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Publications

2025 / In Press

Hall, M. E. K., Solomon, B. C., Voelkel, J. G., Stagnaro, M. N., Chu, J., & Willer, R. 2025. Durably Reducing Partisan Animosity through Multiple Scalable TreatmentsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Bai, H., Voelkel, J. G., Muldowney, S., Eichstaedt, J. C., & Willer, R. 2025. LLM-Generated Messages Can Persuade Humans on Policy Issues. Nature Communications.

Grayson, S., Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Zaki, J. 2025. Ironic Effects of Negative Gossip in Driving Inaccurate Social Perceptions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

Forbes, R., Willer, R., & Stellar, J. E. 2025. Power as a Moral Magnifier: Moral Outrage is Amplified when the Powerful Transgress. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

Chang, H. C. H., Druckman, J. N., Ferrara, E., & Willer, R. 2025. Liberals and Conservatives Share Information Differently on Social MediaPNAS Nexus.

2024

Voelkel, J. G., Stagnaro, M. N., Chu, J. Y., Pink, S. L., Mernyk, J. S., Redekopp, C., Ghezae, I., Cashman, M., Adjodah, D., Allen, L., Allis, V., Baleria, G., Ballantyne, N., Van Bavel, J. J., Blunden, H., Braley, A., Bryan, C., Celniker, J., Cikara, M., Clapper, M. V., Clayton, K., Collins, H., DeFilippis, E., Dieffenbach, M., Doell, K. C., Dorison, C., Duong, M., Felsman, P., Fiorella, M., Francis, D., Franz, M., Gallardo, R., Gifford, S., Goya-Tocchetto, D., Gray, K., Green, J., Greene, J., Güngör, M., Hall, M., Hecht, C., Javeed, A., Jost, J. T., Kay, A., Kay, N. R., Keating, B., Kelly, J. M., Kirk, J., Kopell, M., Kteily, N., Kubin, E., Lees, J., Lenz, G., Levendusky, M., Littman, R., Luo, K., Lyles, A., Lyons, B., Marsh, W., Martherus, J., Maurer, L. A., Mehl, C., Minson, J., Moore, M., Moore-Berg, S. L., Pasek, M. H., Pentland, A., Puryear, C., Rahnama, H., Rathje, S., Rosato, J., Saar-Tsechansky, M., Santos, L. A., Seifert, C., Shariff, A., Simonsson, O., Siddiqi, S. S., Stone, D. F., Strand, P., Tomz, M., Yeager, D., Yoeli, E., Zaki, J., Druckman, J. N., Rand, D. G., & Willer, R. 2024. Megastudy Testing 25 Treatments to Reduce Anti-Democratic Attitudes and Partisan Animosity. Science.

Chu, J. Y., Voelkel, J. G., Stagnaro, M. N., Kang, S., Druckman, J. N., Rand, D. G., & Willer, R. 2024. Academics Are More Specific, and Practitioners More Sensitive, in Forecasting Interventions to Strengthen Democratic AttitudesProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Voelkel, J. G., Chu, J. Y., Stagnaro, M. N., Druckman, J. N., & Willer, R. 2024. How to Design and Conduct a MegastudyNature Human Behavior.

Ruggeri, K., Stock, F., Haslam, S.A., Capraro, V., Boggio, P., Ellemers, N., Cichocka, A., Douglas, K. M., Rand, D. G., van der Linden, S., Cikara, M., Finkel, E. J., Druckman, J. N., Wohl, M. J. A., Petty, R. E., Tucker, J. A., Shariff, A., Gelfand, M., Packer, D., Jetten, J., Van Lange, P. A. M., Pennycook, G., Peters, E., Baicker, K., Crum, A., Weeden, K. A., Napper, L. E., Tabri, N., Zaki, J., Skitka, L., Kitayama, S., Mobbs, D., Sunstein, C., Ashcroft-Jones, S., Todsen, A. L., Hajian, A., Verra, S. E., Buehler, V., Friedemann, M., Hecht, M., Mobarak, R. S., Karakasheva, R., Tünte, M., T., Yeung, S. K., Rosenbaum, R. S., Lep, Ž., Yamada, Y., Hudson, S. T. J., Macchia, L., Soboleva, I., Dimant, E., Geiger, S. J., Jarke, H., Wingen, T., Berkessel, J. B., Mareva, S., McGill, L., Papa, F., Većkalov, B., Afif, Z., Buabang, E. K., Landman, M., Tavera, F., Andrews, J. L., Bursalıoğlu, A., Zupan, Z., Wagner, L., Navajas, J., Vranka, M., Kasdan, D. O., Chen, P., Hudson, K. R., Novak, L. M., Teas, P. E., Rachev, N. R., Galizzi, M.M., Milkman, K. L., Petrović, M.B., Van Bavel, J. J., & Willer, R. 2024. A Synthesis of Evidence for Policy from Behavioural Science During COVID-19Nature, 625, 134–147.

