WATCH: Princeton Psychologist Betsy Levy Paluck Wins MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Ari Feldman October 11, 2017
A Princeton University psychologist who studies how to reduce social tensions — from high school bullying to ethnic tension in Rwanda — was selected for a 2017 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. Betsy Levy Paluck is one of 24 fellows announced Wednesday.
Paluck has dedicated her career in research psychology to determining how psychological insights can be applied to reducing prejudice and conflict in real-world situations.
Her most famous study to date has been tracking the effects of a radio soap opera in post-genocide Rwanda. The soap followed characters from different ethnic backgrounds that were able to reconcile their differences. Paluck found that even while Rwandan’s tended to maintain their ethnic prejudices, their behavior towards people of different ethnicities became more peaceable and friendly.
“I’ve been really interested in this idea: That how we behave is actually much more influenced by what other people think than by our own personal ideas,” Paluck told NPR. “I think everybody’s had the experience of doing something because they thought it was expected of them.”
Paluck plans to use part of her “Genius” grant — $625,000 over five years — to help connect social science scholars with activists and NGOs to help solve real-world problems.
Contact Ari Feldman at [email protected] or on Twitter @aefeldman.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
