EP 014 | Dr. Joshua Ackerman, PhD

Dr. Joshua Ackerman, PhD is a an associate professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Michigan. He was also an associate professor of marketing at MIT Sloan School of Management.   RESEARCH INTERESTS: My research explores the role that adaptive psychological mechanisms play in behavioral and decision-making contexts. Much of what we think about (or don’t think about), the decisions we make (or not), and the (dis)satisfaction we have with those decisions is driven by a fundamental set of evolved predispositions interacting with subtle features of our current environments. In approaching psychology from this perspective, my research has concentrated primarily on interpersonal cognition — how and why people think, prefer, choose, and act with or because of each other. Currently, my focus involves how people respond to and cope with ecological threats, including those related to mortality, infectious disease, resources, and social rejection, as well as ecological opportunities, including ones related to romantic relationships and friendships. I also occasionally work on topics less connected with an evolutionary perspective in the domains of marketing, sensation, and social cognition. PODCAST MOMENTS:  15:00 Common Academic Experiences Article  27:14 Toxic Work Identity   42:43 Behavioral Immune System: What is it?   51:15 Consequences of the Behavioral Immune System  1:09:47 Covid-19 Impact on Immune System  1:15:33 Covid-19 Vaccine and Behavioral Immune System Connect with us on social media @armchairscholars  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@armchair_scholars  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armchairscholars/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/armchairscholarsAnchor: https://anchor.fm/brendan-byrne9