Landry, A., Druckman, J. N., & Willer, R. 2024. Need for Chaos and Dehumanization Are Robustly Associated with Support for Partisan ViolencePolitical Behavior.

Zimmerman, F., Bailey, D., Muric, G., Ferrara, E., Schöne, J., Willer, R., Halperin, E., Navajas, J., Gross, J., & Goldenberg, A. 2024. Attraction to Politically Extreme Users on Social Media. PNAS Nexus.

Ghezae, I., Jordan, J., Gainsburg, I., Mosleh, M., Pennycook, G., Willer, R., & Rand, D. G. 2024. Partisans Neither Expect nor Receive Reputational Rewards for Sharing Falsehoods Over Truth Online. PNAS Nexus.

Stade, E. C., Stirman, S. W., Ungar, L. H., Boland, C. L., Schwartz, H. A., Yaden, D. B., Sedoc, J., DeRubeis, R. J., Willer, R. & Eichstaedt, J. C. 2024. Large Language Models Could Change the Future of Behavioral Healthcare: A Proposal for Responsible Development and Evaluation. NPJ Mental Health Research.

2023

Hasan-Aslih, S., Idan, O., Willer, R., & Halperin, E. 2023. Disadvantaged Group Members Are Prouder of Their Group When Using the Language of the Dominant Group Compared to Their Native Language. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Druckman, J. N., Kang, S., Chu, J. Y., Stagnaro, M. N., Voelkel, J. G., Mernyk, J., Pink, S., Redekopp, C., Rand, D. G., & Willer, R. 2023. Correcting Misperceptions of Out-Partisans Decreases American Legislators’ Support for Undemocratic PracticesProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Goldenberg, A. & Willer, R. 2023. Amplification of Emotion on Social MediaNature Human Behaviour.

Lang, D., Esbenshade, L., & Willer, R. 2023. Did Ohio's Vaccine Lottery Increase Vaccination Rates? A Pre-Registered, Synthetic Control Study. Journal of Experimental Political Science.

Stagnaro, M. N., Pink, S., Rand, D. G., & Willer, R. 2023. Increasing Accuracy Motivations Using Moral Reframing Does Not Reduce Republicans’ Belief in False News. Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review.

Baumgartner, H. A., Alessandroni, N., Byers-Heinlein, K., Frank, M. C., Hamlin, K., Soderstrom, M., Voelkel, J. G., Willer, R., Yuen, F., Coles, N. A. 2023. How to Build up Big Team Science: A Practical Guide for Large-Scale Collaborations. Royal Society Open Science.

Koenecke, A., Giannella, E., Willer, R., & Goel, S. 2023. Popular Support for Balancing Equity and Efficiency in Resource Allocation: A Case Study in Online Advertising to Increase Welfare Program Awareness. In Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media.

2022

Goldenberg, A., Abruzzo, J., Willer, R., Halperin, E., & Gross, J. 2022. Homophily and Acrophily as Drivers of Political Segregation. Nature Human Behaviour.

Voelkel, J. G., Chu, J. Y., Stagnaro, M. N., Mernyk, J. S., Redekopp, C., Pink, S., Druckman, J. N., Rand, D. G., Willer, R. 2022. Interventions Reducing Affective Polarization Do Not Necessarily Improve Anti-Democratic Attitudes. Nature Human Behaviour.

Hartman, R., Blakey, W., Womick, J., Bail, C. A., Finkel, E., Han, H., Sarrouf, J., Schroeder, J., Sheeran, P., Van Bavel, J. J., Willer, R., Gray, K. 2022. Interventions to Reduce Partisan Animosity. Nature Human Behaviour.

Frimer, J., Aujla, H., Feinberg, M., Skitka, L., Eichstaedt, J., & Willer, R. 2022. Incivility is Rising Among American Politicians on Twitter. Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Landry, A., Schooler, J., Willer, R., & Seli, P. 2022. Reducing Explicit Blatant Dehumanization by Correcting Exaggerated Meta-Perceptions. Social Psychological and Personality Science.

van Loon, A., Giorgi, S., Willer, R., & Eichstaedt, J. 2022. Negative Associations in Word Embeddings Predict Anti-Black Bias across Regions–but Only via Name Frequency. Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media.

