Paul Slovic stands as a preeminent scholar in the psychological foundations of human judgment and decision-making processes. He currently serves as Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon and President of Decision Research, an influential institute he co-founded in 1976. Educated at Stanford University where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1959, he completed his doctoral training at the University of Michigan, receiving his PhD in psychology in 1964. His distinguished academic career spans nearly six decades, beginning with his work at the Oregon Research Institute before establishing his enduring affiliation with the University of Oregon in 1986.
Dr. Slovic's groundbreaking research has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of risk perception and decision processes under uncertainty. Working collaboratively with Baruch Fischhoff and Sarah Lichtenstein, he pioneered the psychometric paradigm that revolutionized how scholars conceptualize risk through the affect heuristic and the influential framework of 'risk as feeling.' His innovative methodologies for measuring and describing risk perceptions have provided indispensable tools for assessing impacts on individuals, industries, and societies facing complex decisions. Most recently, his work on 'psychic numbing' has illuminated the psychological mechanisms that impede human responses to mass tragedies, genocide, and nuclear threats.
His exceptional contributions have been recognized through election to both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, alongside receiving the prestigious Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association. Dr. Slovic has significantly influenced national policy through his service on numerous National Academy of Sciences committees that produced landmark reports on risk assessment and nuclear threats. He continues to advance his research on global catastrophic risks while mentoring the next generation of decision scientists and risk analysts. His ongoing work examining the psychological barriers to addressing planetary-scale threats ensures his enduring legacy in shaping how humanity understands and responds to complex risks.
