Sam Pratt
@sampratt99.bsky.social
Psychology PhD student at UCLA 🐻 learning about morality, politics, and consciousness
Thanks again to my fantastic co-authors Payton Jones, Victoria Bridgland, Benjamin Bellet, and Rich McNally
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40608447/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40608447/
Sending signals: Trigger warnings and safe space notifications - PubMed
Trigger warnings and safe space notifications are common in higher education. Although researchers have evaluated these practices as mental health tools, little attention has been paid to the…
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Thanks again to my fantastic co-authors Payton Jones, Victoria Bridgland, Benjamin Bellet, and Rich McNally
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40608447/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40608447/
So, do trigger warnings and safe spaces belong in the classroom?
Though we can't answer this for instructors, our data suggest that TWs fall short at improving students' perceptions of the classroom, but students react positively when the classroom is framed as a safe space.
Though we can't answer this for instructors, our data suggest that TWs fall short at improving students' perceptions of the classroom, but students react positively when the classroom is framed as a safe space.
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
So, do trigger warnings and safe spaces belong in the classroom?
Though we can't answer this for instructors, our data suggest that TWs fall short at improving students' perceptions of the classroom, but students react positively when the classroom is framed as a safe space.
Though we can't answer this for instructors, our data suggest that TWs fall short at improving students' perceptions of the classroom, but students react positively when the classroom is framed as a safe space.
BUT: safe spaces also made instructors seem more liberal and left-wing authoritarian—a scale that includes items about censoring conservative ideas. Mentioning that the classroom is a "safe space" raises the question: safe for which ideas?
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
BUT: safe spaces also made instructors seem more liberal and left-wing authoritarian—a scale that includes items about censoring conservative ideas. Mentioning that the classroom is a "safe space" raises the question: safe for which ideas?
Safe spaces had benefits!
When instructors described the classroom as a safe space, students saw them as more caring and felt more psychologically safe and willing to discuss controversial issues.
When instructors described the classroom as a safe space, students saw them as more caring and felt more psychologically safe and willing to discuss controversial issues.
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Safe spaces had benefits!
When instructors described the classroom as a safe space, students saw them as more caring and felt more psychologically safe and willing to discuss controversial issues.
When instructors described the classroom as a safe space, students saw them as more caring and felt more psychologically safe and willing to discuss controversial issues.
In conclusion, though 83–92% of our sample agreed that trigger warnings should be used, those randomly assigned to receive one felt no better about the classroom or their instructors than those who didn’t.
But what about safe spaces?
But what about safe spaces?
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
In conclusion, though 83–92% of our sample agreed that trigger warnings should be used, those randomly assigned to receive one felt no better about the classroom or their instructors than those who didn’t.
But what about safe spaces?
But what about safe spaces?
Trigger warnings didn’t help even among students with a history of trauma—the group they’re often meant to support. 44% of these students reported that the trigger warning reminded them of their past trauma, but these students did not feel more positively after receiving a TW.
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Trigger warnings didn’t help even among students with a history of trauma—the group they’re often meant to support. 44% of these students reported that the trigger warning reminded them of their past trauma, but these students did not feel more positively after receiving a TW.
A common argument for trigger warnings is that they’re polite: they signal respect and make students feel supported. But we found no evidence for this.
Students who were randomly assigned to receive a warning felt no more positively about their instructors or the classroom.
Students who were randomly assigned to receive a warning felt no more positively about their instructors or the classroom.
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
A common argument for trigger warnings is that they’re polite: they signal respect and make students feel supported. But we found no evidence for this.
Students who were randomly assigned to receive a warning felt no more positively about their instructors or the classroom.
Students who were randomly assigned to receive a warning felt no more positively about their instructors or the classroom.
This work would not have been possible without my excellent co-authors Daniel Rosenfeld, Amelia Goranson, @janettphd.bsky.social, Paschal Sheeran, and @kurtjgray.bsky.social !
Full paper: doi.org/10.1177/0146...
Full paper: doi.org/10.1177/0146...
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doi.org
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
This work would not have been possible without my excellent co-authors Daniel Rosenfeld, Amelia Goranson, @janettphd.bsky.social, Paschal Sheeran, and @kurtjgray.bsky.social !
Full paper: doi.org/10.1177/0146...
Full paper: doi.org/10.1177/0146...
From vaccines 💉 to diets 🍎 , many health issues have become moral battlegrounds. These issues seem different on the surface, but we suggest that they each become moralized when seen as causing harm to other people.
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
From vaccines 💉 to diets 🍎 , many health issues have become moral battlegrounds. These issues seem different on the surface, but we suggest that they each become moralized when seen as causing harm to other people.
Study 5:
In another version, we described sleep aids as preventing harm - reducing traffic deaths by improving sleep. Moralization flipped: people now saw using sleep aids as morally praiseworthy 👏 😊
In another version, we described sleep aids as preventing harm - reducing traffic deaths by improving sleep. Moralization flipped: people now saw using sleep aids as morally praiseworthy 👏 😊
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Study 5:
In another version, we described sleep aids as preventing harm - reducing traffic deaths by improving sleep. Moralization flipped: people now saw using sleep aids as morally praiseworthy 👏 😊
In another version, we described sleep aids as preventing harm - reducing traffic deaths by improving sleep. Moralization flipped: people now saw using sleep aids as morally praiseworthy 👏 😊
Study 5:
But can we turn a *morally neutral* behavior - using sleep aids 💊😴 - into a moral issue by describing it as harmful? Yes!