Simpson, B., Willer, R., & Feinberg, M. 2022. Radical Flanks of Social Movements Can Increase Support for Moderate Factions. PNAS Nexus.

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.

2021

2020

Leong, Y. C., Chen, J., Willer, R., & Zaki, J. 2020. Conservative and Liberal Attitudes Drive Polarized Neural Responses to Political Content. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Van Bavel, J. J., Baicker, K., Boggio, P. S., Capraro, V., Cichocka, A., Cikara, M., Crockett, M. J., Crum, A. J., Douglas, K. M., Druckman, J. N., Drury, J., Dube, O., Ellemers, N., Finkel, E. J., Fowler, J. H., Gelfand, M., Han, S., Haslam S. A., Jetten, J., Kitayama, S., Mobbs, D., Napper, L. E., Packer, D. J., Pennycook, G., Peters, E., Petty, R. E., Rand, D. G., Reicher, S. D., Schnall, S., Shariff, A., Skitka, L. J., Smith, S. S., Sunstein, C. R., Tabri, N., Tucker, J. A., van der Linden, S., van Lange, P., Weeden , K. A., Wohl, M. J. A., Zaki, J., Zion, S. R.,  & Willer, R. 2020. Using Social and Behavioural Science to Support Covid-19 Pandemic Response. Nature Human Behaviour.

Côté, S., Stellar, J. E., Willer, R., Forbes, R. C., Martin, S. R., & Bianchi, E. C. 2020. The Psychology of Entrenched Privilege: High Socioeconomic Status Individuals From Affluent Backgrounds Are Uniquely High in Entitlement. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

2019

Niemiec, R. M., Willer, R., Ardoin, N. M., & Brewer, F. K. 2019. Motivating Landowners to Recruit Neighbors  for Private Land Conservation. Conservation Biology.

2018

Stellar, J. E., & Willer, R. 2018. Unethical and Inept? The Influence of Moral Information on Perceptions of Competence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

van Loon, A., Bailenson, J., Zaki, J., Bostick, J., & Willer, R. 2018. Virtual Reality Perspective-Taking Increases Cognitive Empathy  for Specific Others. PloS One.

2017

2016

Van De Rijt, A., Akin, I. A., Willer, R., & Feinberg, M. 2016. Success-Breeds-Success in Collective Political Behavior: Evidence From a Field Experiment. Sociological Science.

2015

Côté, S., House, J., & Willer, R. 2015. High Economic Inequality Leads Higher-Income Individuals to be Less Generous. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Simpson, B., & Willer, R. 2015. Beyond Altruism: Sociological Foundations of Cooperation and Prosocial Behavior. Annual Review of Sociology.

  • Interviewed on 20/20 and Nightline

Van der Toorn, J., Feinberg, M., Jost, J. T., Kay, A. C., Tyler, T. R., Willer, R., & Wilmuth, C. 2015. A Sense of Powerlessness Fosters System Justification: Implications  for the Legitimation of Authority, Hierarchy, and Government. Political Psychology.

2014

Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Schultz, M. 2014. Gossip and Ostracism Promote Cooperation in Groups. Psychological Science.

Stellar, J. E., & Willer, R. 2014. The Corruption of Value: Negative Moral Associations Diminish the Value of Money. Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Anderson, C., & Willer, R. 2014. Do Status Hierarchies Benefit Groups? A Bounded Functionalist Account of Status. In The Psychology of Social Status, edited by J. T. Cheng, J. L. Tracy, and C. Anderson. Springer.

2013

Feinberg, M., Antonenko, O., Willer, R., Horberg, E. J., & John, O. P. 2014. Gut Check: Reappraisal of Disgust Helps Explain Liberal–Conservative Differences on Issues of Purity. Emotion.

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.

Saslow, L. R., Willer, R., Feinberg, M., Piff, P. K., Clark, K., Keltner, D., & Saturn, S. R. 2013. My Brother’s Keeper? Compassion Predicts Generosity More Among Less Religious Individuals. Social Psychological and Personality Science.

2012

Simpson, B., Willer, R., & Ridgeway, C. L. 2012. Status Hierarchies and the Organization of Collective Action. Sociological Theory.

