Igor Grossmann

Behavioral Scientist | Human Judgment Under Uncertainty

Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. I apply behavioral science and computational modeling to understand how humans navigate complex decisions, systemic uncertainty, and societal upheaval. My empirical research on metacognition and forecasting is published in Science, Nature Human Behaviour, and PNAS, providing actionable frameworks for global institutions and policymakers.

Projects

World After Covid

How do we navigate the changes ahead? Since June 2020, I have interviewed 55+ world leaders in behavioral & social sciences about their forecasts and advice for the world, creating a time-capsule of hopes and worries about the post-Covid future.

Wisdom

Many people have ideas about wisdom, but is it anything more than a pipedream? It wisdom chiefly operating in the realm of folk theories (e.g., "wise old man") or is it about sound judgment across varied contexts we encounter in our lives? How can we identify and train wisdom, while avoiding misconceptions about it and improving measurement of underlying processes?

Cultural Change

One key cultural universal is that cultures and societies constantly change. How can we quantify societal transformations in psychological and cultural dimensions? Which dimensions change faster and why?

Forecasting

Is humanity progressing or regressing? How do experts and the public estimate changes in the ever changing world? My colleagues and I evaluate accuracy of forecasts, comparing different models against actual change over time.

News

"Social scientists look to AI models to study human behavior " - Axios article on the new Science perspective about AI-assisted social science research.
"Illeism: The ancient trick to help you think more wisely" - BBC coverage of the research on training wisdom-related meta-cognition via illeist journaling.
"Generative AI: A plagiarism machine, or a creator of equal opportunity?" - QS magazine interview on opportunities and perils of Gen AI for higher education.
"Psychologists find a mindset that can foster positive feelings amid interpersonal conflict" - Two longitudinal studies found evidence that using wise reasoning when thinking about an anticipated interpersonal conflict leads to better relational outcomes.
"How to show your project’s worth in social science and humanities research proposals" - University Affairs interview about tips for prospective grant applicants when writing a successful grant proposal in social sciences.
"Science of wisdom featured on ABC radio" - Amanda Vanstone from ABC's "Counterpoint" talks to Igor on the show about his latest AEON article on wisdom.