Robb Willer
- Media Contact
I am an Associate Professor of Sociology and (by courtesy) Psychology at Stanford University. I am currently focused on research in three areas: (1) prosocial behavior (especially altruism, cooperation, and collective action); (2) moral psychology, and (3) political psychology. Broadly speaking, my research focuses on factors that bind individuals together (cooperation, norms, generosity, solidarity, morality), divide them (fear, threat, prejudice), and settings featuring the complex interplay of the two (hierarchies, politics).
Primary Interests:
- Ethics and Morality
- Evolution and Genetics
- Gender Psychology
- Group Processes
- Helping, Prosocial Behavior
- Neuroscience, Psychophysiology
- Organizational Behavior
- Persuasion, Social Influence
- Political Psychology
- Self and Identity
- Sociology, Social Networks
Research Group or Laboratory:
- Laboratory for Social Research
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Video Gallery
How to Have Better Political Conversations
Select video to watch
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12:02 How to Have Better Political Conversations
Length: 12:02
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13:37 How to Fix Our Broken Political Conversations
Length: 13:37
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49:06 Finding Meaning in an Unjust World
Length: 49:06
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1:51:33 Bridging the Divide: Can Effective Political Communication Overcome Political Polarization?
Length: 1:51:33
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1:03:37 From Gulf to Bridge: Moral Reframing Facilitates Political Persuasion
Length: 1:03:37
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1:26:52 Ending This Zombie Apocalypse: How to Have Better Political Conversations
Length: 1:26:52
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6:11 Framing Arguments
Length: 6:11
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30:06 How to Fix Our Polarized Conversations
Length: 30:06
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1:06:22 Using Psychology to Save Democracy
Length: 1:06:22
Journal Articles:
- Anderson, C., Willer, R., Kilduff, G., & Brown, C. (2012). The origins of deference: When do people prefer lower status? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102, 1077-1088.
- Barclay, P., & Willer, R. (2007). Partner choice creates competitive altruism in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 274, 749-753.
- Côté, S., Piff, P. K., & Willer, R. (2013). For whom do the ends justify the means? Social class and utilitarian moral judgment. Journal of personality and social psychology, 104(3), 490.
- Feinberg, M., Antonenko, O., Willer, R., Horberg, E. J., & John, O. P. (2013). Gut check: Reappraisal of disgust helps explain liberal-conservative differences on issues of purity.
- Feinberg, M., & Willer, R. (2012). The moral roots of environmental attitudes. Psychological Science.
- Feinberg, M., & Willer, R. (2011). Apocalypse soon? Dire messages reduce belief in global warming by contradicting just world beliefs. Psychological Science, 22, 34-38.
- Feinberg, M., Willer, R., Antonenko, O., & John, O. (2012). Liberating reason from the passions: Overriding intuitionist moral judgments through emotional reappraisal. Psychological Science, 23, 788-795.
- Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Keltner, D. (2012). Flustered and faithful: Embarrassment as a signal of prosociality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102, 81-97.
- Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Schultz, M. (2014). Gossip and ostracism Promote cooperation in groups. Psychological Science, 25(3), 656-664.
- Feinberg, M., Willer, R., Stellar, J., & Keltner, D. (2012). The virtues of gossip: Reputational information sharing as prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102, 1015-1030.
- Saslow, L., Willer, R., Feinberg, M., Piff, P. K., Clark, K., Keltner, D., & Saturn, S. R. (2012). My brother's keeper? Compassion predicts generosity more among less religious individuals. Social Psychological and Personality Science.
- Simpson, B., Harrell, A., & Willer, R. (2013). Hidden paths from morality to cooperation: Moral judgments promote trust and trustworthiness. Social Forces, 91, 1529-1548.
- Simpson, B., & Willer, R. (2008). Altruism and indirect reciprocity: The interaction of person and situation in prosocial behavior. Social Psychology Quarterly, 71, 37-52.
- Stellar, J. E., & Willer, R. (2014). The corruption of value: Negative moral associations diminish the value of money. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5(1), 60-66.
- Willer, R. (2009). Groups reward individual sacrifice: The status solution to the collective action problem. American Sociological Review, 74, 23-43.
- Willer, R. (2004). The effects of government-issued terror warnings on presidential approval ratings. Current Research in Social Psychology, 10, 1-12.
- Willer, R., Flynn, F. J., & Zak, S. (2012). Structure, identity, and solidarity: A comparative field study of generalized and direct exchange. Administrative Science Quarterly, 57, 119-155.
- Willer, R., Kuwabara, K., & Macy, M. W. (2009). The false enforcement of unpopular norms. American Journal of Sociology, 115, 451-490.
- Willer, R., Rogalin, C., Conlon, B., & Wojnowicz, M. T. (in press). Overdoing gender: A test of the masculine overcompensation thesis. American Journal of Sociology.
- Willer, R., Youngreen, R., Troyer, L., & Lovaglia, M. (2012). How do the powerful attain status? The roots of legitimate power inequalities. Managerial and Decision Economics, 33, 355-367.
Courses Taught:
- Advanced Research Seminar in Social Psychology
- Advanced Social Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Social Psychology Laboratory Research
- Social Psychology: Self and Society
Robb Willer
Sociology Department MC 2047
Main Quad - 450 Serra Mall
Building 120, Room 160
Stanford, California 94305-2047
United States of America