Tory Higgins

Biography

Professor Higgins, the Stanley Schachter Professor of Psychology and Professor of Business is an expert on motivation and decision making. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He is the author of Beyond Pleasure and Pain: How Motivation Works (Oxford) and co-author of Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World for Success and Influence (Penguin). He teaches an Executive MBA course on negotiation, and is the Director of the Motivation Science Center. Higgins has received the Donald T. Campbell Award for Outstanding Contributions to Social Psychology (Society for Personality and Social Psychology), the Thomas M. Ostrom Award in Social Cognition, the Distinguished Lifetime Career Award (International Society for Self & Identity), and the Distinguished Scientist Award (Society of Experimental Social Psychology). In 2000, he was the recipient of both the William James Fellow Award for Distinguished Achievements in Psychological Science (Association of Psychological Science) and the Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions (American Psychological Association). He has served as an advisor and consultant to many governmental and academic organizations. In 2000, he was chosen to present Columbia's University Lecture. In 2004, he was the recipient of the Presidential Teaching Award.

Teaching

Spring 2018

Motivation Science (MBA)

Fall 2014

Motivation Science (MBA)

Fall 2013

(PhD) Theories of Social Personality (PHD)

Research

Journal articles

Different strokes for different folks: Effects of regulatory mode complementarity and task complexity on performance In Personality and Individual Differences (2016)
Coauthor(s): M. Chernikova, C. Lo Destro, R. Mauro, Antonio Pierro, Arie Kruglanski, E. Tory Higgins

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Motivational modes and learning in Parkinson's disease In Social cognitive and affective neuroscience (2015)
Coauthor(s): K. Foerde, E. Braun, E. Tory Higgins, D. Shohamy

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Microinterventions targeting regulatory focus and regulatory fit selectively reduce dysphoric and anxious mood In Behavior Research and Therapy (2015)
Coauthor(s): Timothy Strauman, Y. Socolar, L. Kwapil, J. Cornwell, B. Franks, S. Sehnert, E. Tory Higgins

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Social Networks and Life Satisfaction: The Interplay of Network Density and Regulatory Focus In Motivation and Emotion (2015)
Coauthor(s): C. Zou, Paul Ingram, E. Tory Higgins

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Leaders as planners and movers: Supervisors' regulatory modes and subordinates' performance In Journal of Applied Social Psychology (2012)
Coauthor(s): Antonio Pierro, Mauro Giacomantonio, Lucia Mannetti, E. Tory Higgins, Arie Kruglanski

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Regulatory focus and anxiety: A self-regulatory model of GAD-Depression comorbidity In Personality and Individual Differences (2011)
Coauthor(s): Megan Klenk, Timothy Strauman, E. Tory Higgins

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Liking the same things, but doing things differently: Outcome versus strategic compatibility in partner preferences for joint tasks In Social Cognition (2011)
Coauthor(s): Vanessa Bohns, E. Tory Higgins

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Managing Others Like You Were Managed: How Prevention Focus Motivates Copying Interpersonal Norms In Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2011)
Coauthor(s): Shu Zhang, E. Tory Higgins, Guoquan Chen

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My way: How strategic preferences vary by negotiator role and regulatory focus In Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (2010)
Coauthor(s): Kirstin Appelt, E. Tory Higgins

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On "feeling right" in cultural contexts: How person-culture match affects self-esteem and subjective well-being In Psychological Science (2010)
Coauthor(s): C. Ashley Fulmer, Michele Gelfand, Arie Kruglanski, Chu Kim-Prieto, Ed Diener, Antonio Pierro, E. Tory Higgins

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Motivation in Mental Accessibility: Relevance of a Representation (ROAR) as a New Framework In Social and Personality Psychology Compass (2010)
Coauthor(s): Baruch Eitam, E. Tory Higgins

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The ecology of automaticity: How situational contingencies shape action semantics and social behavior In Psychological Science (2010)
Coauthor(s): Joseph Cesario, Jason Plaks, Nao Hagiwara, Carlos Navarrete, E. Tory Higgins

