Igor Grossmann
Toronto, Ontario
Position: Professor
Organization: University of Waterloo
Igor Grossmann is Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, whose interdisciplinary research bridges philosophy, anthropology, economics, and psychology to study human judgment and wisdom. He developed the Common Wisdom Model, exploring how cultural and environmental factors shape decision-making and whether wisdom is a distinct human capacity. His findings show that wisdom varies across individuals and situations, often hindered by personal involvement but improvable through techniques like adopting an observer’s perspective. Grossmann has investigated how societies evolve through cross-temporal and forecasting methods and leads the international Wise Judgment Consortium to challenge Western-centric views of decision-making. An elected Member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada and recipient of major awards from the APA and SPSP, he also founded the Forecasting Collaborative, co-hosts the On Wisdom Podcast, and leads initiatives such as World-after-COVID and Futurescape, which gather expert and public predictions on global change.
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My Work
What I do:
Igor Grossmann is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. His interdisciplinary work spans philosophy, anthropology, economics, and psychology, focusing on human judgment and wisdom. Grossmann examines whether wisdom is merely an ideal or a distinct human quality, and how cultural and environmental factors influence our decisions and behaviors. Together with his team, he developed the Common Wisdom Model, synthesizing various academic perspectives on the construct. Grossmann’s research shows that wisdom varies between individuals and situations. A notable discovery is that personal involvement can impede wise reasoning, reminiscent of Solomon—a wise king in the eyes of others, yet known for his personal follies. Moreover, wisdom is adaptable and can be enhanced through techniques like the ‘fly on the wall’ perspective, where one visualizes the situation from an observer viewpoint. Grossmann’s refugee background has deepened his interest in how cultural and environmental forces shape our thoughts, emotions, and values. He has pioneered cross-temporal and forecasting to study how societies evolve, providing deeper insights into cultural transformation. Currently, Grossmann leads the international Wise Judgment Consortium, challenging conventional Western-centric views and aiming to reshape our understanding of judgment and decision-making by incorporating cultural influences. His projects explore how metacognitive features like intellectual humility and perspective-taking vary with context, providing crucial insights into human behavior.
Ask me about:
Computational Social Science, Social and Cultural Psychology
Why me:
Grossmann has received awards from several prestigious organizations, including the American Psychological Association and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and he is an elected Member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada. He also founded the Forecasting Collaborative, assessing the accuracy of social science predictions on critical societal issues, and co-hosts the “On Wisdom Podcast,” which disseminates scientific knowledge to a broader audience. His notable initiatives include World-after-COVID (www.WorldafterCovid.info) and Futurescape (futurescape.uwaterloo.ca), gathering societal predictions from leading experts and the public.
Fun facts:
former competitive latin ballroom dancer (USA Dance National Gold Champion / Prechamp finalist)
About Me
Sector: Academia (Post Secondary)
English proficiency: Read, Write, Speak
Other Language(s): German, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian
Title: Dr.
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Gender: Male
Demographic: European / White
Disability: Physical