Sean Malahy

Sean Malahy is currently a data scientist with Paradigm Strategy, Inc. In 2016, he received a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Stanford University, where he focused on how individuals come to perceive and understand victims. He is especially interested in perceptions of potential victims, for instance when the consequences of an action are unclear. His research finds that awareness of particular groups (e.g., workers, families) leads people to consider those groups’ potential suffering more. Importantly, this occurs even when the potential harm to the group is uncertain or obscured (e.g., the result of a corporate restructuring). The perception of victims leads to increased concern for their welfare and greater opposition to the potentially harmful action. His dissertation focuses on understanding the factors that obscure the harmful consequences of actions. He is interested in how these factors contribute to increased support for and participation in civil society efforts. Sean received a B.S. from Tufts University in Psychology in 2009. Before Stanford, he conducted research at Yale University, examining non conscious emotion regulation goals.