Robb Willer
Polarization and Social Change Lab Website
Latest Publications
Journal Articles & Book Chapters
Druckman, J. N., Kang, S., Chu, J., Stagnaro, M. N., Voelkel, J. G., Mernyk, J. S., Pink, S. L., Redekopp, C., Rand, D. G., & Willer, R. (2023). Correcting exaggerated meta-perceptions reduces American legislators’ support for undemocratic practices. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120(23), e2301836120. doi:10.1073/pnas.2301836120
Voelkel, J. G., Chu, J., Stagnaro, M. N., Mernyk, J., Pink, S., Redekopp, C., Druckman, J., Rand, D., & Willer, R. (2023). Interventions reducing affective polarization do not improve anti-democratic attitudes. Nature Human Behaviour, 7(1), 55-64. doi:10.1038/s41562-022-01466-9
Pink, S. L., Stagnaro, M. N., Chu, J., Mernyk, J. S., Voelkel, J. G., & Willer, R. (2023). The effects of short messages encouraging prevention behaviors early in the COVID-19 pandemic. PLOS ONE, 18(4), e0284354. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0284354
Santos, L. A., Voelkel, J. G., Willer, R., & Zaki, J. (2022). Belief in Empathy as a Political Resource Reduces Partisan Animosity and Facilitates Persuasion. Psychological Science, 33(9), 1557-1573. doi:10.1177/09567976221098594
Voelkel, J. G., Malik, M., Redekopp, C., & Willer, R. (2022). Changing Americans’ attitudes about immigration: Using moral framing to bolster factual arguments. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 700(1), 73-85. doi: 10.1177/00027162221083877
Corbett, Christianne*, Jan Voelkel*, Marianne Cooper, and Robb Willer. 2022. “Pragmatic Bias Impedes Women’s Access to Political Leadership.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 119(6) (*equal authorship)
Sophia L. Pink, James Chu, James Druckman, David G. Rand, and Robb Willer. 2021. "Elite Party Cues Increase Vaccination Intentions among Republicans." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Yuan Chang Leong, Janice Chen, Robb Willer, Jamil Zaki. 2020. "Conservative and liberal attitudes drive polarized neural responses to political content." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Matthew Feinberg, Robb Willer, and Chloe Kovacheff. 2020. "The Activist's Dilemma: Extreme Protest Tactics Reduce Popular Support for Social Movements." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Jennifer Stellar and Robb Willer. 2018 "Unethical and Inept? The Influence of Moral Information on Perceived Competence." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 114: 195-210.
Stephane Cote, Julian House, and Robb Willer. 2015. "High Economic Inequality Leads Higher Income Individuals to be Less Generous." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Matthew Feinberg, Robb Willer, and Michael Schultz. 2014. "Gossip and Ostracism Solve the Cooperation Problem." Psychological Science. In press.
Jennifer Stellar and Robb Willer. 2014. "The Corruption of Value: Negative Moral Associations Diminish the Value of Money." Social Psychological and Personality Science. In press.
Stéphane Côté, Paul Piff, and Robb Willer. 2013. "For Whom Do the Ends Justify the Means? Social Class and Utilitarian Moral Judgment." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 104:490-503.
Matthew Feinberg, Olga Antonenko, Robb Willer, E.J. Horberg, and Oliver P. John. 2013. "Gut Check: Reappraisal of Disgust Helps Explain Liberal-Conservative Differences on Issues of Purity." Emotion. In press.
Brent Simpson, Ashley Harrell, and Robb Willer. 2013. "Hidden Paths from Morality to Social Order: Moral Judgments Promote Prosocial Behavior." Social Forces. 91:1529-1548.
Laura Saslow, Robb Willer, Matthew Feinberg, Paul K. Piff, Katharine Clark, Dacher Keltner, and Sarina R. Saturn. 2013. "My Brother's Keeper? Compassion Predicts Generosity More Among Less Religious Individuals." Social Psychological and Personality Science. 4:31-38.
Robb Willer, Christabel Rogalin, Bridget Conlon, and Michael T. Wojnowicz. 2013. “Overdoing Gender: A Test of the Masculine Overcompensation Thesis.” American Journal of Sociology. 118:980-1022.
Matthew Feinberg and Robb Willer. 2013. "The Moral Roots of Environmental Attitudes." Psychological Science. 24:56-62.
Matthew Feinberg, Robb Willer, and Dacher Keltner. 2012. "Flustered and Faithful: Embarrassment as a Signal of Prosociality." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 102:81-97.
