Richard E. Nisbett

Richard E. Nisbett is an American social psychologist and writer, best known for his work on cognitive psychology and the heuristics and biases that influence human decision-making. He is currently the Theodore M. Newcomb Distinguished University Professor at the University of Michigan, where he has taught since 1966.

Early life and education

Nisbett was born in 1941 in Elyria, Ohio. He received his Bachelor's degree in psychology from Columbia University in 1962, and his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Harvard University in 1966.

Career

Nisbett's research has focused on how people reason and make decisions, and how they are influenced by their social and cultural environments. His work has contributed significantly to the fields of social cognition, cultural psychology, and behavioral economics.

In the 1970s, Nisbett, along with Lee Ross, developed the concept of the Fundamental Attribution Error, which describes the tendency for people to over-emphasize personality-based explanations for behaviors observed in others while under-emphasizing the role and power of situational influences on the same behavior.

In the 1980s, Nisbett conducted research on the influence of culture on cognition, leading to the development of the field of cultural psychology. His work in this area has focused on the differences in cognitive styles between people from Western and East Asian cultures.

Nisbett has also written several influential books, including "The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why" and "Mindware: Tools for Smart Thinking".

Awards and honors

Nisbett has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions and the Association for Psychological Science's William James Fellow Award.

See also

• Cognitive psychology
• Social psychology
• Cultural psychology
• Behavioral economics