Reasoning, Beliefs, Bias, and Psychological Science
My research examines how people reason, evaluate evidence, revise beliefs, and respond to scientific and pseudoscientific claims.
Research Areas
Reasoning & Decision-Making
Dual-process thinking, conflict detection, belief bias, motivated reasoning, and how people evaluate arguments.
Pseudoscience & Beliefs
Why people endorse personality tests, intuitive explanations, subjective reality, and other psychologically appealing claims.
Teaching & Scientific Literacy
Research on film pedagogy, psychological science education, and how instructors use media to teach psychology.
Open Science
I support transparent and reproducible research practices. Many of my projects are preregistered or shared through the Open Science Framework.
Selected Publications & Media Coverage
Some publications have also been discussed in public-facing outlets, interviews, and science communication venues.
Science, Evidence, and Political Ideology
Stein, R., Swan, A. B., & Sarraf, M. (2020). Hearing from both sides: Differences between liberal and conservative attitudes toward scientific and experiential evidence.
Media coverage:
The Conversation, Daily Mail, WCBU/NPR, PsyPost, Salon, Yahoo Lifestyle, and others.
Myers-Briggs, Personality Assessment, and Intuitive Psychology
Stein, R., & Swan, A. B. (2019). Evaluating the validity of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator theory: A teaching tool and window into intuitive psychology.
Media coverage:
SHRM Magazine and related public discussions of personality assessment.
Personality Profiles and “Deep” Explanations
Stein, R., & Swan, A. B. (2018). Deeply confusing: Conflating difficulty with deep revelation on personality assessment.
Media coverage:
The Conversation, Scientific American, Psychology Today, Washington Post, Big Think, Academic Minute, and others.
Current Projects
Films in Psychology Courses
Research on how psychology instructors use fictional films as teaching tools, including benefits, barriers, and classroom practices.
Scientific Authority & Anti-Science Claims
Work examining how people evaluate credibility, expertise, science, and anti-science perspectives.
Psychology Through Film
Scholarship and public-facing work on how film can support scientific literacy and media literacy in psychology education.
Student Research
Eureka College students interested in cognitive psychology, belief, bias, pseudoscience, film pedagogy, or research methods are welcome to contact me about research opportunities.