Oliver Scott Curry
@oliverscottcurry.bsky.social
Chief Science Officer www.kindness.org | Research Affiliate https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk | www.oliverscottcurry.com
Evolution, cooperation, morality & politics. All tweets are hypotheses.
Evolution, cooperation, morality & politics. All tweets are hypotheses.
Pinned
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
A week full of ideas at the offices of the Fyssen Foundation!
Many thanks to Jonathan Lanman, member of the Scientific Council, for initiating this exciting seminar!
Speakers: Pascal Boyer, Robert McCauley, Harvey Witehouse, Ann Taves, Oliver Curry, Leo Fitouchi, Zachary Garfield, Julia Ebner
Many thanks to Jonathan Lanman, member of the Scientific Council, for initiating this exciting seminar!
Speakers: Pascal Boyer, Robert McCauley, Harvey Witehouse, Ann Taves, Oliver Curry, Leo Fitouchi, Zachary Garfield, Julia Ebner
October 8, 2025 at 1:51 PM
A week full of ideas at the offices of the Fyssen Foundation!
Many thanks to Jonathan Lanman, member of the Scientific Council, for initiating this exciting seminar!
Speakers: Pascal Boyer, Robert McCauley, Harvey Witehouse, Ann Taves, Oliver Curry, Leo Fitouchi, Zachary Garfield, Julia Ebner
Many thanks to Jonathan Lanman, member of the Scientific Council, for initiating this exciting seminar!
Speakers: Pascal Boyer, Robert McCauley, Harvey Witehouse, Ann Taves, Oliver Curry, Leo Fitouchi, Zachary Garfield, Julia Ebner
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
Do kids prefer to play with helpers? Our paper on children's trait attribution and partner choice is out! doi.org/10.1111/cdev... We wanted to know if kids, after observing other agents' behaviors, spontaneously (!) interpret them in terms of traits and choose cooperation partners accordingly. 🧵...
April 12, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Do kids prefer to play with helpers? Our paper on children's trait attribution and partner choice is out! doi.org/10.1111/cdev... We wanted to know if kids, after observing other agents' behaviors, spontaneously (!) interpret them in terms of traits and choose cooperation partners accordingly. 🧵...
A comparison of MACQ and MFQ in Iran (featuring moral vignettes) osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
September 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
A comparison of MACQ and MFQ in Iran (featuring moral vignettes) osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
The average American got 7 out of 11 questions correct on this @pewresearch.org science 🧪 quiz. Let us know how you compare!
Quiz: How much do you know about science?
Test your knowledge of science facts and applications of scientific principles by taking our 11-question quiz, then compare your answers to the average American and across demographic groups.
www.pewresearch.org
September 5, 2025 at 8:18 PM
The average American got 7 out of 11 questions correct on this @pewresearch.org science 🧪 quiz. Let us know how you compare!
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
A Registered Report of 7,978 people in 20 countries by @cmolho.bsky.social et al finds that decision-makers willfully ignore inconvenient information. Information about the negative consequences drives prosociality, especially among guilt-prone individuals.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Guilt drives prosociality across 20 countries - Nature Human Behaviour
This Registered Report of 7,978 people in 20 countries found that guilt and information about consequences drive prosocial behaviour. Guilt-prone individuals gave more when they were informed about th...
