ACCEPT Lab
School of Psychological Sciences · Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
ACCEPT Lab
Observational causal inference for psychological science
We develop and apply causal inference methods to questions in psychology, culture, and social life. We also build research tools, teach these methods, and collaborate widely.
Research Methods & resources joseph.bulbulia@vuw.ac.nz
Selected work
Target trial emulation shows that supported causal effects of religious attendance on well-being are selective Bulbulia, Davis, Park, Rice, Troughton, Van Tongeren & Sibley (2026). Evolutionary Human Sciences, 8. DOI
Long-term causal effects of far-right terrorism in New Zealand Bulbulia, Afzali, Yogeeswaran & Sibley (2023). PNAS Nexus
Life loses some meaning after leaving religion Van Tongeren, Davis, Sibley & Bulbulia (2025). Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
The causal effects of religious service attendance on prosocial behaviours in New Zealand Bulbulia, Davis, Rice, Sibley & Troughton (2024). Archive for the Psychology of Religion
Methods in causal inference: a four-part tutorial series Bulbulia (2024). Evolutionary Human Sciences
Causal effect of psychopathy on partner well-being Hissey, Eisenbarth, Hammond, Sibley & Bulbulia (2025). Journal of Personality
Places Map
Places Map maps places of worship worldwide for reproducible spatial and cultural analysis.
Collaboration and teaching
The lab supports graduate supervision, methods teaching in causal inference, and applied collaboration. We welcome enquiries.
Meet the lab · Presentations · News · Reports
Affiliated with the Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research · School of Psychological Sciences · GitHub