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When risk seeking becomes a motivational necessity In Journal of Personality and Social Science (2010)
Coauthor(s): Abigail Scholer, Xi Zou, Kentaro Fujita, Steven J. Stroessner, E. Tory Higgins

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Feeling right or being right: When strong assessment yields strong correction In Motivation and Emotion (2010)
Coauthor(s): Kirstin Appelt, Xi Zou, E. Tory Higgins

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Shared reality effects on memory: Communicating to fulfill epistemic needs In Social Cognition (2010)
Coauthor(s): Renee Kopietz, Jens Hellman, E. Tory Higgins, Gerald Echterhoff

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Regulatory focus and political decision making: When people favor reform over the status quo In Political Psychology (2010)
Coauthor(s): Jennifer Boldero, E. Tory Higgins

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Tailoring visual images to fit: Value creation in persuasive messages In European Journal of Social Psychology (2010)
Coauthor(s): Lucia Mannetti, Mauro Giacomantonio, E. Tory Higgins, Antonio Pierro, Arie Kruglanski

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Increasing or decreasing interest in activities: The role of regulatory fit In Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2010)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins, Joseph Cesario, Nao Hagiwara, Scott Spiegel, Thane Pittman

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Engaging the Consumer: The Science and Art of the Value Creation Process In Journal of Consumer Psychology (2009)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins, Abigail Scholer

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Value From Hedonic Experience and Engagement In Psychological Review (2006)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins

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Categorization Under Uncertainty: Resolving Vagueness and Ambiguity with Eager Versus Vigilant Strategies In Social Cognition (2004)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins

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Regulatory Focus Theory and the Entrepreneurial Process In Journal of Business Venturing (2004)
Coauthor(s): Joel Brockner, E. Tory Higgins, Murray Low

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Regulatory Focus and the Probability Estimates of Conjunctive and Disjunctive Events In Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (2002)
Coauthor(s): Joel Brockner, Srikanth Paruchuri, Lorraine Idson, E. Tory Higgins

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Regulatory Focus Theory: Implications for the Study of Emotions at Work In Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (2001)
Coauthor(s): Joel Brockner, E. Tory Higgins

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Making a Good Decision: Value from Fit In American Psychologist (2000)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins

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Beyond Pleasure and Pain In American Psychologist (1997)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins

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Books

Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World for Success and Influence (2013)
Coauthor(s): Heidi Grant Halvorson, E. Tory Higgins

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Beyond Pleasure and Pain: How Motivation Works (2012)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins

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Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology (2012)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins, Paul A. M. Van Lange, Arie Kruglanski

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Chapters

Motivation Science in Social Psychology: A Tale of Two Histories In Handbook of the History of Social Psychology (2011)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins

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Accessibility theory In Handbook of theories of social psychology (2011)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins

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Regulatory focus theory In Handbook of theories of social psychology (2011)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins

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Promotion and prevention systems: Regulatory focus dynamics within self-regulatory hierarchies In Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications (2011)
Coauthor(s): Abigail Scholer, E. Tory Higgins

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Sharing inner states: A defining feature of human motivation In Grounding sociality: Neurons, minds, and culture (2011)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins

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How communication shapes memory: Shared reality and implications for culture In Grounding sociality: Neurons, minds, and culture (2010)
Coauthor(s): Gerald Echterhoff, E. Tory Higgins

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Conflict and control at different levels of self-regulation In Self Control in Society, Mind, and Brain (2010)
Coauthor(s): Abigail Scholer, E. Tory Higgins

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Regulatory focus in a demanding world In Handbook of personality and self-regulation (2010)
Coauthor(s): Abigail Scholer, E. Tory Higgins

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Modes of self-regulation: Assessment and locomotion as independent determinants in goal-pursuit In Handbook of Personality and Self-Regulation (2009)
Coauthor(s): Arie Kruglanski, Edward Orehek, E. Tory Higgins, Antonio Pierro, Idit Shalev

