Steven Neuberg is a Foundation Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University (ASU), where he directs the Evolution, Ecology, and Social Behavior Lab and co-directs the Kenrick-Neuberg Social Cognition Laboratory. He founded the ASU Global Group Relations Project, a multidisciplinary initiative examining intergroup conflict drivers like religion. Affiliated with ASU’s Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity and the Global Futures Laboratory, his work integrates evolutionary theory and social cognition to explore prejudices, stereotypes, and ecological influences on behavior. Education: A.B. Cornell University (1983) M.A. Carnegie Mellon University (1984) Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University (1987) NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Waterloo (1987–1988) Research Interests: Neuberg investigates how fundamental motivations—such as self-protection, disease avoidance, and mating—shape social cognition and behavior. His research addresses stigma, prejudice, and intergroup conflict through an evolutionary lens, examining how ecological factors (e.g., resource scarcity, disease threats) modulate social perceptions. Recent work explores COVID-19’s impact on prejudices and environmental aesthetics in migration decisions. Publication Trends: Neuberg’s recent articles emphasize evolutionary psychology frameworks applied to social phenomena like stereotyping, life satisfaction, and cultural variation. Key themes include affordance management (how people perceive and act on social opportunities/threats), ecological influences on cognition, and functional approaches to prejudice. His work consistently bridges theoretical innovation with empirical rigor across cross-cultural and experimental studies. Awards and Honors: Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize Daniel M. Wegner Theoretical Innovation Prize Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) ASU Outstanding Doctoral Mentor Award ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Outstanding Teaching Award Advising and Grants: Neuberg has mentored over 50 doctoral and master’s students, many now faculty at institutions like UCLA, UC Irvine, and Hamilton College. His research is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Templeton World Charity Foundation, and Army Research Institute. Notable grants include a study on religious fasting’s paradoxical effects on prosociality and a RAPID project analyzing COVID-19’s impact on prejudices. Labs and Teams: He leads the Evolution, Ecology, and Social Behavior Lab, investigating stereotypes, prejudices, and ecological affordances. The Kenrick-Neuberg Lab focuses on social cognition and decision-making. Neuberg also oversees Psych for Life®, an ASU initiative promoting applied psychology for public benefit.













