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Publications

2024

2024 / In Press

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.

Kamphorst, J., & Willer, R. 2024. Correcting Misperceptions of the Material Benefits Associated with Union Membership Increases Americans’ Interest in Joining UnionsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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.

Santos, L., Voelkel, J. G., Willer, R., & Zaki, J. 2024. Positive Beliefs About Cross-Partisan Empathy Can Strengthen Americans’ Support for Democracy. PNAS Nexus.

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.

Grayson, S., Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Zaki, J. 2024. Ironic Effects of Negative Gossip in Driving Inaccurate Social Perceptions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

2023

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.

Voelkel, J. G., Mernyk, J. S., & Willer, R. 2023.  Moral Reframing Increases Support for Economically Progressive Candidates. PNAS Nexus.

Clayton, K. & Willer, R. 2023. Endorsements from Republican Politicians Can Increase Confidence in U.S. ElectionsResearch and Politics.

 

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 (Vol. 17, pp. 494-506).

2022

2022

Mernyk, J. S., Pink, S. L., Druckman, J. N., & Willer, R. 2022. Correcting Inaccurate Metaperceptions Reduces Americans’ Support for Partisan Violence. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Corbett, C.*, Voelkel, J. G.*, Cooper, M., Willer, R. 2022. Pragmatic Bias Impedes Women's Access to Political Leadership. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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.

Santos, L. A., Voelkel, J. G., Willer, R., & Zaki, J. 2022. Belief in the Utility of Cross-Partisan Empathy Reduces Partisan Animosity and Facilitates Political Persuasion. Psychological Science.

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

2021

Chu, J. Y., Pink, S., & Willer, R. 2021. Religious Identity Cues Increase Vaccination Intentions and Trust in Medical Experts among American Christians. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 

Pink, S., Chu, J. Y., Druckman, J. N., Rand, D. G., & Willer, R. 2021. Elite Party Cues Increase Vaccination Intentions Among Republicans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Stewart, S., & Willer, R. 2021. The Effects of Racial Status Threat on White Americans’ Support for Donald Trump: Results of Five Experimental Tests. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.

2020

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.

Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Kovacheff, C . 2020. The Activist’s Dilemma: Extreme Protest Actions Reduce Popular Support  for Social Movements. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

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.

 

Heiserman, N., Simpson, B., & Willer, R. 2020. Judgments of Economic Fairness Are Based More on Perceived Economic Mobility Than Perceived Inequality. Socius.

2019

2019

Feinberg, M., & Willer, R. 2019. Moral Reframing: A Technique  for Effective and Persuasive Communication Across Political Divides. Social and Personality Psychology Compass.

 

Wetts, R., & Willer, R. 2019. Who is Called by the Dog Whistle? Experimental Evidence That Racial Resentment and Political Ideology Condition Responses to Racially Encoded Messages. Socius.

 

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

 

Penner, A. M., & Willer, R. 2019. Men’s Over-Persistence and the Gender Gap in Science and Mathematics. Socius.

2018

2018

Wetts, R., & Willer, R. 2018. Privilege on the Precipice: Perceived Racial Status Threats Lead White Americans to Oppose Welfare Programs. Social Forces.

 

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

 

Simpson, B., Willer, R., & Feinberg, M. 2018. Does Violent Protest Backfire? Testing a Theory of Public Reactions to Activist Violence. Socius.

 

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

2017

Simpson, B., Willer, R., & Harrell, A. 2017. The Enforcement of Moral Boundaries Promotes Cooperation and Prosocial Behavior in Groups. Scientific Reports.

Boutyline, A., & Willer, R. 2017. The Social Structure of Political Echo Chambers: Variation in Ideological Homophily in Online Networks. Political Psychology.

2016

2016

Kilduff, G. J., Willer, R., & Anderson, C. 2016. Hierarchy and Its Discontents: Status Disagreement Leads to Withdrawal of Contribution and Lower Group Performance. Organization Science.

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

2015

Feinberg, M., & Willer, R. 2015. From Gulf to Bridge: When Do Moral Arguments Facilitate Political Influence? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Supplementary Material.

