Michele Gelfand | University Of Maryland

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Rule Makers,

Rule Breakers

How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World

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“Groundbreaking…Anyone interested in our cultural divides will find tremendous insight here.”

Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Enlightenment Now

ABOUT MICHELE

Professor of Psychology | University of Maryland, College Park

I am a Professor of Psychology and Affiliate of the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Under my direction, the Culture Lab studies the strength of cultural norms, negotiation, conflict, revenge, forgiveness, and diversity. My philosophy is to incorporate as many interdisciplinary perspectives into my research. We work with computer scientists, neuroscientists, political scientists, and--increasingly--biologists to understand all things cultural.

Check out the group here, and find out how to get involved here.

FEATURED WORK

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Gelfand, M. J., et al. (2011). Differences between tight and loose cultures: A 33-nation study. Science, 332(6033), 1100-1104. PDF.

Harrington, J. R., & Gelfand, M. J. (2014). Tightness–looseness across the 50 united states. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201317937. PDF.

Mu, Y., Han, S., & Gelfand, M. J. (2017). The role of gamma interbrain synchrony in social coordination when humans face territorial threats. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 12(10), 1614-1623. PDF.

Gelfand, M. J., Aycan, Z., Erez, M., & Leung, K. (2017). Cross-cultural industrial organizational psychology and organizational behavior: A hundred-year journey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 514. PDF.

Gelfand, et al. (2015). Culture and getting to yes: The linguistic signature of creative agreements in the United States and Egypt. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(7), 967-989. PDF.

Gelfand, M. J., & Kashima, Y. (2016). Editorial overview: Culture: Advances in the science of culture and psychology. Current opinion in psychology, 8(1), 1-7. PDF.

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Popular Press

October 25, 2019

Opinion: Can the diaries of ordinary people be used to bridge cultural divides?

Los Angeles Times

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September 25, 2019

Could climate change fuel the rise of right-wing nationalism?

The Conversation

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September 16, 2019

Opinion: The science behind how Trump turns our unfounded fears into a potent political weapon

Los Angeles Times

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September 9, 2019

Understanding Cultural Differences Around Social Norms

Behavioral Scientist

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June 10, 2019

This is how Tesla can improve its company culture

Fast Company

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May 12, 2019

Who was behind Sri Lanka's Easter Terrorist Attacks?

National Interest

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RECENT NEWS

Rule Makers, Rule Breakers -

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Gelfand is elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, April 2019

Gelfand is invited to join the board of the National Academy of Sciences

Gelfand receives the 2019 Outstanding Contributions to Cultural Psychology Award, SPSP, February 2019

Gelfand is named an Honorary Fellow of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, July 2018

Gelfand receives Award for Applications of Scientific Principles to the Advancement of International Business, Institute for Cross-Cultural Management, May 2018

Gelfand is named Distinguished University Professor, September 2017.

Gelfand receives the Outstanding International Psychologist Award from the APA, August 2017

Gelfand receives Academy of Management Conflict Management Most Influential Paper Award, August 2017

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