Richard Gonzalez
Center Director, Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research
Co-Director, BioSocial Methods Collaborative
Amos N Tversky Collegiate Professor, Psychology and Statistics, LSA
Professor of Integrative Systems and Design, College of Engineering
| E-mail: | Email Richard Gonzalez |
| Address: | Research Center for Group Dynamics Institute for Social Research University of Michigan 426 Thompson Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 |
| Phone: | 734-647-6785 |
About Me
I received my PhD in 1990 from Stanford University in Psychology. I worked with Phoebe Ellsworth studying psychology and law and with Amos Tversky studying mathematical modeling and judgment and decision making. I spent seven years at the University of Washington’s Psychology department, a sabbatical year at Princeton University, and have been at the University of Michigan’s Psychology department since 1997. More about me >>
Research
My research interests focus on judgment and decision making (JDM). Given that so many topics in psychology are related to JDM it makes it look as though I work on many different topics. Actually, I see a simple theme across all my research. I am interested in how people make judgments and what influences their decisions and choices. More about Research >>
People
I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing colleagues, coauthors, collaborators, and students throughout my career. Read about People >>
Teaching
- Theories of Social Psychology
- General Linear Modeling Course
- Multivariate Statistics
- Generalized Linear Modeling Course
- Structural Equations Modeling Course
- Statistics Animation Page
- Design Science PhD Program
Recent Posts
Facilitating genetic counseling for BRCA1/2
This study tests alternate ways of presenting information during a genetic counseling session.
Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award
I received the 2011 Rackham Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award, a university-wide award for research, teaching, mentoring and service.
Ranks, rivals and competition
In this paper we examine the role of rank, such as whether you are ranked #3 or #4 or #97 or #98 out of a hundred, on choices of strategy. The findings have implications for theories of motivation, social comparison, cooperation and competition.
Worry and its role in medical decision making
Standard approaches to medical decision making, such as the Health Belief Model, focus mostly on the cognitive aspects of decisions, such as balancing perceived severity and perceived benefits. Our analysis shows that important affective variables, such as worry and appraisals, play an additional role in predicting actual medical choices, such as the choice to pursue genetic testing for breast cancer. These findings suggest the need to develop broader models of how people make decisions in health care domains.
