Evan Stewart
@evanstewart.bsky.social
Social Scientist @ UMass Boston
Studying the stakes of pluralism in social change.
(Non)Religion & Spirituality | Climate | Public Opinion
https://www.evan-stewart.com
@socimages.bsky.social
Studying the stakes of pluralism in social change.
(Non)Religion & Spirituality | Climate | Public Opinion
https://www.evan-stewart.com
@socimages.bsky.social
Reposted by Evan Stewart
Stop submitting AI slop to journals and preprint servers
This is anti-social behavior. It is making life harder for everyone involved except for the person submitting the slop
This is anti-social behavior. It is making life harder for everyone involved except for the person submitting the slop
In light of record submission rates and a large volume of AI-generated slop, SocArXiv recently implemented a policy requiring ORCIDs linked in the OSF profile of submitting authors, and narrowing our focus to social science subjects. Today we are taking two more steps:
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November 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Stop submitting AI slop to journals and preprint servers
This is anti-social behavior. It is making life harder for everyone involved except for the person submitting the slop
This is anti-social behavior. It is making life harder for everyone involved except for the person submitting the slop
Reposted by Evan Stewart
“WASHINGTON—Citing that a majority of Americans are irresponsible, easily distracted people who have little regard for other human beings, a new Dept of Transportation report revealed that it’s ‘actually kind of crazy’ that U.S. citizens are allowed to drive automobiles.”
The Onion strikes again.
The Onion strikes again.
Report: It Pretty Incredible That Americans Entrusted With Driving Cars
WASHINGTON—Citing that a majority of Americans are irresponsible, easily distracted people who have little regard for other human beings, a new Department of Transportation report revealed Wednesday t...
theonion.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:46 AM
“WASHINGTON—Citing that a majority of Americans are irresponsible, easily distracted people who have little regard for other human beings, a new Dept of Transportation report revealed that it’s ‘actually kind of crazy’ that U.S. citizens are allowed to drive automobiles.”
The Onion strikes again.
The Onion strikes again.
Reposted by Evan Stewart
One big, achievable win for the American Sociological Association @asanews.bsky.social: create a single upload recommendation system for doctoral admissions (akin to the law school admissions).
One upload for each student would be a real blessing.
One upload for each student would be a real blessing.
November 23, 2025 at 4:41 PM
One big, achievable win for the American Sociological Association @asanews.bsky.social: create a single upload recommendation system for doctoral admissions (akin to the law school admissions).
One upload for each student would be a real blessing.
One upload for each student would be a real blessing.
Reposted by Evan Stewart
We met up with @sssreligion.bsky.social recently in Minneapolis, Minnesota to ask "What Are You Working On?" Meet emerging scholars and familiar faces working on all things religious scholarship!
November 11, 2025 at 10:57 PM
We met up with @sssreligion.bsky.social recently in Minneapolis, Minnesota to ask "What Are You Working On?" Meet emerging scholars and familiar faces working on all things religious scholarship!
Reposted by Evan Stewart
👏 Exciting news!
PhD candidate Cam Marsinelli (@cmarsinelli.bsky.social) presented research at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in Minneapolis.
With Dr. Evan Stewart (@evanstewart.bsky.social), they used AI to analyze YouTube tarot readings + engagement. Congrats! 💙 #UMB #Sociology
PhD candidate Cam Marsinelli (@cmarsinelli.bsky.social) presented research at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in Minneapolis.
With Dr. Evan Stewart (@evanstewart.bsky.social), they used AI to analyze YouTube tarot readings + engagement. Congrats! 💙 #UMB #Sociology
November 5, 2025 at 5:11 PM
👏 Exciting news!
PhD candidate Cam Marsinelli (@cmarsinelli.bsky.social) presented research at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in Minneapolis.
With Dr. Evan Stewart (@evanstewart.bsky.social), they used AI to analyze YouTube tarot readings + engagement. Congrats! 💙 #UMB #Sociology
PhD candidate Cam Marsinelli (@cmarsinelli.bsky.social) presented research at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in Minneapolis.
With Dr. Evan Stewart (@evanstewart.bsky.social), they used AI to analyze YouTube tarot readings + engagement. Congrats! 💙 #UMB #Sociology
Reposted by Evan Stewart
For each additional moral–emotional word in a social media post, the number of shares increases 13%
Our new meta-analysis finds robust evidence of moral contagion (N=4,821,006)
The moral contagion effect is even stronger in larger, pre-registered studies (17%).
