My main research focus has been on influence processes and small group decision making with an emphasis on the quality of the decision making. In particular, we have long studied the the ways in which minority viewpoints stimulate thought that serves the detection of "truths" and more creative decision making. This emphasis has taken me in several directions: (1) how and why minority views stimulate divergent and creative thought, (2) individual and group creativity, (3) composition of groups and the role of diversity, (4) cultural contexts and cross-cultural differences, (5) techniques that raise the quality of decision making and (6) applications to law and business. For the application to law, the research has focused on jury decision making and on appellate issues relevant to juries; for the application to law, the research has focused on innovative corporate cultures and on leading teams within organizations.

Tthough most of my published work has been experimental in nature, my more recent teaching and research has concentrated on the application of such findings. One project on individual creativity involved 12 hr interviews with each of 5 Nobellaureates in Chemistry and Physics. Other teaching and invited talks have concentrated on the quality of jury decision making and the cultural differences in the ways in which juries deliberate. Most recently, the emphasis has been on applications to business. Having taught at London Business School for a year in 2005-6, my teaching, writing and resarch emphasizes the art of persuasion, leading teams and especially corporate cultures for innovation.

A full description of my professional life as teacher, researcher, executive education can be found at www.CharlanNemeth.com

Primary Interests:

Applied Social Psychology
Group Processes
Interpersonal Processes
Judgment and Decision Making
Law and Public Policy
Organizational Behavior
Persuasion, Social Influence
Social Cognition

Applied Social Psychology
Group Processes
Interpersonal Processes
Judgment and Decision Making
Law and Public Policy

Organizational Behavior
Persuasion, Social Influence
Social Cognition

Journal Articles:

Nemeth, C. (1997). Managing innovation: When less is more. California Management Review, 40, 59-74
Nemeth, C. (1995). Dissent as driving cognition, attitudes and judgments. Social Cognition, 13, 273-291.
Nemeth, C. J. (1986). The differential contributions of majority and minority influence. Psychological Review, 93, 23-32.
Nemeth, C. J., Personnaz, M., Personnaz, B., & Goncalo, J. (2004). The liberating role of conflict in group creativity: A cross-national study. European Journal of Social Psychology, 34, 365-374.
Nemeth,C., & Ormiston, M. (2007). Creative idea generation: Harmony versus stimulation. European Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 524-535.
Nemeth, C., Rogers, J., & Brown, K. (2001). Devil's advocate vs. authentic dissent: Stimulating quantity and quality. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31, 707-720.
Nemeth, C., Rogers, J., & Brown, K. (2001). Devil's advocate vs. authentic dissent: Stimulating quantity and quality. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31, 707-720.

Other Publications:

Nemeth, C. (1981). Jury trials: Psychology and the law. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 14, pp. 309-367). New York: Academic Press.
Nemeth, C. J. (2010). Minority Influence Theory. In P. Van Lange, A. Kruglanski and T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of Theories in Social Psychology. New York: Sage. .
Nemeth, C. J., & Goncalo, J. A. (2010). Rogues and heroes: Finding value in dissent. In J. Jetten and M. Hornsey (Eds.), Rebels in groups: Dissent, deviance, difference and defiance.
Nemeth, C. J., & Goncalo, J. A. (2005). Influence and persuasion in small groups. In T. C. Brock and M. C. Green (Eds.), Persuasion: Psychological Insights and Perspectives. London: Sage Publications (pp. 171-194).
Nemeth, C. J., & Staw, B. M. (1989). The tradeoffs of social control and innovation within groups and organizations. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 22, pp. 175-210). New York: Academic Press.
Nemeth, C., & Nemeth-Brown, B. (2001). Better than Individuals? The potential benefits of dissent and diversity for group creativity. In P. Paulus and B. Nijstad (Eds.), Group creativity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Courses Taught:

Corporate Cultures of Innovation
Group Decision Making
Group Processes
Innovation in Small Groups and Organizations
Jury Trials: Law and Psychology
The Art and Science of Persuasion
The Psychology of Creativity

Corporate Cultures of Innovation
Group Decision Making
Group Processes
Innovation in Small Groups and Organizations

Jury Trials: Law and Psychology
The Art and Science of Persuasion
The Psychology of Creativity

Charlan Jeanne Nemeth
Department of Psychology
3327 Tolman Hall
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-1650
United States

Phone: (510) 642-5111
Fax: (510) 642-5293