Dr. Andras Molnar

Biography

Andras Molnar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan. His research interests lie at the intersection of psychology, economics, and business, particularly focusing on motivated preferences and the role of beliefs in social interactions, especially related to moral behavior. His studies explore the situations in which individuals exhibit non-instrumental reasons for their beliefs, the implications of these motives for decision-making, organizations, and public policy. Central to his work is the idea that people are motivated to hold or avoid specific beliefs and that these beliefs can significantly influence their decisions. He applies the concept of 'belief-based utility' to various topics, including information avoidance, belief polarization, revenge, forgiveness, and information disclosure. In addition to his research projects, he is dedicated to improving experimental research methods and open science practices. He has developed a free, open-source tool called SMARTRIQS that enables researchers to implement real-time interactions with participants in online surveys.

Research Interests

Courses