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Our new meta-analysis finds robust evidence of moral contagion (N=4,821,006)
The moral contagion effect is even stronger in larger, pre-registered studies (17%).
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
November 5, 2025 at 4:58 PM
For each additional moral–emotional word in a social media post, the number of shares increases 13%
Our new meta-analysis finds robust evidence of moral contagion (N=4,821,006)
The moral contagion effect is even stronger in larger, pre-registered studies (17%).
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Our new meta-analysis finds robust evidence of moral contagion (N=4,821,006)
The moral contagion effect is even stronger in larger, pre-registered studies (17%).
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Wild day for local politics. Big shifts on the Quincy, MA city council, and while most of the conversation is about broader city issues it is also a fight about...public religious expression!
www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...
www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...
November 5, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Wild day for local politics. Big shifts on the Quincy, MA city council, and while most of the conversation is about broader city issues it is also a fight about...public religious expression!
www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...
www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Evan Stewart
#MorningReads Using heart rate monitors in an intro socio class, researchers found that students showed mild to moderate stress responses, though patterns varied & didnt always align w/ demographic categories. Authors discuss implications for teaching strategies.
The Physiology of Sociology: Students’ Biometric Response to Lessons on Race and Racism - Jennifer Patrice Sims, Melinda Lanius, Ryan Conners, Candice Lanius, 2025
Because most White people remain uncomfortable discussing or even just hearing about anything to do with race, White students in sociology classrooms often beco...
journals.sagepub.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:36 PM
#MorningReads Using heart rate monitors in an intro socio class, researchers found that students showed mild to moderate stress responses, though patterns varied & didnt always align w/ demographic categories. Authors discuss implications for teaching strategies.
Reposted by Evan Stewart
ANES Data Release! electionstudies.org/data-center/...
The 3-wave ANES panel is now available. It merges data from 3 election studies (2016-2020-2024), the first time the ANES has collected interviews of the same respondents across 3 presidential elections.
The 3-wave ANES panel is now available. It merges data from 3 election studies (2016-2020-2024), the first time the ANES has collected interviews of the same respondents across 3 presidential elections.
2016-2020-2024-panel-merged-study - ANES | American National Election Studies
electionstudies.org
November 1, 2025 at 8:47 PM
ANES Data Release! electionstudies.org/data-center/...
The 3-wave ANES panel is now available. It merges data from 3 election studies (2016-2020-2024), the first time the ANES has collected interviews of the same respondents across 3 presidential elections.
The 3-wave ANES panel is now available. It merges data from 3 election studies (2016-2020-2024), the first time the ANES has collected interviews of the same respondents across 3 presidential elections.
Reposted by Evan Stewart
Good morning Minneapolis! The #SSSR_RRA2025 Annual Meeting begins today with a full weekend of plenary sessions, receptions, networking events and papers exploring this year’s theme “Religion Matters.”
Full program. ⬇️ #Research #SocialScience #Religion
sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...
Full program. ⬇️ #Research #SocialScience #Religion
sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...
October 31, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Good morning Minneapolis! The #SSSR_RRA2025 Annual Meeting begins today with a full weekend of plenary sessions, receptions, networking events and papers exploring this year’s theme “Religion Matters.”
Full program. ⬇️ #Research #SocialScience #Religion
sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...
Full program. ⬇️ #Research #SocialScience #Religion
sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...
Reposted by Evan Stewart
Across social media sites, political posting is tightly linked to affective #polarization - the most partisan users post the most
As casual users disengage & polarized partisans remain vocal, the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more ideologically extreme
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
As casual users disengage & polarized partisans remain vocal, the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more ideologically extreme
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
October 30, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Across social media sites, political posting is tightly linked to affective #polarization - the most partisan users post the most
As casual users disengage & polarized partisans remain vocal, the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more ideologically extreme
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
As casual users disengage & polarized partisans remain vocal, the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more ideologically extreme
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
Reposted by Evan Stewart
New neuroscience research shows that when people try to persuade, their brains sync less and cover fewer ideas. But when they enter a discussion to learn or compromise, their brains diverge in ways that foster creativity, understanding, & shared solutions.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/good...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/good...
Good Conversations Don’t Require Everybody to Agree, Neuroscience Shows
Brain imaging is illuminating the patterns linked to productive, positive dialogue, and those insights could help people connect with others
www.scientificamerican.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:53 PM
New neuroscience research shows that when people try to persuade, their brains sync less and cover fewer ideas. But when they enter a discussion to learn or compromise, their brains diverge in ways that foster creativity, understanding, & shared solutions.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/good...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/good...
