Paul Rozin is a distinguished psychologist and leading authority in cultural approaches to human food choice and emotional responses. He currently serves as Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he has maintained a prolific research career since joining the faculty in 1963. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rozin earned his A.B. from the University of Chicago in 1956 before pursuing interdisciplinary studies at Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D. in both Biology and Psychology in 1961 under the mentorship of Jean Mayer. Following two years as an NIH postdoctoral fellow at Harvard's School of Public Health, he established himself as a pioneering scholar whose work would bridge multiple disciplines within the behavioral sciences.
Rozin's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of human food selection through his innovative integration of biological, psychological, and anthropological perspectives. His influential studies on the psychological significance of flavorings across different cuisines, the cultural evolution of food practices, and the development of food aversions and preferences have provided foundational insights into how culture shapes our most basic biological behaviors. Particularly notable is his seminal work on the emotion of disgust, which has become a cornerstone in psychological research and has been widely cited across multiple disciplines. His cross-cultural investigations spanning France, Japan, India, and the United States have revealed profound insights into how food-related moral judgments develop and vary across societies, with his research on how meat and fat issues enter the moral domain in American culture representing one of his most impactful contributions.
Beyond his research contributions, Rozin has played a pivotal role in shaping the field through his service as editor of the journal Appetite for a decade and his mentorship of numerous graduate students who have gone on to make significant contributions in psychology and related fields. He has been recognized with the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award in 2007, among other prestigious honors including membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. As a two-time fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences and a visiting scholar for both Phi Beta Kappa and the Russell Sage Foundation, Rozin has consistently demonstrated intellectual leadership that transcends disciplinary boundaries. His continued scholarly influence remains significant as his work continues to inform contemporary research on the complex interplay between culture, cognition, and behavior in human food choices and emotional responses.
