Research Bio
Clayton Critcher is a behavioral scientist and psychologist whose research investigates self and social perception, moral judgment, political psychology, and consumer behavior. He is best known for his work on how people's judgments and decisions show evidence of both bias and sophistication when operating in the social, moral, political, and consumer domains. Critcher’s research integrates social psychology, behavioral economics, and marketing to study topics such as self-concept, bias, and moral decision-making in organizations. His work contributes to understanding human judgment and behavior in business and everyday life.
He is Professor of Marketing at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and Faculty Affiliate at the Institute of Personality and Social Research. His research has been published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Psychological Science, and the Journal of Consumer Research, among other leading academic and popular outlets. Critcher received an early-career award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and a best paper award from the European Social Cognition Network. At Berkeley, he teaches marketing to full-time MBA students and mentors PhD student as co-director of the Social & Moral Judgment Lab.
Research Expertise and Interest
moral psychology, consumer behavior and decision making, self and social judgment
In the News
How the ‘I approve’ tagline boosts nasty political ads
Global Warming: Science or Sensation? Feeling Warm Makes People More Likely to Believe
The debate over the veracity of global warming may be judged not by pure science but rather, perception. Being in a warm room can make the idea of global warming seem more likely, according to Clayton Critcher, assistant professor of marketing at the Haas School of Business.