Zakary Tormala

Zakary Tormala
Professor, Marketing
Contact Info
ZakaryTormala
Academic Area: 
Marketing

Research Statement

Professor Tormala is an experimental social psychologist who works in the areas of attitudes, persuasion, and social influence. His research on these topics seeks to shed light on the factors that open and close attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to change.

Research Interests

  • Attitudes
  • Persuasion
  • Social influence
  • Psychological certainty
  • Advocacy

Teaching Statement

Professor Tormala teaches MBA and PhD courses on the topics of attitude change and persuasion.

Bio

Professor Tormala received a B.A. in psychology from Arizona State University in 1996 and earned his Ph.D. in social psychology from Ohio State University in 2003. From 2003-2007, Tormala served as an assistant professor of social psychology at Indiana University. In 2007, he joined the Stanford faculty as an associate professor in the Graduate School of Business. Tormala’s research focuses primarily on the topics of attitudes, persuasion, and social influence. He specializes in conducting lab and field experiments designed to enhance our understanding of attitude, belief, and behavior change. Tormala publishes extensively on these topics and has served on the editorial boards of the leading scientific journals in his field. For his contribution to scholarly research, Tormala received the Society for Consumer Psychology’s Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution in 2008 and was named to the Marketing Science Institute’s list of Young Scholars in 2009. He is also an elected fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the Society for Experimental Social Psychology. At Stanford, Professor Tormala teaches courses on persuasion in the MBA program, the PhD program, and numerous executive education programs.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Psychology, The Ohio State University, 2003
  • MA in Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1999
  • BA in Psychology, Arizona State University, 1996

Academic Appointments

  • Laurence W. Lane Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing, Stanford GSB, 2019
  • Professor of Marketing, Stanford GSB, 2015
  • Associate Professor with tenure, Stanford GSB, 2011
  • Associate Professor, Stanford GSB, 2007
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 2003

Awards and Honors

  • Endowed Chair, Laurence W. Lane Professorship
  • Elected Fellow, Society for Personality and Social Psychology
  • Elected Fellow, Society of Experimental Social Psychology
  • Early Career Award, Society for Consumer Psychology
  • Marketing Science Institute Young Scholar

Publications

Journal Articles

Christopher Bechler, Zakary Tormala, Derek Rucker. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2020, Vol. in press.
Rhia Catapano, Zakary Tormala, Derek Rucker. Psychological Science. January 29, 2019, Vol. 30, Issue 3, Pages 424-435.
Christopher Bechler, Zakary Tormala, Derek Rucker. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2019, Vol. 82, Pages 160-175.
Daniella Kupor, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Consumer Research. October 2018, Vol. 45, Pages 490-510.
Zakary Tormala, Derek D. Rucker. Consumer Psychology Review. January 2018, Vol. 1, Issue 1, Pages 72-89.
Claire Kim, DaHee Han, Adam Duhachek, Zakary Tormala. Social Influence. 2018, Vol. 13, Pages 177-191.
Aaron Snyder, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. April 2017, Vol. 112, Issue 4, Pages 555-576.
Joshua Clarkson, Eliot Smith, Zakary Tormala, Riley Dugan. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. January 2017, Vol. 68, Pages 139-145.
Lauren Cheatham, Zakary Tormala. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin . January 2017, Vol. 43, Issue 1, Pages 3-16.
Zakary Tormala. Current Opinion in Psychology. 2016, Vol. 10, Pages 6-11.
Zakary Tormala, Derek Rucker. Harvard Business Review. September 2015, Vol. 93, Pages 96-103.
Lauren Cheatham, Zakary Tormala. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2015, Vol. forthcoming.
Zakary Tormala, Pablo Brinol. Cambridge Handbook of Consumer Psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge Press, 2015, Pages 29-64.
Daniella Kupor, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Consumer Research. 2015, Vol. 42, Pages 300-315.
Daniella M. Kupor, Zakary Tormala, Michael I. Norton, Derek D. Rucker. Social Psychological and Personality Science. April 2014, Vol. 5, Issue 3, Pages 263-270.
Derek D. Rucker, Zakary Tormala, Richard E. Petty, Pablo Briñol. Journal of Consumer Psychology. January 2014, Vol. 24, Issue 1, Pages 119-136.
Jamie Barden, Zakary Tormala. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. 2014, Vol. 8, Pages 17-29.
Daniella Kupor, Zakary Tormala, Michael Norton. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2014, Vol. 5, Pages 263-270.
Omair Akhtar, David Paunesku, Zakary Tormala. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. September 2013, Vol. 39, Issue 9, Pages 1214-26.
Joshua Clarkson, Matthew Valente, Christopher Leone, Zakary Tormala. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2013, Vol. 29, Pages 1559-1570.
Joshua Clarkson, Zakary Tormala, Derek Rucker, Riley Dugan. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2013, Vol. 49, Pages 1019-1022.
Taly Reich, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2013, Vol. 9, Issue 3, Pages 426–439.
Zakary Tormala, J.S. Jia, M.I. Norton. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. October 2012, Vol. 103, Issue 4, Pages 567-583.
Uzma Khan, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Consumer Psychology. July 2012, Vol. 22, Issue 3, Pages 408-417.
Baba Shiv, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Consumer Research. 2012, Vol. 38, Issue 5, Pages 846-859.
Joshua Clarkson, Zakary Tormala, Christopher Leone. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2011, Vol. 47, Pages 449-454.
Joshua Clarkson, Zakary Tormala, Derek Rucker. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2011, Vol. 37, Pages 1415-1427.
John V. Petrocelli, Elise J. Percy, Steven J. Sherman, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2011, Vol. 100, Issue 1, Pages 30-46.
David Dubois, Derek Rucker, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Marketing Research. 2011, Vol. 48, Pages 1020-1032.
Derek Rucker, Kris Preacher, Zakary Tormala, Richard Petty. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. 2011, Vol. 5, Pages 359-371.
Nicole D. Mayer, Zakary Tormala. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. April 2010, Vol. 36, Issue 4, Pages 443-454.
Uma R. Karmarkar, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Consumer Research. April 2010, Vol. 36, Issue 6, Pages 1033-1049.
Aaron Wichman, Pablo Brinol, Richard Petty, Derek Rucker, Zakary Tormala, Gifford Waery. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2010, Vol. 46, Pages 350-355.
Ab Litt, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Consumer Research. 2010, Vol. 37, Issue 4, Pages 584-598.
John Petrocelli, Joshua Clarkson, Zakary Tormala, Kristin Hendrix. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2010, Vol. 46, Pages 874-883.
Frances Chen, Julia Minson, Zakary Tormala. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2010, Vol. 46, Pages 850-853.
Echo Wen Wan, Derek D. Rucker, Zakary Tormala, Joshua J. Clarkson. Journal of Marketing Research. 2010, Vol. 47, Issue 3, Pages 531-541.

