My primary research focuses on the study of attitudes, persuasion, and social influence. Within this broad area of research, I have primarily been interested in two topics. First, I am interested in understanding the psychology of conviction (e.g., attitude certainty, power). For example, one stream of research has focused on metacognitive components of attitudes such as understanding how people ascertain the certainty with which they hold their attitudes. A general theme in this line of research is that indiviudals' "attitude certainty" is largely determined by subjective assessments or judgments of information in their environement.

My second area of interest is in exploring the role specific emotions play in the persuasion process. For example, although sadness and anger are both negative emotions, and have often been treated similariy, I am focused on the unique effects of such emotions in persuasion. Finally, in addition to my substantive areas of research, I am also focused on helping to advance research and statistical methodology by examining how to properly conduct analyses as well as suppling new methods for analyzing more complex data models.

Primary Interests:

Applied Social Psychology
Attitudes and Beliefs
Emotion, Mood, Affect
Judgment and Decision Making
Persuasion, Social Influence
Research Methods, Assessment
Social Cognition

Applied Social Psychology
Attitudes and Beliefs
Emotion, Mood, Affect
Judgment and Decision Making

Persuasion, Social Influence
Research Methods, Assessment
Social Cognition

Journal Articles:

Briñol, P., Petty, R. E., Valle, C., Rucker, D. D., & Becerra, A. (2007). The effects of message recipients’ power before and after persuasion: A self-validation analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 1040-1053.
Dubois, D., Rucker, D. D., & Galinsky, A. D. (2010). The accentuation bias: Money literally looms larger (and sometimes smaller) to the powerless. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3, 199-205.
Gal, D., & Rucker, D. D. (2011). Answering the unasked question: Response substitution in consumer surveys. Journal of Marketing Research, 48(1), 185-195.
Gal, D., & Rucker, D. D. (2010). When in doubt, shout! Paradoxical influences of doubt on proselytizing. Psychological Science, 21(11), 1701-1707.
Labroo, A. A., & Rucker, D. D. (2010). The orientation-matching hypothesis: An emotion-specificity approach to affect regulation. Journal of Marketing Research, 47(5), 955-966. *Both authors contributed equally to this research and authorship is alphabetical.
Preacher, K. J., Rucker, D. D., & Hayes, A. (2007). Addressing moderated mediation hypotheses: Theory, methods, and prescriptions. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 42, 185-227.
Rucker, D. D., Dubois, D., & Galinsky, A. D. (2011). Generous paupers and stingy princes: Power drives consumer spending on self and others. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(6), 1015-1029.
Rucker, D. D., & Galinsky, A. D. (2009). Conspicuous consumption versus utilitarian ideals: How different levels of power shape consumption. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 549-555.
Rucker, D. D., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008). Desire to acquire: Powerlessness and compensatory consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 35, 257-267.
Rucker, D. D., & Petty, R. E. (2004). When resistance is futile: Consequences of failed counterarguing for attitude certainty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 219-235.
Rucker, D. D., & Petty, R. E. (2003). Effects of accusations on the accuser: The moderating role of accuser culpability. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 1259-1271.
Rucker, D. D., Petty, R. E., & Briñol, P. (2008). What’s in a frame anyway? A meta-cognitive analysis of one versus two sided message framing on attitude certainty. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 18, 137-139.
Rucker, D. D., Polifroni, M., Tetlock, P. E., & Scott, A. A. (2004). On the assignment of punishment: The impact of general-societal threat and the moderating role of severity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 673-684.
Wan, E. W., Rucker, D. D., Tormala, Z. L., & Clarkson, J. J. (2010). The effect of regulatory depletion on attitude certainty. Journal of Marketing Research, 47, 531-541.
Wichman, A. L., Briñol, P., Petty, R. E., Rucker, D. D., Tormala, Z. L., & Weary, G. (2010). Doubting one’s doubt: A formula for confidence? Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 350-355.

Courses Taught:

Advertising Strategy
Introduction to Social Psychology
Sports Marketing

Advertising Strategy
Introduction to Social Psychology

Sports Marketing

Derek D. Rucker
Kellogg School of Management
Northwestern University
2001 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208-2001
United States

Phone: (847) 491-2714
Fax: (847) 491-2498


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Derek D. Rucker

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