Peter McGraw

Dr. Peter McGraw is a Professor of Marketing and Psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business. An expert in behavioral economics and emotion psychology, he directs the Humor Research Laboratory (HuRL) and leads pioneering research on single living demographics. His work examines consumer behavior through the lenses of humor, emotional responses, and decision-making processes.

McGraw's research spans three primary domains:

• Emotion and judgment interactions in consumer contexts
• Humor antecedents and consequences (Benign Violation Theory)
• Single living as a social phenomenon and market force

His current Solo project explores the societal implications of 128 million unmarried American adults through scholarly work, a podcast (Solo), and public salons.

His publications demonstrate consistent focus on:

• Psychological mechanisms of humor perception
• Emotional influences on economic decisions
• Moral dimensions of consumer behavior
• Temporal aspects of psychological processing

Scientific honors include:

• Sterling-Rice Research Award (3-time recipient)
• Marketing Science Institute Young Scholar
• Big XII Faculty Fellowship
• Colorado Business Social Media Leader

McGraw teaches behavioral economics (PhD), marketing management (MBA), and consumer behavior (undergraduate). He leads the Humor Research Lab and founded the Solo movement, producing content that challenges relationship norms.