Modern Sociality: How are Digital Technologies and AI Changing Social Life?

Digital technology is reshaping how and whether we connect with each other.

Relevant Writing
Empathy and Artificial Intelligence→
Edited by Anat Perry & C. Daryl Cameron
Cambridge University Press
September 17, 2026

Alone together? How social technology is influencing human connection and loneliness→
Matt Motyl & Juliana Schroeder
Psychology of Technology Institute: Designing Tomorrow
February 5, 2024

Relevant Audio
AI is Changing How We Talk - Are you Ready →
Chief Change Officer
February 22, 2025

Relevant Video
Tech Talk: How Technology is Changing Communication →
Psychology of Technology Institute
July 27, 2020

The Humanizing Voice: How Does the Conversation Medium Change How We See Each Other?

Your voice does something your words alone cannot — it makes you seem human.

Relevant News
Talking it out vs. writing it out→
- Hidden Brain
May 29, 2026

Study shows why speaking beats writing for contentious conversation→
- UC Berkeley Haas
April 27, 2026

Relevant Writing
The Science of Sounding Smart→
Juliana Schroeder & Nicholas Epley
Harvard Business Review
October 7, 2015

Relevant Video
The Sound of Intellect: Hear Why the Mouth Is Mightier Than the Pen→
Berkeley-Haas Alumni Network
March 7, 2018

The Connection Gap: Why Do We Connect Less Than We Should?

People are less social than is good for them — and they don’t fully realize it.

Relevant News
‘The Anti-Social Century’: America’s Epidemic of Solitude—and How to Fix It→
- Plain English With Derek Thompson
January 10, 2025

The Research-Backed Benefits of Calling Friends and Family→
- Greater Good Magazine
October 2, 2025

Relevant Videos
How to fight loneliness: Everyday hacks for a connected life→
TEDxMarin Talks
September 9, 2023

Why You Should Talk to Strangers (Science Says So)→
Livelong Media
December 26, 2025

Relevant Audios
Why Talking to Strangers Will Make You Happier with Nicholas Epley (Ep. 33) →
UChicago News, Big Brains
October 7, 2019

Mistakenly Seeking Solitude →
Stanford Psychology Podcast
November 24, 2022

Human “Resources” and “Empty Vessels”: What Happens When We Treat People as Means to an End?

The workplace turns people into tools — and neither party always notices.

Relevant News
The layoff survival guide: What to do before, during and after→
- The Washington Post
October 16, 2025

Effective Intergenerational Communication in the Workplace→
- ATAP
August 5, 2025

Relevant Video
The Problem of “Overclaiming”
California Management Review
November 9, 2017

Demeaning and Paternalism: When Does Well-Intentioned Help Go Awry?

Good intentions don’t guarantee good help — not when helpers misread the minds they’re trying to serve.

Relevant Writing
Match Your Motivational Tactic to the Situation→
Juliana Schroeder & Ayelet Fishbach
Harvard Business Review
January 8, 2016

The Paradox of Helping: Endorsing for Others What We Oppose for Ourselves→
Juliana Schroeder
Behavioral Scientist
June 1, 2017

Relevant Video
Endorsing Help for Others That You Oppose for Yourself: Mind Perception Guides Support for Paternalism→
Science of Philanthropy Initiative
December 14, 2015

Relevant Audio
Self-Care: Can You Hack Your Mood? →
Spotify Podcast
Transcript
Science Vs
October 5, 2023

Content Across Conflict: Can Contact Across Conflict Lines Reduce Prejudice?

Proximity can overcome prejudice — but the conditions have to be right.

Relevant Writing
Peace Through Friendship→
Juliana Schroeder & Jane L. Risen
The New York Times
August 22, 2014

Reactions to Political Correctness Are Not Inherently Partisan→
Michael Rosenblum, Juliana Schroeder & Francesca Gino
Behavioral Scientist
November 18, 2019

Relevant Videos
Managing Partisan Animosity and Polarization in Organizations→
Berkeley Culture Conference
January 11, 2023

Befriending the Enemy: Evaluating the Lasting Impact of Cross-Cultural Exchanges→
USC Center on Public Diplomacy
March 29, 2015

The Lesser Minds Problem: When Do People Fail to Recognize Others’ Inner Lives?

Failures to recognize others’ inner lives and see them as fully human.

Relevant Writing
Give More Feedback—Others Want It More Than You Think→
Nicole Abi-Esber & Juliana Schroeder
Behavioral Scientist
April 17, 2023

Relevant Videos
Persuading a Divided Democracy: How Misreading Other Minds Drives Polarization→
TVO Today, The Agenda with Steve Paikin
November 21, 2022

Tools and Strategies to Improve Your Negotiation Outcomes→
Berkeley-Haas Alumni Network
April 27, 2019

Maximizing Your Social Value→
Big Brain: An SF Speaker Series
June 25, 2025

Social Meaning Making: How Do Groups Create and Use Rituals?

Rituals aren’t superstition — they’re the glue that holds groups together.

Relevant Video
When Alterations are Violations: Moral Outrage and Punishment in Response to Altering Rituals→
Berkeley Haas Culture Conference
January 15, 2020

Relevant Writing
'Eat the frog': How getting unpleasant things out of the way makes for a fulfilling day→
- Fast Company
December 12, 2025

Understanding the Outrage Over Altering Holiday Celebrations Despite COVID-19 Risks→
Daniel H. Stein, Juliana Schroeder, and Nicholas Hobson
Behavioral Scientist
November 23, 2020

Relevant Audio
Rituals Can Improve Performance →
The Matt Townsend Show
June 15, 2017