Biophoto.elke.closeup.2020
Person

Prof. Elke Weber

Technische Universität Berlin

I believe that psychological theory needs to interface with social problems in a two-way dialogue, proving itself with constructive solutions in real-world settings and being enriched and constrained by those settings. While much of my work draws distinctions between homo economicus and homo sapiens, I also examine individual, group, and cultural differences in time discounting or risk taking and how best to assess and model them. Every research method has strengths and weaknesses, so I approach my questions with a mosaic of answers that draw on lab and field experiments that collect process data, behavioral outcomes, associated brain activation, and more. I then put all of these insights to use by helping individuals or social planners design decision environments that capitalize on the full range of human capabilities and goals to make wise decisions.

Werdegang

Academic Education 

1980–1984: Harvard University: M.A., Ph.D. (Psychology: Behavior and Decision Analysis)
1976–1980: York University: B.A., Summa cum Laude (Psychology)

Professional Experience (selected)

2023: Visiting Scholar in Environmental Sustainability, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, U.S.A.

Since 2022: Einstein Visiting Fellow at TU Berlin, Einstein Foundation Berlin

Since 2016: Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment, Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton University
2009–2016: Earth Institute Professor, Columbia University U.S.A.
2003–2016: Jerome A. Chazen Professor of International Business, Columbia Business School U.S.A.
1999–2016: Professor of Management, Graduate School of Business, and Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Columbia University U.S.A.

Mitgliedschaften (maximal 5)

2018-2021: US Social Science Research Council (SSRC), Member of Working Group on Climate Change
2017–2018: US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee to review the draft Fourth National Climate Assessment
Since 2017: Climate Museum Advisory Council, New York NY
2011–2022: Lead Author, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 5th and 6th Assessment Report, Working Group III
2009–2010: Global Agenda Council on Decision–making and Incentives Systems, World Economic Forum

The Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina 

Projekte (maximal 5)

2021-2023: Responses to complex disruptive events: Cognition in a socio–political context, US National Science Foundation

2019-2022: Rapid Switch India: Sustainable decarbonization pathways that balance climate ambitions with economic development and poverty alleviation, Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies

2018-2020: Norm Dynamics as Agents of Urban Social Change and Environmental Sustainability: Investigating Cross–cultural Differences and Longevity of Interventions, Princeton Environmental Institute: Grand Challenges

Publikationen (maximal 5)

Weber, E.U., Constantino, S.M., & Schlüter, M.  (2023). Embedding cognition: Judgment and choice in an interconnected and dynamic world. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 32, 328-336. doi.org/10.1177/096372142311592.

Constantino, S. M., Sparkman, G., Bicchieri, C., Centola, D., Kraft-Todd, G., Shell-Duncan, B., Vogt, S., Weber, E.U. (2022). Scaling up change: A critical review and practical guide to harnessing social norms for climate action. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Volume 23, Issue 2, https://doi.org/10.1177/15291006221105279.

Weber, E. U. (2020). Heads in the Sand: Why We Fail to Foresee and Contain Catastrophe. Foreign Affairs, Nov/Dec.  https://www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/redeem/nzpCB0_kOEY.

Creutzig, F., Roy, J., Lamb, W.F., Azevedo, I.M.L., Bruine de Bruin, W., Dalkmann, H., Edelenbosch, O.Y., Geels, F.W., Grübler, A., Hepburn, C., Hertwich, E., Khosla, R., Mattauch, L., Minx, J.C., Ramakrishnan, A., Rao, N., Steinberger, J., Tavoni, M., Ürge-Vorsatz, D., Weber, E.U.  (2018). Towards demand-side solutions for mitigating climate change.  Nature Climate Change, 8, 260-263.

Weber, E.U. (2017). Breaking cognitive barriers to a sustainable future.  Nature Human Behavior, 1, 0013.