[5][6] Fein also conducted a series of experiments that demonstrated how people's perceptions of political candidates can be influenced dramatically by the reactions of others around them.
In the condition in which the soundbites were cut out, the preference for Reagan was completely eliminated, showing how strong an effect a couple of jokes were to influence overall perceptions of a 90-minute-long debate.
Here, with the soundbites left in, but the audience reaction cut out, the subjects overwhelmingly thought Mondale's overall debate performance was superior to Reagan's.
[8] Other publications by Fein include research on the role of arousal in stereotype threat,[9] suspicion and the fundamental attribution error,[10] and a study testing whether measuring the personalities of new medical students could predict what area of medicine they would specialize in several years later.
1,31-44 (cited 932 times according to Google Scholar) and SJ Spencer, S Fein, CT Wolfe, C Fong "Automatic activation of stereotypes: The role of self-image threat" in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin November 1998 vol.
One two of these occasions he has had the LA-based rock band, The Airborne Toxic Event, come on to the show for extensive interviews and live performances.