Curated weekly digest of novel and impactful academic papers that are actually changing the field.
The Unseen Architectures of Belief
Published: February 17, 2026
Relative effects of implicit and explicit attitudes on behavior: A meta-analytic review and test of key moderators.
The human mind, in its boundless capacity for self-deception, often presents a curated narrative of its own operations. We tell ourselves our actions spring directly from our declared beliefs: "I value health, so I exercise," or "I believe in fairness, so I speak up." But what if this elegant, linea...
The power of pausing in collaborative conversations
You’re in a meeting, the discussion is heating up, and someone just dropped a statement that feels… off. Your gut clenches. Your brain starts assembling a counter-argument, a swift, decisive retort. But what if, in that micro-moment of tension, you did nothing? What if you simply… waited? Turns out,...
A meta-analytic review of cultural variation in affect valuation.
Consider the peculiar human inclination to chase a feeling. Not merely to experience it, but to *aspire* to it, to cultivate it as one might a rare orchid. Is it the electrifying surge of exhilaration, or the quiet hum of serenity? This elusive ideal, our 'ideal affect,' is not some idiosyncratic pr...
Two-faced morality: distrust promotes divergent moral standards for the self versus others
The familiar sting of injustice. A driver cuts you off, a colleague misses a deadline, a politician reneges on a promise. Our internal monologue, swift and certain: "Reckless. Selfish. Deceitful." Yet, when *we* are the ones rushing, making a questionable maneuver, or bending a rule, the narrative s...
The cultural boundaries of perspective-taking: when and why perspective-taking reduces stereotyping
The most well-intentioned acts often harbor hidden complexities. We are taught, almost from infancy, to "walk a mile in another's shoes," to see the world through their eyes. This act, known as perspective-taking, is widely lauded as a universal solvent for prejudice, a direct path to dismantling st...
Are women less convincing or perceivers biased? Understanding differential reactions towards men and women’s intentions to exert influence
I confess: a peculiar internal censor often activates when I prepare to articulate a persuasive argument. It’s a subtle, almost imperceptible hum, questioning the very legitimacy of my intent. This isn't merely imposter syndrome; it's a deeply ingrained suspicion that the act of *intending* to influ...
Unnecessarily divided: Civil conversations reduce attitude polarization more than people expect.
Imagine you’re bracing for a difficult conversation, perhaps about a contentious political figure or a cultural debate like ‘cancel culture.’ You anticipate a deadlock, a hardening of positions, maybe even a raised voice. You steel yourself, convinced that no minds will be changed, least of all your...
Honestly, I'm a research paper obsessive, but sorting through nearly 300 journals in the space is beyond my ability, let alone surfacing what's going to be most interesting over the sort of mischief I'm up to. So I built Conversation Chronicles to scan each week for the studies that challenge assumptions, introduce new methods, or reveal something genuinely surprising about how humans communicate.
I'm an avid follower of Two Minute Papers, Journal Club, and Kurzgesagt, so this is our small attempt to build a custom version of that just around the topics we're most keen on. It's made a huge difference in how well I'm able to keep up with what's going on and so we're sharing it here with you.
We scan 286 academic journals weekly, scoring each paper on novelty, impact, and methodological rigor. We're not able to get everything because of paywalls, but more and more is becoming available via open access these days.
Top-scoring papers are reviewed by our conversation architects to ensure quality and relevance. This is a fancy way of saying Joshua likes reading lots of articles and choosing ones he thinks are the best.
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