"...it is important to situate astrology not only in the realm of 'supernatural' and 'paranormal' belief but also in broader trends toward personality 'tests' and categories...that seek to enhance people’s understanding of themselves and their place in the world." 🌞🌝📋 doi.org/10.1177/2329...
Contemporary Views and Uses of Astrology in the United States: A Descriptive, Mixed-Methods Analysis - Shiri Noy, Avantaea Siefke, Katie E. Corcoran, Christopher P. Scheitle, 2025
Astrology is a multi-million-dollar industry. Its ubiquity in contemporary social life suggests that astrology may be an important component of Americans’ ident...
doi.org
October 14, 2025 at 12:21 PM
"...it is important to situate astrology not only in the realm of 'supernatural' and 'paranormal' belief but also in broader trends toward personality 'tests' and categories...that seek to enhance people’s understanding of themselves and their place in the world." 🌞🌝📋 doi.org/10.1177/2329...
Important work on affective climate polarization: authors find "emotional distance" on decarbonization
"...supporters’ frustration at opponents’ resistance to endorsing policy to mitigate climate change, and opponents’ frustration at being morally judged"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
"...supporters’ frustration at opponents’ resistance to endorsing policy to mitigate climate change, and opponents’ frustration at being morally judged"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Conceptualizing Affective Climate Polarization - Emily Huddart, Tony Silva, Parker Muzzerall, Sophia Dimitrakopoulos, 2025
Existing research demonstrates that liberals are more likely than conservatives to endorse climate policies. Scholars attribute this to differences in worldview...
journals.sagepub.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Important work on affective climate polarization: authors find "emotional distance" on decarbonization
"...supporters’ frustration at opponents’ resistance to endorsing policy to mitigate climate change, and opponents’ frustration at being morally judged"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
"...supporters’ frustration at opponents’ resistance to endorsing policy to mitigate climate change, and opponents’ frustration at being morally judged"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Evan Stewart
One man's stigma is another man's professional asset? In "Listing Addiction on Your Resume," @elenavanstee.bsky.social covers recent work from Joe Silcox and @evanstewart.bsky.social on personal experience and the emerging field of recovery coaching
contexts.org/articles/lis...
#sociology #sobriety
contexts.org/articles/lis...
#sociology #sobriety
October 9, 2025 at 6:21 PM
One man's stigma is another man's professional asset? In "Listing Addiction on Your Resume," @elenavanstee.bsky.social covers recent work from Joe Silcox and @evanstewart.bsky.social on personal experience and the emerging field of recovery coaching
contexts.org/articles/lis...
#sociology #sobriety
contexts.org/articles/lis...
#sociology #sobriety
"highly transferable skills—relevant not only to academia or nonprofit work, but to ... finance, marketing, business, and more. And yet, when students express interest in these broader arenas, they’re often met with hesitation, if not outright silence, from faculty." 👏👏👏
contexts.org/blog/dream-b...
contexts.org/blog/dream-b...
Let Sociology Majors Dream Bigger - Contexts
Contexts is a quarterly magazine that makes cutting-edge social research accessible to general readers.
contexts.org
October 12, 2025 at 11:02 PM
"highly transferable skills—relevant not only to academia or nonprofit work, but to ... finance, marketing, business, and more. And yet, when students express interest in these broader arenas, they’re often met with hesitation, if not outright silence, from faculty." 👏👏👏
contexts.org/blog/dream-b...
contexts.org/blog/dream-b...
Reposted by Evan Stewart
New publication! 🚨 How do church leaders foster commitment + preserve organizational vitality in the face of crisis?
"There Wasn't A Playbook For This: Local Congregations and the Crises of 2020," out today in Sociology of Religion, offers insight from MN academic.oup.com/socrel/advan...
"There Wasn't A Playbook For This: Local Congregations and the Crises of 2020," out today in Sociology of Religion, offers insight from MN academic.oup.com/socrel/advan...
“There Wasn’t A Playbook For This”: Local Congregations and the Crises of 2020
Abstract. Using 18 months of immersive ethnographic fieldwork in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, this paper highlights how religious congregations made se
academic.oup.com
October 8, 2025 at 9:29 PM
New publication! 🚨 How do church leaders foster commitment + preserve organizational vitality in the face of crisis?
"There Wasn't A Playbook For This: Local Congregations and the Crises of 2020," out today in Sociology of Religion, offers insight from MN academic.oup.com/socrel/advan...
