Dr. Hanne Collins

Biography

Hanne K. Collins joined the UCLA Anderson School of Management faculty in 2024 as an Assistant Professor. Her research examines effective listening in conversation, particularly the conversational behaviors that ensure people feel heard and foster interpersonal connection and rapport. Her work utilizes a combination of experimental and computational social science techniques, including natural language processing. Collins’ interests in the social foundations of well-being have led her to focus on conversational listening. Her research reveals that people's perceptions of listening during conversations are not entirely accurate; there are moments when individuals feel they are being listened to, and other times when they do not. These inaccuracies stem, in part, from people's ability to feign common signals of listening, such as eye contact and nodding. Her discoveries have led to the development of a novel model of conversational listening, emphasizing the importance of behavioral expressions of listening, particularly effective verbal expressions. Collins also focuses on how biased perceptions regarding conflicting views can be corrected, which can significantly improve conflict outcomes. She originally hails from Vancouver Island and is excited to return to the west coast after graduating with her PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard Business School.

Research Interests