Dr. Barbara Mellers

Biography

Barbara Mellers is a globally influential scholar in decision making and holds the position of George Heyman University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with both the Department of Psychology and the Department of Marketing. She is recognized for her significant contributions to the understanding of how factors influence judgments and decisions, including emotions, self-interest, past mistakes, and risk perceptions of fairness. Over her career, she has authored over 100 articles and book chapters, and has served on numerous prestigious editorial boards. Mellers was president of the Judgment Decision Making Society and a recipient of the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator award. She has been involved in major research efforts supported by the NSF and earned her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1981, after completing her M.A. in 1978 and B.A. in 1974 in psychology. Her recent research includes exploring crowd prediction systems and individual differences in risk preferences through theoretical frameworks that account for hedonic sensitivities and the psychological drivers of choice. Mellers has contributed to numerous journals and complex statistical studies, actively engaging in the transformational application of behavioral science to improve decision-making outcomes in various societal contexts.

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