"There Wasn't A Playbook For This: Local Congregations and the Crises of 2020," out today in Sociology of Religion, offers insight from MN academic.oup.com/socrel/advan...
Reposted by Evan Stewart
This is true for students too. Yes there are many factors impacting student reading, but working 30+ hours a week to be able to afford college is definitely one of them.
I see pieces like this a lot, often w/ a spin of lamenting cultural degeneration, but reading is a LABOR issue, it’s declined because so many people are working overtime or two jobs & employers expect after hours work. France has Earth’s highest reading rate b/c long lunch breaks & labor protections
October 7, 2025 at 11:21 AM
This is true for students too. Yes there are many factors impacting student reading, but working 30+ hours a week to be able to afford college is definitely one of them.
Reposted by Evan Stewart
Excited for this to be out at PS -- discussion of our DPR program at @denisonuniversity.bsky.social that frontloads quant methods. @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social and I also present survey evidence that the idea is popular among political scientists.
#OpenAccess from @pspolisci.bsky.social -
An Undergraduate Degree in ‘Data for Political Research’: High in Demand and Student Value but Low in Supply - https://cup.org/46ZqTwK
- @pauldjupe.bsky.social & Miles D. Williams
#FirstView
An Undergraduate Degree in ‘Data for Political Research’: High in Demand and Student Value but Low in Supply - https://cup.org/46ZqTwK
- @pauldjupe.bsky.social & Miles D. Williams
#FirstView
September 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Excited for this to be out at PS -- discussion of our DPR program at @denisonuniversity.bsky.social that frontloads quant methods. @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social and I also present survey evidence that the idea is popular among political scientists.
Reposted by Evan Stewart
new pub alert! 🚨
New paper out with @dacuetovilla.bsky.social today at
@socprobsjournal.bsky.social -- in it we build a model for understanding how competing movement orgs make racial demands, using the debates in Minneapolis over public safety in 2021.
@socprobsjournal.bsky.social -- in it we build a model for understanding how competing movement orgs make racial demands, using the debates in Minneapolis over public safety in 2021.
September 24, 2025 at 4:03 PM
new pub alert! 🚨
Very much looking forward to this next month. We have a great program put together for the conference! #SSSR_RRA2025
SSSR Members ➡️ Time to complete your registration for the #SSSR_RRA2025 Annual Meeting and reserve your hotel room. We look forward to welcoming all to Minneapolis October 31 - November 2, 2025.
✍️Registration sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...
🏨Hotel Info: sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...
✍️Registration sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...
🏨Hotel Info: sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...
September 25, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Very much looking forward to this next month. We have a great program put together for the conference! #SSSR_RRA2025
Reposted by Evan Stewart
Depolarization is not "a scalable solution for reducing societal-level conflict.... achieving lasting depolarization will likely require....moving beyond individual-level treatments to address the elite behaviors and structural incentives that fuel partisan conflict" www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
September 23, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Depolarization is not "a scalable solution for reducing societal-level conflict.... achieving lasting depolarization will likely require....moving beyond individual-level treatments to address the elite behaviors and structural incentives that fuel partisan conflict" www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Evan Stewart
"What I take from Aaron is that the best way to be truly productive on the margin, is to try to build for other people and connect them together."
September 22, 2025 at 12:09 PM
"What I take from Aaron is that the best way to be truly productive on the margin, is to try to build for other people and connect them together."
Reposted by Evan Stewart
How to quantify the impact of AI on long-run cultural evolution? Published today, I give it a go!
400+ years of strategic dynamics in the game of Go (Baduk/Weiqi), from feudalism to AlphaGo!
400+ years of strategic dynamics in the game of Go (Baduk/Weiqi), from feudalism to AlphaGo!
September 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM
How to quantify the impact of AI on long-run cultural evolution? Published today, I give it a go!
400+ years of strategic dynamics in the game of Go (Baduk/Weiqi), from feudalism to AlphaGo!
400+ years of strategic dynamics in the game of Go (Baduk/Weiqi), from feudalism to AlphaGo!
We got the all clear a few minutes ago. Thankful that things seem ok now.
Monitoring this, quite worried given everything. I’m ok - not on campus today - working on checking in with folks.
NEW DETAILS: Mass. State Police say there was an unconfirmed report of a shooting at UMass Boston that the agency is responding to, along with local authorities. on.nbcboston.com/DqhliQ6
September 11, 2025 at 9:24 PM
We got the all clear a few minutes ago. Thankful that things seem ok now.