Anderson, C., Willer, R., Kilduff, G. J., & Brown, C. E. 2012. The Origins of Deference: When Do People Prefer Lower Status? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Feinberg, M., Willer, R., Antonenko, O., & John, O. P. 2012. Liberating Reason From the Passions: Overriding Intuitionist Moral Judgments Through Emotion Reappraisal. Psychological Science.

Willer, R., Youngreen, R., Troyer, L., & Lovaglia, M. J. 2012. How Do the Powerful Attain Status? The Roots of Legitimate Power Inequalities. Managerial and Decision Economics.

Munsch, C. L., & Willer, R. 2012. The Role of Gender Identity Threat in Perceptions of Date Rape and Sexual Coercion. Violence Against Women.

Feinberg, M., Cheng, J. T., & Willer, R. 2012. Gossip as an Effective and Low Cost Form of Punishment. Brain and Behavioral Sciences.

2011

Penner, A. M., & Willer, R. 2011. Stigma and Glucose Levels: Testing Ego Depletion and Arousal Explanations of Stereotype Threat Effects. Current Research in Social Psychology.

2010

Willer, R., Feinberg, M., Irwin, K., Schultz, M., & Simpson, B. 2010. The Trouble With Invisible Men: How Reputational Concerns Motivate Generosity. In The Handbook of the Sociology of Morality, edited by S. Hitlin and S. Vaisey. Springer.

2009

Willer, R., Kuwabara, K., & Macy, M. W. 2009. The False Enforcement of Unpopular Norms. American Journal of Sociology.

Willer, R. 2009. A Status Theory of Collective Action. In Advances in Group Processes (Vol. 26), edited by S. R. Thye and E. J. Lawler. Emerald.

Willer, R. 2009. No Atheists in Foxholes: Motivated Reasoning and Religious Ideology. In Social and Psychological Bases of Ideology and System Justification, edited by J. T. Jost, A. C. Kay, and H. Thorisdottir. Oxford University Press.

2008

Willer, R., & Adams, N. 2008. The Threat of Terrorism and Support for the 2008 Presidential Candidates: Results of a National Field Experiment. Current Research in Social Psychology.

Kalkhoff, W., & Willer, R. 2008. Deterring Deviance: Rationality and Self-Control. In Experiments in Criminology and Law, edited by C. Horne and M. J. Lovaglia. Rowan and Littlefield.

2007

Barclay, P., & Willer, R. 2007. Partner Choice Creates Competitive Altruism in Humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Kuwabara, K., Willer, R., Macy, M. W., Mashima, R., Terai, S., & Yamagishi, T. 2007. Culture, Identity, and Structure in Social Exchange: A Web-Based Trust Experiment in the United States and Japan. Social Psychology Quarterly.

Willer, R. 2007. The Role of Metanetworks in Network Evolution. Mathematical Sociology.

Benard, S., & Willer, R. 2007. A Wealth and Status-Based Model of Residential Segregation. Mathematical Sociology.

2005

Centola, D., Willer, R., & Macy, M. 2005. The Emperor’s Dilemma: A Computational Model of Self-Enforcing Norms. American Journal of Sociology.

Willer, R., Troyer, L., & Lovaglia, M. J. 2005. Influence Over Observers of Structural Power: An Experimental Investigation. The Sociological Quarterly.

2004

Willer, R. 2004. The Effects of Government-Issued Terror Warnings on Presidential Approval Ratings. Current Research in Social Psychology.

2003

Lovaglia, M. J., Willer, R., & Troyer, L. 2003. Power, Status, and Collective Action: Developing Fundamental Theories to Address a Substantive Problem. In Advances in Group Processes (Vol. 20), edited by S. R. Thye and J. Skvoretz. Elsevier.

2002

Macy, M. W., & Willer, R. 2002. From Factors to Actors: Computational Sociology and Agent-Based Modeling. Annual Review of Sociology.

Lovaglia, M. J., & Willer, R. 2002. Theory, Simulation and Research: The New Synthesis. In The Growth of Social Knowledge: Theory, Simulation and Empirical Research in Group Processes, edited by J. Szmatka, M. Lovaglia, and K. Wysienska. Praeger.

Willer, D., Markovsky, B., Walker, H., Willer, R., Simpson, B., Lovaglia, M., & Thye, S. 2002. Network Exchange Theory. In Joe Berger and Morris E. Zelditch (Eds.), New directions in sociological theory: The growth of contemporary theories. Rowan and Littlefield.

2000

Willer, R., & Willer, D. 2000. Exploring Dynamic Networks: Hypotheses and Conjectures. Social Networks.

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