Middle Ground Play

Play your way to a deeper understanding of social science phenomena.

Pull up a chair and play a bit! Explore interactive digital content about how we think, feel, and behave in relation to other people. Pick a side, guess why people do the sometimes-puzzling things they do, follow an order or break a rule—shed a little light on the why and how we go through our daily lives alongside our friends, neighbors, and strangers.

Middle Ground

Middle Ground: Who do you think I am

When sizing up others, how do you make your judgments? INTERACTIVE

Middle Ground: Unseen Stories: Photo essay

There’s what people see—and then there’s the unseen story. PHOTO ESSAY

Middle Ground: My-Side Bias

How you look into a topic determines what you find. INTERACTIVE

Two modern, minimal chairs in contrasting colors.

Middle Ground: Puzzling Public Behaviors

Why do people do the things they do? INTERACTIVE

Rows of white silhouetted chairs on a yellow background, with one blue chair standing out.

Middle Ground: Don't Push This Button

Do you usually follow orders or rules, or ignore them? INTERACTIVE

Middle Ground: Stand By or Step Up?

What do you do when a stranger needs help? INFOGRAPHIC

Middle Ground: Share a Joke

Connect with a stranger over a joke or two. INTERACTIVE

The Power of a (Bogus) Uniform

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grants No. 1713638 and 2116110. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.