I am happy to share our recent publication in PNAS Nexus with you. Using dense smartphone experience sampling and continuous-time modeling during the 2025 papal conclave, our findings revealed that the conclave ritual events triggered an immediate wave of collective enthusiasm that fades within hours, which subsequently fuels a slower, more enduring strengthening of group identity.

Check out the paper:

• Willinger, D., Volsa, S., & Stieger, S. (2026). Broadcast ritual dynamics among US Catholics during the 2025 papal conclave. PNAS Nexus, 5(10), pgag307.