of cognitive and personality skills and social background, we find substantial benefits [of scholastic athletics] at all levels. Participation in athletics promotes social mobility for disadvantaged and minority students." www.nber.org/papers/w34046
August 12, 2025 at 12:54 PM
"Controlling for rich measures of cognitive and personality skills and social background, we find substantial benefits [of scholastic athletics] at all levels. Participation in athletics promotes social mobility for disadvantaged and minority students." www.nber.org/papers/w34046
Is AI eroding our critical thinking? I'm on The Inquiry via @bbcworldservice www.bbc.com/audio/play/w...
July 17, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Is AI eroding our critical thinking? I'm on The Inquiry via @bbcworldservice www.bbc.com/audio/play/w...
New data suggests that Race to the Top policies had small positive effects on student achievement, as measured by NAEP reading & math scores. I called that one wrong, I was sure they would have no impact. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3...
July 7, 2025 at 9:52 AM
New data suggests that Race to the Top policies had small positive effects on student achievement, as measured by NAEP reading & math scores. I called that one wrong, I was sure they would have no impact. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3...