www.nature.com
August 11, 2025 at 2:13 PM
A Registered Report of 7,978 people in 20 countries by @cmolho.bsky.social et al finds that decision-makers willfully ignore inconvenient information. Information about the negative consequences drives prosociality, especially among guilt-prone individuals.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
🚨Preprint alert 🚨
Forager food-sharing is often portrayed as “a positive insistence on equality” (Woodburn) or an “instinct” to equalise inequalities (Fehr). A new paper with @kris-smith.bsky.social, exploring Hadza reallocation decisions, challenges this view. 1/10 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Forager food-sharing is often portrayed as “a positive insistence on equality” (Woodburn) or an “instinct” to equalise inequalities (Fehr). A new paper with @kris-smith.bsky.social, exploring Hadza reallocation decisions, challenges this view. 1/10 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
The 'I' in Egalitarianism: Hadza Hunter-Gatherers Averse to Inequality Primarily when Personally Unfavourable
Many anthropologists and economists contend that humans are characterized by strong, universal, other-regarding equality preferences with deep evolutionary root
papers.ssrn.com
March 26, 2025 at 2:20 PM
🚨Preprint alert 🚨
Forager food-sharing is often portrayed as “a positive insistence on equality” (Woodburn) or an “instinct” to equalise inequalities (Fehr). A new paper with @kris-smith.bsky.social, exploring Hadza reallocation decisions, challenges this view. 1/10 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Forager food-sharing is often portrayed as “a positive insistence on equality” (Woodburn) or an “instinct” to equalise inequalities (Fehr). A new paper with @kris-smith.bsky.social, exploring Hadza reallocation decisions, challenges this view. 1/10 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
Thinking about writing a pop science book about the brain (“Your Brain on Everything”) where the big reveal is that all the brain names were randomized and I was actually talking about psychology the whole time.
July 13, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Thinking about writing a pop science book about the brain (“Your Brain on Everything”) where the big reveal is that all the brain names were randomized and I was actually talking about psychology the whole time.
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
"People decide whether to share social information–and whether to share it accurately–on the basis of self-interest"
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
People decide whether to share social information–and whether to share it accurately–on the basis of self-interest
Why do people spend so much time gossiping? Here, we tested two distinct hypotheses about how people might use reputational information to achieve soc…
www.sciencedirect.com
July 7, 2025 at 8:22 AM
"People decide whether to share social information–and whether to share it accurately–on the basis of self-interest"
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
@oliverscottcurry.bsky.social on the seven transcultural principles of morality as cooperation: family, group, reciprocity, deference, property, heroísmo, and fairness.
#HBES2025
@humbehevosoc.bsky.social
#HBES2025
@humbehevosoc.bsky.social
June 7, 2025 at 1:31 AM
@oliverscottcurry.bsky.social on the seven transcultural principles of morality as cooperation: family, group, reciprocity, deference, property, heroísmo, and fairness.
#HBES2025
@humbehevosoc.bsky.social
#HBES2025
@humbehevosoc.bsky.social
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
We're looking forward to your #HBES2025 plenary too, Oliver!
I'm looking forward to speaking @humbehevosoc.bsky.social in a couple of weeks. Here's the abstract of my talk:
May 27, 2025 at 3:29 PM
We're looking forward to your #HBES2025 plenary too, Oliver!
I'm looking forward to speaking @humbehevosoc.bsky.social in a couple of weeks. Here's the abstract of my talk:
May 23, 2025 at 12:09 PM
I'm looking forward to speaking @humbehevosoc.bsky.social in a couple of weeks. Here's the abstract of my talk:
The hits keep coming: another meta-analysis (k=10, N=4674) finds "no significant effects of social media abstinence interventions on positive affect, negative affect, or life satisfaction" (g = 0.03). (No relationship with abstinence duration either) #smma doi.org/10.1038/s415...
The effects of social media abstinence on affective well-being and life satisfaction: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - The effects of social media abstinence on affective well-being and life satisfaction: a systematic review and meta-analysis
doi.org
May 23, 2025 at 10:21 AM
The hits keep coming: another meta-analysis (k=10, N=4674) finds "no significant effects of social media abstinence interventions on positive affect, negative affect, or life satisfaction" (g = 0.03). (No relationship with abstinence duration either) #smma doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
If you are interested in extracting moral values from text corpora, check out our latest resource, the extended Morality as Cooperation Dictionary (eMACD). Led by the brilliant @musamalik.bsky.social, we show that eMACD surpasses the (predictive) validity of previous moral foundations dictionaries 📕
Finally, it is published 😀 open access: The Extended Morality as Cooperation Dictionary (eMACD): A Crowd-Sourced Approach via the Moral Narrative Analyzer Platform www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.....
