Popular Press
Popular press articles by Dr. Michele J. Gelfand
The dark side of supportive relationships
Your partner’s intentions might be good, but the outcome often isn’t.
January 7, 2020
The Conversation
Authoritarian leaders thrive on fear. We need to help people feel safe
Across the world, voters are falling prey to leaders who appeal to their worst instincts. Why?
January 2, 2020
The Guardian
Opinion: Can the diaries of ordinary people be used to bridge cultural divides?
Words that carry weight: In a University of Maryland study, Pakistanis and Americans who read diaries from the others’ culture often came away with a more positive and tolerant perspective.
October 25, 2019
Los Angeles Times
Could climate change fuel the rise of right-wing nationalism?
When people feel threatened, they’re more receptive to politicians who espouse xenophobic rhetoric.
September 25, 2019
The Conversation
Opinion: The science behind how Trump turns our unfounded fears into a potent political weapon
Extremely rare but vivid threats often loom large in the human mind.
September 16, 2019
Los Angeles Times
Understanding Cultural Differences Around Social Norms
Dr. Gelfand answers reader questions in Behavioral Scientist's "Ask a Behavioral Scientist" series
September 9, 2019
Behavioral Scientist
This is how Tesla can improve its company culture
This psychology professor and her research team argues that it’s not about remaking the company, but introducing structure without compromising on Tesla’s commitment to innovate.
June 10, 2019
Fast Company
Who was behind Sri Lanka's Easter Terrorist Attacks?
While the Islamic State has claimed responsibility, the real story is a bit more complicated than that.
May 12, 2019
National Interest
Women Don't Just Face a Pay Gap at Work. They're Also Punished Far More Than Men
On Equal Pay Day, we rightly focus on how a woman would have to work over three months more in order to make what her male counterpart did last year for the same full time work — a gender pay gap that amounts to about $900 billion in annual lost earnings for women holding full-time jobs. But inequities in the workplace go far beyond wage disparity.
April 2, 2019
TIME
Culture as the menacing force behind today’s crazy politics
A book excerpt and interview with Michele Gelfand, an author and psychologist at the University of Maryland
January 28, 2019
The Economist
Tight or Loose: How Culture Impacts Everything, Even Your Job
According to a new book by cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand, “Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World,” much of the diversity in the way we think and act derives from a key difference—how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms. Looking a countries, states, cities, workplaces and even families, Gelfand shows how tight and loose cultures shape our entire lives, and play a big role in the decisions we make around where we live, what company we work for and how we approach others.
January 28, 2019
Glassdoor
A Big-Picture Look at Social Rules
Research on how people make and break rules can help us understand each other.
December 27, 2018
Psychology Today
Radicalism and Cultural Homelessness
Events like the 2015 Paris attacks, the 2015 San Bernardino shootings, the 2016 Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting, the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and others since are seared into our memories. While many details of these attacks were different, they do have a striking commonality: these attacks were perpetrated by immigrant residents or citizens of the targeted country. Such tragedies raise a puzzling question: what would make someone turn against their own country?
December 17, 2018
Minerva Research Initiative
An upper-class mindset doesn’t make you classy
In a study of traffic patterns, researchers at the University of California found that drivers of luxury cars were far more likely to cut off other cars than were lower status cars.
November 27, 2018
Boston Globe
Threat, fear, and the evolutionary appeal of autocrats
These days, it seems like the best path to political success is to become an autocrat.
October 4, 2018
The Hill
One Reason Mergers Fail: The Two Cultures Aren’t Compatible
Amazon’s 2017 acquisition of Whole Foods was met with a lot of fanfare. In the words of Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, the partnership was “love at first sight.” A year later, such optimism seems hard to find at Whole Foods.
October 2, 2018
Harvard Business Review
Here’s the science behind the Brexit vote and Trump’s rise
My research shows that when people feel threatened they want ‘tighter’ social norms, with profound consequences for politics
September 17, 2018
The Guardian
The answer to this single question will help you understand a company’s entire culture
Is your organization “tight” or “loose”?
September 14, 2018
After 9/11, Americans United to Protect the Country. Today, We're Divided By Threats That Don't Exist
Seventeen years ago today, 9/11 brought America together. We also tightened the rules of our country dramatically.
September 11, 2018
TIME
Is Your Organization Tight or Loose? How to Tell—and Ways to Fix It
We spend many of our waking hours in organizations, but we rarely think about the underlying cultural DNA that is guiding our behavior at work.