Jennifer Whitson

Jennifer Whitson is an Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Her research focuses on control, power dynamics, and how people make sense of the world in organizational contexts. She explores how lack of control leads to illusory pattern perception, including conspiracy theories and superstitions, and how stigmatized groups regain control through reappropriation of slurs.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Management and Organizations, 2007, Northwestern University
• M.S. in Management and Organizations, 2004, Northwestern University
• B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior, 2000, University of California, Irvine

Whitson's research establishes a critical relationship between psychological experiences of lacking control and illusory pattern perception. When people feel out of control, they tend to "connect dots that there is no rationale for connecting," such as believing in conspiracy theories or superstitions. Her work demonstrates that the implications of control extend beyond previously studied areas and carry business costs. Another significant branch of her research explores how members of stigmatized groups who lack control over how they're perceived by dominant society regain that control through reappropriation - self-identifying with terms used as slurs. Group identification, she finds, is critical in reappropriating stigmatizing labels.

Her recent publications reveal consistent themes across organizational behavior, social psychology, and cognitive science. The research shows how lack of control influences organizational decision-making, how power dynamics affect workplace behavior, and how stigma management can lead to positive organizational change. Her work on conspiracy theories in organizational contexts has gained particular attention during the pandemic, exploring how uncertainty drives people to seek patterns, sometimes where none exist.

Scientific Awards:

• Eric and "E" Juline Faculty Excellence in Research Award, UCLA Anderson School of Management
• Dean George W. Robbins Assistant Professor Teaching Award, UCLA Anderson School of Management
• Inducted as a Society for Experimental Social Psychology Fellow

Whitson has appeared in major media outlets including CBS Morning News, National Public Radio, Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, and National Geographic's Brain Games. Her research has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, BBC Future, USA Today, and New Republic, among others. She teaches courses in Organizational Behavior, Leadership Foundations, Negotiations, and Communications II at UCLA Anderson.