Big Brains Are We Worse People Than We Used To Be? With Adam Mastroianni
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Nov 2, 2023 
Psychologist Adam Mastroianni discusses the perception of moral decline in society and presents research showing it is an illusion. They explore the impact of this perception on loneliness and the distortion of our understanding of societal change. The importance of historical context and not being overly confident in personal perceptions is emphasized.
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Widespread Belief In Moral Decline
- People across countries overwhelmingly believe morality has declined despite little evidence.
- Adam Mastroianni shows this perception appears worldwide and persistent over decades.
Everyday Behavior Shows No Decline
- Repeated archival measures of everyday kindness and honesty are flat over decades.
- Long-term survey and behavioral data fail to show the predicted moral decline.
Cooperation Increased In Lab Games
- Economic game meta-analyses show cooperation rose from 1956–2017.
- People predict the opposite, illustrating a systematic misperception.