Participants moralized sleep aids more when we framed them as causing harm (increasing traffic deaths due to residual drowsiness) 😡
But can we turn a *morally neutral* behavior - using sleep aids 💊😴 - into a moral issue by describing it as harmful? Yes!
Participants moralized sleep aids more when we framed them as causing harm (increasing traffic deaths due to residual drowsiness) 😡
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Study 5:
But can we turn a *morally neutral* behavior - using sleep aids 💊😴 - into a moral issue by describing it as harmful? Yes!
Participants moralized sleep aids more when we framed them as causing harm (increasing traffic deaths due to residual drowsiness) 😡
But can we turn a *morally neutral* behavior - using sleep aids 💊😴 - into a moral issue by describing it as harmful? Yes!
Participants moralized sleep aids more when we framed them as causing harm (increasing traffic deaths due to residual drowsiness) 😡
Study 4:
Next we tested causality. Participants read about a health behavior (going to a crowded event while sick) that was described as either harmful or disgusting.
Framing it as harmful → seems immoral 😡
Framing it as disgusting → seems gross 🤢 but not immoral
Next we tested causality. Participants read about a health behavior (going to a crowded event while sick) that was described as either harmful or disgusting.
Framing it as harmful → seems immoral 😡
Framing it as disgusting → seems gross 🤢 but not immoral
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Study 4:
Next we tested causality. Participants read about a health behavior (going to a crowded event while sick) that was described as either harmful or disgusting.
Framing it as harmful → seems immoral 😡
Framing it as disgusting → seems gross 🤢 but not immoral
Next we tested causality. Participants read about a health behavior (going to a crowded event while sick) that was described as either harmful or disgusting.
Framing it as harmful → seems immoral 😡
Framing it as disgusting → seems gross 🤢 but not immoral
Studies 1-3:
We found that the more people viewed poor health as *interpersonally* harmful - causing others in one's life to suffer - they more they viewed all kinds of health behaviors as moral issues.
We found that the more people viewed poor health as *interpersonally* harmful - causing others in one's life to suffer - they more they viewed all kinds of health behaviors as moral issues.
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Studies 1-3:
We found that the more people viewed poor health as *interpersonally* harmful - causing others in one's life to suffer - they more they viewed all kinds of health behaviors as moral issues.
We found that the more people viewed poor health as *interpersonally* harmful - causing others in one's life to suffer - they more they viewed all kinds of health behaviors as moral issues.
We drew on the Theory of Dyadic Morality, which argues that we condemn acts to the extent they seem harmful.
But “harm” can mean many things. Is smoking wrong because it hurts you (personal harm), others (interpersonal harm), or society (collective harm)?
But “harm” can mean many things. Is smoking wrong because it hurts you (personal harm), others (interpersonal harm), or society (collective harm)?
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
We drew on the Theory of Dyadic Morality, which argues that we condemn acts to the extent they seem harmful.
But “harm” can mean many things. Is smoking wrong because it hurts you (personal harm), others (interpersonal harm), or society (collective harm)?
But “harm” can mean many things. Is smoking wrong because it hurts you (personal harm), others (interpersonal harm), or society (collective harm)?
September 24, 2025 at 9:28 PM
You can read the full preprint here: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Thanks to co-authors Payton Jones, Ben Bellet, Rich McNally, and @kurtjgray.bsky.social
Thanks to co-authors Payton Jones, Ben Bellet, Rich McNally, and @kurtjgray.bsky.social
OSF
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doi.org
September 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM
You can read the full preprint here: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Thanks to co-authors Payton Jones, Ben Bellet, Rich McNally, and @kurtjgray.bsky.social
Thanks to co-authors Payton Jones, Ben Bellet, Rich McNally, and @kurtjgray.bsky.social
The belief that words can harm was consistently related to poorer psychological well-being, including:
-Anxiety
-Depression
-Difficulties in emotion regulation
-Anxiety sensitivity
-Lower resilience
-Belief that the self and others are vulnerable to trauma
-Anxiety
-Depression
-Difficulties in emotion regulation
-Anxiety sensitivity
-Lower resilience
-Belief that the self and others are vulnerable to trauma
September 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM
The belief that words can harm was consistently related to poorer psychological well-being, including:
-Anxiety
-Depression
-Difficulties in emotion regulation
-Anxiety sensitivity
-Lower resilience
-Belief that the self and others are vulnerable to trauma
-Anxiety
-Depression
-Difficulties in emotion regulation
-Anxiety sensitivity
-Lower resilience
-Belief that the self and others are vulnerable to trauma
The WCHS was correlated with:
-Intellectual humility
-Empathy
-Support for trigger warnings/safe spaces
-Concern for political correctness
-Tendency for interpersonal victimhood
-Moral grandstanding
-Left-wing authoritarianism
-Belief in the importance of silencing others
-Intellectual humility
-Empathy
-Support for trigger warnings/safe spaces
-Concern for political correctness
-Tendency for interpersonal victimhood
-Moral grandstanding
-Left-wing authoritarianism
-Belief in the importance of silencing others
September 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM
The WCHS was correlated with:
-Intellectual humility
-Empathy
-Support for trigger warnings/safe spaces
-Concern for political correctness
-Tendency for interpersonal victimhood
-Moral grandstanding
-Left-wing authoritarianism
-Belief in the importance of silencing others
-Intellectual humility
-Empathy
-Support for trigger warnings/safe spaces
-Concern for political correctness
-Tendency for interpersonal victimhood
-Moral grandstanding
-Left-wing authoritarianism
-Belief in the importance of silencing others