David Nussbaum

A. David Nussbaum is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science who will be teaching Power and Influence in Organizations. Prior to teaching at Booth, Nussbaum held a Post-Doctoral Fellow position at the University of Waterloo.

Nussbaum’s research primarily focuses on how people manage and defend their self-image in the face of psychological threats, and how this affects their beliefs and behavior. He also explores how social contexts can either attenuate threats to self-image or exacerbate them. Nussbaum states, “In my research I have found that defensively managing self-image threats can often lead to negative consequences, including academic disidentification, missed learning opportunities, the avoidance of important medical tests, and persistence in failing investments. I believe that by identifying contexts and processes that attenuate threat, individuals and organizations can employ strategies to prevent these maladaptive outcomes.”

With prior teaching experience at Booth, as well as at Stanford University as a teaching assistant, co-instructor, and instructor, Nussbaum attempts to make his classroom time illustrative and interactive. “I try to use vivid examples of psychological phenomena, especially from the real world. While psychology is happening in and around us all the time, taking the time to notice it and consider how it works can make a really big difference in the way we understand people and situations as well as ourselves.”

PUBLICATIONS

• With Steele, C. M., “Persistence in the face of adversity,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 127-134 (2007).
• With Dweck, C. S., “Defensiveness vs. remediation: Self-theories and modes of self-esteem maintenance, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 127-134 (2008).
• With Young, S. D. & Monin, B., “Potential moral stigma and reactions to sexually transmitted diseases: Evidence
• With Sherman, D. K., Cohen, G. L., Nelson, L. D., Bunyan, D. P., & Garcia, J. P., “Affirmed yet unaware: Exploring the role of awareness in the process of self-affirmation,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 745-764 (2009).
• With Bryan, C. J., Brest, P., & Krieger, L. H., “Belief revision: Learning from mistakes,” in P. Brest & L. H. Krieger, Problem Solving, Decision Making, and Professional Judgment: A Guide for Lawyers and Policymakers, New York, NY: Oxford University Press (2010).