Derek J. Koehler

Professor of Psychology, University of Waterloo

bio:

Derek Koehler is Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.  Prof. Koehler studies how people make judgments and decisions, with an emphasis on the use of intuitive (or “heuristic”) mental processes in the assessment of uncertainty.  His research has investigated how people draw inferences, make plans, generate predictions, and pursue goals under conditions of uncertainty, which he studies from the vantage of both psychological and economic models of decision making.  He holds a Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University.

Website: https://uwaterloo.ca/psychology/people-profiles/derek-j-koehler

3 questions:

• What aspects of this research agenda are you most excited about?

I'm excited about the opportunity to work with such a diverse group of academics and practitioners who all share the goal to see behavioural science principles put to work in organizations solving pressing problems.

• Of all the work you have done, what project / paper is your personal favourite and why?

My colleagues and I conducted a number of studies of how people predict (often too optmistically) their future behaviour in light of their current intentions. This research was fun because of the various setings in which it was conducted, from students saving money during a work term to shoppers at a hardware store planning their home renovation projects.

•  Which is the one paper or book that you wish you had written (but have not)?

  A colleague and I conducted a number of lab studies on how people decide whether or not to continue pursuing a goal as they accumulate feedback updating them about their chances of success. Although much behavioural science focuses on how to foster greater persistence in goal pursuit, sometimes the right (if painful) decision is to abandon a goal. For now at least, perhaps fittingly, writing the paper on this line of research is a goal we have abandoned.