Robb Willer
Fellowship year
2020-21 - Stanford University - Study 11
2012-13 - University of California, Berkeley - Study 12
Faculty Fellow year
2024-25 - Stanford University
2023-24 - Stanford University
As a faculty fellow in 2024-25, Robb Willer will work on a project using Large Language Models (LLMs) to simulate experimental results in the social sciences. The forthcoming year will see him exploring the application of LLMs to political research, social science methodology, and the promotion of psychological well-being.
Willer is a professor of sociology, psychology and organizational behavior at Stanford University whose work centers on how to overcome political divisions to foster social change. He employs diverse methods in his research, including survey and behavioral experiments, natural language processing, fMRI, social network analysis. He has consulted for a number of organizations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the AFL-CIO, the Department of Justice, and two presidential campaigns. His TED talk “How to Have Better Political Conversations” has been viewed over 2.8 million times. Willer’s research has received widespread media coverage including from the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Washington Post, Science, Nature, Time, Slate, CNN, NBC Nightly News, and The Today Show. Willer was a CASBS fellow in 2012-13 and 2020-21.
Tyler Journal Articles
Leong, Yuan Chang; Chen, Janice; Willer, Robb; Zaki, Jamil; . 2020. Conservative and liberal attitudes drive polarized neural responses to political content. 117(44): 27731-27739. http://www.pnas.org/content/117/44/27731.abstract
Stellar, Jennifer E.; Willer, Robb; . 2014. The Corruption of Value: Negative Moral Associations Diminish the Value of Money. 5(1): 60-66. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550613484770
Simpson, Brent; Harrell, Ashley; . 2013. Hidden paths from morality to cooperation: Moral judgments promote trust and trustworthiness. 91(4): 1529-1548. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sot015
Young, Olga Antonenko; Willer, Robb; Keltner, Dacher; . 2013. "Thou shalt not kill": Religious fundamentalism, conservatism, and rule-based moral processing. 5(2): 110-115.
Feinberg, Matthew; Antonenko, Olga; Willer, Robb; Horberg, E. J.; John, Oliver P.; . 2014. Gut check: Reappraisal of disgust helps explain liberal-conservative differences on issues of purity. 14(3): 513-521.
Côté, Stéphane; Piff, Paul K.; Willer, Robb; . 2013. For whom do the ends justify the means? Social class and utilitarian moral judgment. 104(3): 490-503.
Willer, Robb; Conlon, Bridget; Rogalin, Christabel L.; Wojnowicz, Michael T.; . 2013. Overdoing gender: A test of the masculine overcompensation thesis. 118(4): 980-1022. https://doi.org/10.1086/668417
Simpson, Brent; Willer, Robb; Ridgeway, Cecilia L.; . 2012. Status hierarchies and the organization of collective action. 30(3): 149-166. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735275112457912
Feinberg, Matthew; Willer, Robb; . 2013. The Moral Roots of Environmental Attitudes. 24(1): 56-62. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612449177
Saslow, Laura R.; Willer, Robb; Feinberg, Matthew; Piff, Paul K.; Clark, Katharine; Keltner, Dacher; Saturn, Sarina R.; . 2013. My Brother's Keeper?: Compassion Predicts Generosity More Among Less Religious Individuals. 4(1): 31-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550612444137