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

 

Willer, R., Wimer, C., & Owens, L. A. 2015. What Drives the Gender Gap in Charitable Giving? Lower Empathy Leads Men to Give Less to Poverty Relief. Social Science Research.

 

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

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.

 

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.

 

Anderson, C., & Willer, R. 2014. Do Status Hierarchies Benefit Groups? A Bounded Functionalist Account of Status. In The psychology of social status. Springer.

2013

2013

Willer, R., Rogalin, C. L., Conlon, B., & Wojnowicz, M. T. 2013. Overdoing Gender: A Test of the Masculine Overcompensation Thesis. American Journal of Sociology.

 

Feinberg, M., & Willer, R. 2013. The Moral Roots of Environmental Attitudes. Psychological Science. Supplementary Material.

 

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.

 

Simpson, B., Harrell, A., & Willer, R. 2013. Hidden Paths From Morality to Cooperation: Moral Judgments Promote Trust and Trustworthiness. Social Forces.

 

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.

 

Antonenko Young, O., Willer, R., & Keltner, D. 2013. “Thou Shalt Not Kill”: Religious Fundamentalism, Conservatism, and Rule-Based Moral Processing. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

2012

2012

Willer, R., Flynn, F. J., & Zak, S. 2012. Structure, Identity, and Solidarity: A Comparative Field Study of Generalized and Direct Exchange. Administrative Science Quarterly.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

Feinberg, M., Willer, R., & Keltner, D. 2012. Flustered and Faithful: Embarrassment as a Signal of Prosociality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

 

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.

 

Willer, R., Sharkey, A., & Frey, S. 2012. Reciprocity on the Hardwood: Passing Patterns Among Professional Basketball Players. PloS One.

 

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

2011

Feinberg, M., & Willer, R. 2011. Apocalypse Soon? Dire Messages Reduce Belief in Global Warming by Contradicting Just-World Beliefs. Psychological Science.

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

2010

Willer, R., Feinberg, M., Irwin, K., Schultz, M., & Simpson, B. 2010. The Trouble With Invisible Men: How Reputational Concerns Motivate Generosity. In Steve Hitlin and Stephen Vaisey (Eds.), The handbook of the sociology of morality. Springer.

2009

2009

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

 

Willer, R. 2009. Groups Reward Individual Sacrifice: The Status Solution to the Collective Action Problem. American Sociological Review.

 

Willer, R. 2009. A Status Theory of Collective Action. In Shane R. Thye and Edward J. Lawler (Eds.), Advances in Group Processes. Emerald.

 

Willer, R. 2009. No Atheists in Foxholes: Motivated Reasoning and Religious Ideology. In John T. Jost, Aaron C. Kay, and Hulda Thorisdottir (Eds.), Social and psychological bases of ideology and system justification. Oxford University Press.

2008

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.

 

Simpson, B., & Willer, R. 2008. Altruism and Indirect Reciprocity: The Interaction of Person and Situation in Prosocial Behavior. Social Psychology Quarterly.

 

Kalkhoff, W., & Willer, R. 2008. Deterring Deviance: Rationality and Self-Control. In Christine Horne and Michael J. Lovaglia (Eds.), Experiments in criminology and law. Rowan and Littlefield.

2007

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

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

2004

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

2003

2003

Lovaglia, M. J., Willer, R, & Troyer, L. 2003. Power, Status, and Collective Action: Developing Fundamental Theories to Address a Substantive Problem. In Shane R. Thye and John Skvoretz (Eds.), Advances in group processes. 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 Jacek Szmatka, Michael Lovaglia, and Kinga Wysienska (Eds.), The growth of social knowledge: Theory, simulation and empirical research in group processes. Praeger.

 

Willer, D., Borch, C., & Willer, R. 2002. Games, Norms and Status: A Theoretical Model of Solidarity and Cohesion. In Shane R. Thye and Edward J. Lawler (Eds.), Advances in group processes. Elsevier.

 

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.

2002

2000

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

2000
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