I'm a social psychologist who studies human behavior through the lens of Big Data analytics.  

 

I'm currently Sr. Data Scientist at Upworthy, where I get to spend every day combining psychological theory with data science to maximize media impact and help make stories about "things that matter" go viral.

 

This is a fascinating time to be a social scientist. The explosion of behavioral data that is produced online every single day is fundamentally transforming the study of human psychology.  At the same time, opportunities to apply psychological theory at a massive scale are enabling social scientists to have a transformative impact on traditional media, politics, and businesses.

 

My work is at the intersection of these areas.  I've published scientific papers on decision-making processes related to media, politics, morality, health, and well-being, while also advocating for the use of Big Data analytics and innovative behavioral methodologies to improve psychological science.

 

My dissertation was published in Science, and my scientific research has been widely covered by the New York Times, the LA Times, the Washington Post, US News & World Report, and Time Magazine, among other outlets.

 

The best way to reach me is via email [sean -at- upworthy.com], Twitter, or LinkedIn.