Joshua Maxwell Ackerman

Joshua Maxwell Ackerman is a Professor of Psychology in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Professor of Marketing at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. He serves as a Faculty Associate at the Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, integrating evolutionary perspectives across social, health, and consumer psychology domains.

Ackerman's research investigates how evolved psychological mechanisms interact with environmental cues to shape interpersonal cognition and decision-making. His work spans germ aversion and disease threat responses, population density/sex ratio effects, nonconscious touch sensations, and risk tolerance. Current projects examine socioecological influences like contagious disease cues on voting behavior and social norm processing, revealing how subtle environmental features trigger adaptive behavioral responses.

His publication trajectory (2019-2025) demonstrates consistent focus on the behavioral immune system's role in social cognition, with growing emphasis on cross-cultural validation and real-world applications in political and consumer contexts. Methodologically, he employs experimental, neuroscientific (EEG), and field approaches across diverse populations to establish evolutionary foundations for contemporary social phenomena.

No scientific awards were specified in the source material.

While detailed grant information and advising records weren't provided, Ackerman's extensive multi-institutional collaborations—including large-scale cross-cultural projects with over 30 international co-authors—indicate active research mentorship and leadership in team-based science.

His primary research base is the University of Michigan's Research Center for Group Dynamics, a premier interdisciplinary hub for social science that supports his integrated approach to studying how ecological factors shape group processes and individual behavior.