Email: lbassan@hks.harvard.edu
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Under Review
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"Praise from Peers Promotes Empathetic Behavior." (with Adeline Lo and Jonathan Renshon). Stage-1 In Principle Acceptance, Nature Human Behavior
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Outgroup bias is a well-documented and pernicious phenomenon, manifesting in negative attitudes and behavior towards outgroups. Empathy—taking the perspective and understanding the experiences of others—holds considerable promise for attenuating outgroup bias. Yet, engaging in empathy is costly and existing interventions to encourage it are expensive and difficult to scale. Through six pilots, we develop a non-invasive, low-cost, peer praise intervention that encourages empathetic behavior towards generalized “others” by stimulating positive emotions. This research tests the hypothesis that our peer praise intervention promotes empathetic behavior among white respondents in the U.S. towards black and Latino/a Americans, a context where racial/ethnic outgroup bias is particularly durable and pernicious. We (1) measure real choices to engage in empathy with outgroups (2) test whether effects of peer praise are durable using a panel design (3) explore downstream effects on attitudinal/behavioural support for historical civil rights and advocacy groups (UnidosUS, BLM).
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"Champions and Pariahs: Image Effects of Naming and Shaming." Stage-1 In Principle Acceptance, Journal of Politics
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How does international criticism shape attitudes towards foreign governments? Theories regarding `naming and shaming' often presuppose the impact of human rights criticism on reputations. However, previous research has primarily examined the consequences of shaming on the countries being targeted. In my study, I utilize a survey experiment conducted in the United States to investigate whether audiences in a third country (Country C) respond to human rights criticism directed by one country (Country A) towards another (Country B). In this pre-registered report, I posit that governments, by condemning human rights violators, can enhance their own global image while tarnishing the reputation of the targeted country. Furthermore, I contend that these effects are more pronounced when the criticizing country is an ally of the third-party audience, and when the target is its adversary. Additionally, I anticipate that shaming will influence the attitudes of third-party audiences towards their own country's adherence to international norms.
In Preparation
"Influencer Diplomacy: Non-Traditional Actors in Public Diplomacy." (with Sabrina Arias)
Public diplomacy, traditionally led by government actors through initiatives like state visits, foreign aid, and official messaging, aims to communicate with and attract foreign publics. However, states are increasingly delegating these efforts to private and non-state actors, including celebrities and social media influencers. Is this `influencer diplomacy‘ effective at accomplishing the goals of traditional public diplomacy? We theorize that the credibility and positionality of non-traditional messengers significantly impact their effectiveness. We propose a series of survey experiments in the U.S. to evaluate whether influencers, due to their likability and perceived authenticity (positionality), are more effective than traditional diplomats, or if their potential lack of expertise and objectivity (credibility) undermines their impact. This research contributes to understanding the evolving landscape of public diplomacy and the strategic use of influencers in IR.
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"Breaking Commitments: Public Reactions to Withdrawals from International Climate Agreements." (with Sabrina Arias)
How does withdrawal from international agreements shape public opinion? We explore this question in the context of climate change by focusing on the potential U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under President-elect Donald Trump. While past research has examined the impact of state withdrawal from international organizations on compliance, state behavior, and candidate choice, its effects on public opinion remain understudied. This gap is especially important in the context of climate policy, where withdrawal could either undermine public support for key policies or spark a backlash that leads to social mobilization. To investigate these dynamics, we leverage the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s decision, we expose participants to scenarios of withdrawal, continued participation, or uncertainty and assess how these perceptions shape American attitudes toward climate policies, international institutions, and elected political leaders. This design allows us to isolate the effect of withdrawal on different sets of preferences, contributing to a broader understanding of how disengagement from international institutions affects domestic public opinion.
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“Human Rights Organizations and Anti-racist Reputations.” (with Zoltan Buzas)
“The Sound of Silence: The Effects of Exposing Silence on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence.” (with Dara Kay Cohen)
"Shame on Who?"