

Michael W. Kraus
- Media Contact
- SPN Mentor
Psychologist Michael W. Kraus explores the emotional and hierarchical dynamics of human social interactions. His current research explores the behaviors and emotional states that maintain and perpetuate economic and social inequality in society. He also studies the emotional processes that allow individuals and teams to work together more effectively.
I was born and raised in Poway, California. I received my undergraduate and graduate training in social psychology from UC Berkeley. I am currently an Assistant Professor at the Yale University School of Management.
Primary Interests:
- Close Relationships
- Culture and Ethnicity
- Emotion, Mood, Affect
- Group Processes
- Helping, Prosocial Behavior
- Nonverbal Behavior
- Organizational Behavior
- Political Psychology
- Self and Identity
- Social Cognition
Research Group or Laboratory:
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Journal Articles:
- Kraus, M. W., Chen, S, & Keltner, D. (2011). The power to be me: Power elevates self-concept consistency and authenticity, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 974-980.
- Kraus, M. W., Huang, C., & Keltner, D. (2010). Tactile communication, cooperation, and performance: An ethological study of the NBA. Emotion, 10, 745-749.
- Kraus, M. W., Park, J. W., & Tan, J. J. X. (2017). Signs of social class: The experience of economic inequality in everyday life. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(3), 422-435.
- Kraus, M. W., Rucker, J. M., & Richeson, J. A. (2017). Americans misperceive racial economic equality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(39), 10324-10331.
- Kraus, M. W., & Tan, J. J. X. (2015). Americans overestimate social class mobility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 58, 101-111.
Other Publications:
- Piff, P. K., Kraus, M. W., & Keltner, D. (2018). Unpacking the inequality paradox: The psychological roots of inequality and social class. In J. Olson (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 57, 53-124.
Michael W. Kraus
5477 Evans Hall
165 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, Connecticut 06511
United States
- Phone: (203) 432-6034