The Extended Morality as Cooperation Dictionary (eMACD): A Crowd-Sourced Approach via the Moral Narrative Analyzer Platform
What is the prevalence of moral themes in textual corpora? Most previous moral mining research has been informed by Moral Foundations Theory (MFT). Here, we develop and evaluate an alternative mora...
www.tandfonline.com
May 21, 2025 at 5:13 AM
If you are interested in extracting moral values from text corpora, check out our latest resource, the extended Morality as Cooperation Dictionary (eMACD). Led by the brilliant @musamalik.bsky.social, we show that eMACD surpasses the (predictive) validity of previous moral foundations dictionaries 📕
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
Finally, it is published 😀 open access: The Extended Morality as Cooperation Dictionary (eMACD): A Crowd-Sourced Approach via the Moral Narrative Analyzer Platform www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.....
The Extended Morality as Cooperation Dictionary (eMACD): A Crowd-Sourced Approach via the Moral Narrative Analyzer Platform
What is the prevalence of moral themes in textual corpora? Most previous moral mining research has been informed by Moral Foundations Theory (MFT). Here, we develop and evaluate an alternative mora...
www.tandfonline.com
May 20, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Finally, it is published 😀 open access: The Extended Morality as Cooperation Dictionary (eMACD): A Crowd-Sourced Approach via the Moral Narrative Analyzer Platform www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.....
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
🧵New paper out in Cognition
Why do people moralize harmless carnal sins (e.g. gluttony, masturbation)?
@danielnettle.bsky.social & I find that these behaviors activate reciprocity-based moral judgment—no need for a distinct "purity" module.
50 days free link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1l18D2Hx2-...
Why do people moralize harmless carnal sins (e.g. gluttony, masturbation)?
@danielnettle.bsky.social & I find that these behaviors activate reciprocity-based moral judgment—no need for a distinct "purity" module.
50 days free link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1l18D2Hx2-...
May 6, 2025 at 9:45 AM
🧵New paper out in Cognition
Why do people moralize harmless carnal sins (e.g. gluttony, masturbation)?
@danielnettle.bsky.social & I find that these behaviors activate reciprocity-based moral judgment—no need for a distinct "purity" module.
50 days free link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1l18D2Hx2-...
Why do people moralize harmless carnal sins (e.g. gluttony, masturbation)?
@danielnettle.bsky.social & I find that these behaviors activate reciprocity-based moral judgment—no need for a distinct "purity" module.
50 days free link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1l18D2Hx2-...
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
It is weird everyone knows ego-depletion as one of the research lines where hundreds of studies were performed, but there was no effect - but the Mortality Salience literature has become a historical example of much larger research waste. 825 studies, absolutely nothing real about it.
R.I.P Terror Management: A Z-Curve Analysis. replicationindex.com/2025/04/27/r... by @ulrichschimmack.bsky.social
R.I.P Terror Management: A Z-Curve Analysis
ReferenceChen, L., Benjamin, R., Guo, Y., Lai, A., & Heine, S. J. (2025). Managing the terror of publication bias: A systematic review of the mortality salience hypothesis. Journal of Personali…
replicationindex.com
April 29, 2025 at 9:00 PM
It is weird everyone knows ego-depletion as one of the research lines where hundreds of studies were performed, but there was no effect - but the Mortality Salience literature has become a historical example of much larger research waste. 825 studies, absolutely nothing real about it.
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
I am hiring a new Lab Manager to help run the NYU Center for Conflict & Cooperation.
We start reviewing apps on MAY 1st and it pays over $58,000. Please share with anyone who might be interested!
Please apply here: apply.interfolio.com/166620
See more details below:
We start reviewing apps on MAY 1st and it pays over $58,000. Please share with anyone who might be interested!
Please apply here: apply.interfolio.com/166620
See more details below:
April 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I am hiring a new Lab Manager to help run the NYU Center for Conflict & Cooperation.
We start reviewing apps on MAY 1st and it pays over $58,000. Please share with anyone who might be interested!
Please apply here: apply.interfolio.com/166620
See more details below:
We start reviewing apps on MAY 1st and it pays over $58,000. Please share with anyone who might be interested!