Teaching

Degree Courses

2019-20

The aim of this course is to provide insight into the psychology of persuasion. We will take an evidence-based approach and explore research and theory in this domain to identify powerful techniques for changing people's attitudes and behaviors....

The goal of this course geared toward graduate students in marketing, psychology, and related disciplines is to explore the issues and questions that currently engage researchers in the domain of attitudes and persuasion. We will cover classic...

2018-19

The aim of this course is to provide insight into the psychology of persuasion. We will explore research and theory in this domain and discuss powerful techniques for changing people's attitudes and behaviors. We will apply our insights broadly...

The goal of this course geared toward graduate students in marketing, psychology, and related disciplines is to explore some of the issues and controversies that currently engage researchers in the domain of attitudes and persuasion. We will...

2017-18

The aim of this course is to provide insight into the psychology of persuasion. We will explore research and theory in this domain and discuss potentially powerful techniques for changing people's attitudes and behaviors. We will apply our...

The goal of this course — geared toward graduate students in marketing, psychology, and related disciplines — is to explore some of the issues and controversies that currently engage researchers in the domain of attitudes and persuasion. We...

Executive Education & Other Non-Degree Programs

Service to the Profession

  • Associate Editor, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2013-2017
  • Associate Editor, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2011-2012
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Consumer Research, 2011-2014, 2018-
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2009-2012, 2017-
  • Editorial Board, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2008-2011
  • Editorial Board, Personality and Social Psychology Review, 2018-

Insights by Stanford Business

May 9, 2019
When our values don’t align, we struggle to see others’ viewpoints.
August 29, 2017
You may think you’re weighing the pros and cons equally, but you’re probably not.
January 9, 2017
A strong sense of conviction can both encourage and discourage people from speaking out.
April 30, 2015
Those in the know share where to go to learn more about reward and related topics.
April 30, 2015
Five Stanford scholars share their insights on the topic of reward.
January 14, 2015
A psychologist explores what makes our attitudes change over time.
August 20, 2014
Stanford GSB researchers find that sometimes it is better not to sweat the small stuff.
March 31, 2014
It's not always what you’ve done that matters, but what you just might do.
June 21, 2012
A series of studies shows that mere promise impresses more than actual achievement.
June 1, 2011
Researchers say news about a company or product blemish may actually strengthen consumers’ positive impressions.
April 1, 2010
Experts can be more persuasive by expressing uncertainty, argues Stanford Graduate School of Business marketing professor Zakary Tormala.
April 1, 2010
Research shows that identical messages can have different impacts depending on whether they are couched as "I think" or "I feel."
June 1, 2008
Persuasion research shows that context can matter as much as content.