Robb Willer, Reef Youngreen, Lisa Troyer, and Michael Lovaglia. 2012. "How Do the Powerful Attain Status? The Roots of Legitimate Power Inequalities." Managerial and Decision Economics. 33:355-367.
Matthew Feinberg, Robb Willer, Olga Antonenko, and Oliver John. 2012. "Liberating Reason from the Passions: Overriding Intuitionist Moral Judgments through Emotional Reappraisal." Psychological Science. 23:788-795.
Brent Simpson, Robb Willer, and Cecilia L. Ridgeway. “Status Hierarchies and the Organization of Collective Action.” Sociological Theory, 2012, 30(Sept): 149-166.
Robb Willer, Francis J. Flynn, and Sonya Zak. 2012. “Structure, Identity and Solidarity: A Comparative Field Study of Generalized and Direct Exchange.” Administrative Science Quarterly. 57:119-155.
Cameron Anderson, Robb Willer, Gavin Kilduff, and Courtney Brown. 2012. "The Origins of Deference: When do People Prefer Lower Status?" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 102:1077-1088.
Matthew Feinberg, Robb Willer, Jennifer Stellar, and Dacher Keltner. 2012. "The Virtues of Gossip: Reputational Information Sharing as Prosocial Behavior." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 102:1015-1030.
Matthew Feinberg and Robb Willer. 2011. “Apocalypse Soon? Dire Messages Reduce Belief in Global Warming by Contradicting Just World Beliefs.” Psychological Science. 22:34-38.
Robb Willer, Matthew Feinberg, Kyle Irwin, Michael Schultz, and Brent Simpson. 2010. "The Trouble with Invisible Men: How Reputational Concerns Motivate Generosity." Pp. 315-330 in The Handbook of the Sociology of Morality. Eds. Steve Hitlin and Stephen Vaisey. New York: Springer.
Robb Willer. 2009. "A Status Theory of Collective Action." Pp. 133-63 in Advances in Group Processes, Vol. 26. Eds. Shane R. Thye and Edward J. Lawler. London: Emerald.
Robb Willer. 2009. “Groups Reward Individual Sacrifice: The Status Solution to the Collective Action Problem.” American Sociological Review. 74:23-43.
Robb Willer. 2009. "No Atheists in Foxholes: Motivated Reasoning and Religious Ideology." Pp. 241-264 in Social and Psychological Bases of Ideology and System Justification. Eds. John T. Jost, Aaron C. Kay, and Hulda Thorisdottir. Oxford University Press.
Robb Willer, Ko Kuwabara, and Michael W. Macy. 2009. “The False Enforcement of Unpopular Norms.” American Journal of Sociology. 115:451-90.
Brent Simpson and Robb Willer. 2008. “Altruism and Indirect Reciprocity: The Interaction of Person and Situation in Prosocial Behavior.” Social Psychology Quarterly. 71: 37-52.
Robb Willer and Nick Adams. 2008. "The Threat of Terrorism and Support for the 2008 Presidential Candidates: Results of a National Field Experiment." Current Research in Social Psychology. 14(1):1-22.
Stephen Benard and Robb Willer. 2007. "A Wealth and Status-Based Model of Residential Segregation."Journal of Mathematical Sociology. 31:149-174.
Ko Kuwabara, Robb Willer, Michael W. Macy, Rie Mashima, Shigeru Terai, and Toshio Yamagishi. 2007. "Culture, Identity, and Structure in Social Exchange: A Web-based Trust Experiment in the U.S. and Japan." Social Psychology Quarterly. 70:461-79.
Pat Barclay and Robb Willer. 2007. “Partner Choice Creates Competitive Altruism in Humans.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 274: 749-753.
Robb Willer. 2007. "The Role of Metanetworks in Network Evolution." Journal of Mathematical Sociology. 31:101-119.
Robb Willer, Lisa Troyer, and Michael J. Lovaglia. 2005. "Influence Over Observers of Structural Power: An Experimental Investigation." The Sociological Quarterly. 46:263-77.
Damon Centola, Robb Willer, and Michael W. Macy. 2005. “The Emperor’s Dilemma: A Computational Model of Self-Enforcing Norms.” American Journal of Sociology. 110(4):1009-40.
Robb Willer. 2004. “The Effects of Government-Issued Terror Warnings on Presidential Approval Ratings.” Current Research in Social Psychology.10(1): 1-12.
Michael W. Macy and Robb Willer. 2002. "From Factors to Actors: Computational Sociology and Agent-Based Modeling." Annual Review of Sociology. 28:143-66.
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