Please apply here: apply.interfolio.com/166620
See more details below:
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
Independent hunter-gatherer societies from all over the world have used diss songs in the midst of their conflicts. traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/diss-songs
April 22, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Independent hunter-gatherer societies from all over the world have used diss songs in the midst of their conflicts. traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/diss-songs
Too good to be true? "altruistic individuals are regarded as less moral…participants evaluated those who distributed all (vs. half) of their resources to others as being less predictable and having a lower moral character" 🤔 doi.org/10.1002/ejsp...
The Paradox in Moral Character Judgement of Highly Altruistic Individuals: Investigating the Role of Predictability and Honesty‐humility
This study explored why highly altruistic individuals are regarded as less moral from a third-party perspective and investigated the boundary conditions of this phenomenon. In Study 1 (N = 199), part...
doi.org
March 19, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Too good to be true? "altruistic individuals are regarded as less moral…participants evaluated those who distributed all (vs. half) of their resources to others as being less predictable and having a lower moral character" 🤔 doi.org/10.1002/ejsp...
Can anyone provide a link to the study of ultimatum game behaviour (?) at a field site (a Las Vegas bus stop?)? Many thanks, O
February 19, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Can anyone provide a link to the study of ultimatum game behaviour (?) at a field site (a Las Vegas bus stop?)? Many thanks, O
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
New article ft. Sholei Croom's research, in @sciam.bsky.social
www.scientificamerican.com/article/whic...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/whic...
Which Knot Is Stronger? Humans Aren’t Great Judges
People are surprisingly bad at guessing knot strength, a study found
www.scientificamerican.com
February 19, 2025 at 1:43 PM
New article ft. Sholei Croom's research, in @sciam.bsky.social
www.scientificamerican.com/article/whic...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/whic...
I'm looking forward to giving a plenary – on the science of morality – at this year's HBES. Hope to see you there! O
The HBES annual conference is approaching - join us June 4th-7th 2025 at Stockton University, Atlantic City. Registration & payments are now open. Abstracts are due Feb 15th - submit today! stockton.edu/human-behavi...
HBES - 36th Annual Human Behavior & Evolution Society Conference - Human Behavior & Evolution Society Conference | Stockton University
stockton.edu
February 13, 2025 at 11:58 AM
I'm looking forward to giving a plenary – on the science of morality – at this year's HBES. Hope to see you there! O
Reposted by Oliver Scott Curry
We tested MFQ-2 and MAC-Q in a Turkish sample (N=1099).
1️⃣ Both fit well.
2️⃣ MFQ-2 explained more variance in psychological variables.
3️⃣ MAC-Q better predicted moral behavior (e.g., generosity, cooperation).
#MoralPsychology #moralfoundations #moralityascooperation
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s121...
1️⃣ Both fit well.
2️⃣ MFQ-2 explained more variance in psychological variables.
3️⃣ MAC-Q better predicted moral behavior (e.g., generosity, cooperation).
#MoralPsychology #moralfoundations #moralityascooperation
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s121...
Validation of the moral foundations questionnaire-2 in the Turkish context: exploring its relationship with moral behavior - Current Psychology
Despite the considerable attention it has received, Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) remains open to criticisms regarding failure to conceptualize the moral domain. MFT was revised in response to these ...
doi.org
February 10, 2025 at 7:09 AM
We tested MFQ-2 and MAC-Q in a Turkish sample (N=1099).
1️⃣ Both fit well.
2️⃣ MFQ-2 explained more variance in psychological variables.
3️⃣ MAC-Q better predicted moral behavior (e.g., generosity, cooperation).
#MoralPsychology #moralfoundations #moralityascooperation
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s121...
1️⃣ Both fit well.
2️⃣ MFQ-2 explained more variance in psychological variables.
3️⃣ MAC-Q better predicted moral behavior (e.g., generosity, cooperation).
#MoralPsychology #moralfoundations #moralityascooperation
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s121...
The argument for altruism given by eg Singer & Nagel ('other people have ends, therefore you ought to promote them') seems so bad that I'm surprised there aren't more, more well-known critiques of it (or at least I can't find many). Any suggestions?
February 6, 2025 at 12:06 PM
The argument for altruism given by eg Singer & Nagel ('other people have ends, therefore you ought to promote them') seems so bad that I'm surprised there aren't more, more well-known critiques of it (or at least I can't find many). Any suggestions?