Research
I love questions. And I love the “search” in research; not the “publication” in research. (“Publication” must fit in the imaginary space between the letters.)
I have a tremendous amount of respect for researchers of all types. I love science. I truly do. But traditional research is often too slow for my tastes, and peer review is not the end all of the scientific process.
Upgradable, my applied positive psychology lab, is the container for much of my research.
Lean Science
I lean toward “lean science” or citizen science and embrace the open science and open research movements.
My approach is to start with an interesting question, form an extremely rough hypothesis, experiment to understand the question and parameters of the answer(s) more clearly, then iterate until something useful falls out from the process.
In some cases, assuming humanity survives the next few years, I’d like to eventually take my early findings and work with established research teams to do more rigorous investigations.
Areas
Most of my work is around (1) behavior change and (2) social change, although as an aspiring polymath my interests are extremely broad. My core areas are:
- Strategic life optimization
- Behavioral shoves (complement to nudges)
- Systemic / systematic behavior change
- Systemic / systematic social change
Below are the questions that have deeply intrigued me. For each I’ve spent months or years of my life studying the question from as many angles as possible. Generally by self-guided study, building enterprises and organizations that attempt to approximate potential answers, taking jobs in related fields, and supporting other people’s initiatives.
In time, I may write summary reports or books. In the meantime, the latest project or startup best represents my applied answers.
Primary Questions
- How can we most efficiently and effectively help people self-actualize?
- How can we catalyze the greatest amount of personal growth in the shortest amount of time possible? How can we rapidly translate intention into actual behavior change?
- How can we most efficiently and effectively create self-actualized, polymathic, youth/young adult change agents?
- How can we most efficiently and effectively create social change hubs in every city on Earth?
Secondary Questions
- Where’s the best place in the world for a social entrepreneur to live and build a social enterprise?
- How can we maximize our productivity?
- What are the most efficient and effective ways of creating viable utopians society?
- How can we design an event to produce the maximum amount of impact?
- What is a modern day polymath like?
Past
In 2016 I helped run Stanford ChangeLabs, an applied research lab focused on developing a model for social change called system acupuncture.
In 2002-2004 I helped the Langlois Social Development Lab (a.k.a., “UT Face Lab”) with 10 research studies. My role was generally focused on data collection. I found some of the papers online:
- Origins of a Stereotype: Categorization of Facial Attractiveness by 6-month-old Infants [PDF]
- The Role of Facial Attractiveness and Facial Masculinity/Femininity in Sex Classification of Faces [PDF]
- Stereotype Directionality and Attractiveness Stereotyping: Is Beauty Good or Is Ugly Bad? [PDF]
- Theoretical and Methodological Congruence with Face Perception Research: An Alternate Paradigm for Facial Attractiveness [PDF]