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Part IV: Psychology In Quantitative Models and Methods: A Tour of the Social Sciences (2009)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins, Elke Weber, Heidi Grant

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Distinguishing levels of approach and avoidance: An analysis using regulatory focus theory In Handbook of approach and avoidance motivation (2008)
Coauthor(s): Abigail Scholer, E. Tory Higgins

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Promotion and prevention strategies for self-regulation: A motivated cognition perspective In Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications, 2nd ed. (2007)
Coauthor(s): E. Tory Higgins, Scott Spiegel

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Promotion and Prevention in Consumer Decision-Making: The State of the Art and Theoretical Propositions In Inside Consumption: Consumer Motives, Goals, and Desires (2005)
Coauthor(s): Michel Tuan Pham, E. Tory Higgins

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Working papers

It''s Just Water? The Effect of Mindset and Shared Reality on the Physical, Psychological and Performance Effects of Water (2013)
Coauthor(s): Damon Phillips, E. Tory Higgins

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Social Networks and Subjective Well-Being: The Effect of Regulatory Fit (2010)
Coauthor(s): Xi Zou, Paul Ingram, E. Tory Higgins

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In The News

Media Mentions

How This Mindset Shift Can Help You Be More Successful, According to a Columbia Psychologist

CNBC

How Female Entrepreneurs Can Beat Investors'' Gender Bias

Forbes

Do Women Entrepreneurs Get Less VC Funding? Wharton and Columbia Researchers Find a Large Gender Gap

MetroMBA

Are Female Founders Prone to Failure? Study Shows ‘Implicit’ Stereotype Fuels Funding Gap

The Wall Street Journal

Women Get More Questions on Risk From Startup VCs Than Men Do--And Far Less Money

Forbes

Press Releases

How We Size Up Whether Someone Is a Good Judge of People Has a Lot to Do with Whether They Agree with Us

New Research Helps Doctors Deliver Bad News to Patients

Awards And Honors

Alexander von Humboldt Anneliese Maier Research Award

2015

University of Melbourne Dyason Fellow Public Lecture

2013

Harold Basowitz Memorial Lecture

University of Alabama (2008)

Lifetime Contribution Award

(2006) International Society for Self & Identity

Fellow

American Academy of Arts & Sciences (2006)

Co-authored article received the 2006 ISCON "Best Social Cognition Paper" Award

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Distinguished Scientist Award

(2005) From the Society of Experimental Social Psychology

Miegunyuh Distinguished Fellow of the University of Melbourne

2005

Presidential Award For Outstanding Teaching

(2004) Awarded by Columbia University

University Lecture

Columbia University (2001)

William James Fellow Award

(2000) From the Association for Psychological Science For Distinguished Achievements in Psychological Science

Stanley Schachter Professor of Psychology

(2000) Chaired Professorship Awarded by Columbia University

Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions

(2000) From the American Psychological Association

M.A. Convocation Address

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Columbia University (2000)

Thomas M. Ostrom Award

(1999) From the Social Cognition Society For Outstanding Contributions to Social Cognition

Ph.D Convocation Address

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Columbia University (1999)

Donald T. Campbell Award

1996, From the Society for Personality and Social Psychology For Outstanding Contributions to Social Psychology

NIMH MERIT Award

Method to Extend Research Time

Fellow

Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (1986-87)

Keynote Address

Society of Personality and Social Psychology (APS)

G. Stanley Hall Lecturer

Williams College

Keynote Address

Canadian Psychological Association

Keynote Speaker

International Conference on Language and Social Psychology

Keynote Address

American Psychological Society

D. O. Hebb Lecture Series

Invited Address (McGill University)

Allen Edwards Lecturer

University of Washington, Seattle

Heyman Fellow

Columbia University

OSU Ostrom Scholar-in-Residence

Ohio State University

Tony Greenwald Distinguished Scholar Address

Ohio State University

University Distinguished Lecture Series

University of Wisconsin (Madison)

Keynote Speaker

International Society for Research on Emotion (Wurzburg)

Ida Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor

University of Iowa