Prof. Richard Nisbett, Theodore M. Newcomb Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Research Professor Emeritus at the Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, shares insights from his widely acclaimed book, The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently.
In this thought-provoking work, Prof. Nisbett explores the fundamental cognitive differences between Eastern and Western cultures, shedding light on how history, philosophy, and social structures shape the way people perceive, reason, and make decisions. His insights offer valuable perspectives on cultural intelligence, decision-making, and global collaboration.
Prof. Nisbett's research focuses on culture and reasoning, examining fundamental cognitive processes such as induction, statistical reasoning, causal attribution, cost-benefit analysis, and logical versus dialectical approaches to problem-solving. His work explores the extent to which cognitive processes can be trained and the differences between East Asian and Western reasoning styles. Additionally, he has studied awareness of cognitive processes and lay personality theory.
One of Dr. Richard Nisbett’s most influential publications is "Telling More Than We Can Know: Verbal Reports on Mental Processes" (co-authored with T.D. Wilson, 1977, Psychological Review, 84, 231–259). This seminal work, cited over 13,000 times, was the first comprehensive, empirically based argument that many mental processes underlying preferences, choices, and emotions are inaccessible to conscious awareness. Dr. Nisbett and Dr. Wilson asserted that introspective reports reveal only what people think about how they think, rather than how they actually think. This claim sparked debate among cognitive psychologists, with Ericsson and Simon (1980) offering an alternative perspective.
Dr. Richard earned his A.B. in Psychology from Tufts University in 1962 and his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Columbia University in 1966, where he was advised by Stanley Schachter, alongside fellow students Lee Ross and Judith Rodin.
Dr. Richard Nisbett has received numerous prestigious accolades for his contributions to psychology and social science. He won the Donald T. Campbell Award (1982) and the APA’s Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award (1991). Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1992) and the National Academy of Sciences (2002), he also received the William James Fellow Award (1996) and the Oswald-Külpe Award (2007). His impact was further recognized with the Distinguished Senior Scientist Award (1995) and a Wei Lun Visiting Professorship (1995) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prof. Richard has been honored with the John W. Burgess Honorary Fellowship (1964), University Fellowship (1962-1963), President’s Fellowship (1963-1965), and NSF Fellowship (1965-1966). In 2021, Stanford University recognized him among the World's Top 2% Scientists.
In an interview with The New York Times, Malcolm Gladwell stated, "The most influential thinker in my life has been the psychologist, Richard Nisbett. He basically gave me my view of the world."
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