Natalia Karelaia

Research

I am broadly interesting in understanding human behavior, including decision-making, and its consequences for individuals, organizations, and societally relevant outcomes. I see myself as an interdisciplinary behavioral scientist with a strong interest in the psychological processes that drive decision-making across various contexts and issues. My goal is to provide insights for improving individual judgment, decisions, and experiences, helping organizations make better decisions and become better places to work, and addressing societal problems. In my research, I draw on insights from cognitive and social psychology, economics, sociology, and organizational studies, and employ a range of methodological approaches, including statistical modeling, simulations, meta-analyses, experimental research, surveys, archival investigations, field data, and natural language processing (NLP) tools.
My past and present research falls into two main streams: (1) Decision-Making Effectiveness, and (2) Human Decisions and Behavior in Social Context.

Journal articles and book chapters: Karelaia, N., Guillén, L., & Leroy, H. (2022). When being oneself is socially rewarded: Social identification qualifies the effect of authentic behavior at work. Human Relations, 75(11), 2058-2090.
Hewlin, P. F., Karelaia, N., Kouchaki, M., & Sedikides, C. (2020). Authenticity at work: Its shapes, triggers, and consequences. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 158, 80-82.
Cojuharenco, I., & Karelaia, N. (2020). When leaders ask questions: Can humility premiums buffer the effects of competence penalties?. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 156, 113-134.
Guillén, L., Mayo, M., & Karelaia, N. (2018). Appearing self-confident and getting credit for it: Why it may be easier for men than women to gain influence at work. Human Resource Management, 57(4), 839-854.
Cojuharenco, I., Cornelissen, G., & Karelaia, N. (2016). Yes, I can: Feeling connected to others increases perceived consumer effectiveness and socially responsible behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 48, 75-86.
Karelaia, N., & Reb, J. (2015). Improving decision making through mindfulness. In Mindfulness in Organizations, Reb, J., & Atkins, P. (Eds.), Cambridge University Press.
Karelaia, N., & Guillén, L. (2014). Me, a woman and a leader: Positive social identity and identity conflict. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 125, 204-219.
Karelaia, N., & Keck, S. (2013). When deviant leaders are punished more than non-leaders: The role of deviance severity. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(5), 783-796.
Evgeniou, T., Fang, L., Hogarth, R. M., & Karelaia, N. (2013). Competitive dynamics in forecasting: The interaction of skill and uncertainty. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 26(4), 375-384.
Keck, S., & Karelaia, N. (2012). Does competition foster trust? The role of tournament incentives. Experimental Economics, 15(1), 204-228.
Hogarth, R. M., Karelaia, N., & Trujillo, C. (2012). When should I quit? Gender differences in exiting competitions. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 83(1), 136-150.
Hogarth, R. M., & Karelaia, N. (2012). Entrepreneurial success and failure: Confidence and fallible judgment. Organization Science, 23(6), 1733-1747.
Karelaia, N., & Hogarth R. M. (2010). The attraction of uncertainty: Interactions between skill and levels of uncertainty in market-entry games. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 41(2), 141-166.
Karelaia, N., & Hogarth, R. M. (2008). Determinants of linear judgment: a meta-analysis of lens studies. Psychological Bulletin, 134(3), 404-426.
Hogarth, R. M., & Karelaia, N. (2007). Heuristic and linear models of judgment: Matching rules and environments. Psychological Review, 114(3), 733-758.
Karelaia, N. (2006). Thirst for confirmation in multi-attribute choice: Does search for consistency impair decision performance? Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 100, 128-143.
Hogarth, R. M., & Karelaia, N. (2006). Regions of rationality: Maps for bounded agents. Decision Analysis, 3(3), 124-144.
Hogarth, R. M, & Karelaia, N. (2006). Take-the Best and Other Simple Strategies: Why and When They Work 'Well' in Binary Choice. Theory and Decision, 61, 205-249.
Reprinted in:
Abdellaoui, M., Luce, D. R., Machina, M. J., and Munier, B. (Eds.) (2007). Uncertainty and risk: Mental, formal, experimental representations. Theory and Decision Library. Springer.
Hogarth, R. M., & Karelaia, N. (2005). Simple models for multi-attribute choice with many alternatives: When it does and does not pay to face tradeoffs with binary attributes. Management Science, 51(12), 1860-1872.
Hogarth, R. M., & Karelaia, N. (2005). Ignoring information in binary choice with continuous variables: When is less “more”? Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 49/2, 115-124.

Other publications: Cornelissen, G., Karelaia, N., Soyer, E. (2013). Clicktivism or slacktivism? Impression management and moral licensing. European Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 10, pp. 244, Duluth, MN: Association for Consumer Research.
Karelaia, N. (2013). Book review: “Ecological Rationality: Intelligence in the World.” by Peter M. Todd, Gerd Gigerenzer, and The ABC Research Group. Oxford University Press, Journal of Economic Psychology, 34, 306-308.
Cojuharenco, I., Cornelissen, G., & Karelaia, N. (2011). Self-construal and socially responsible consumer behavior. NA - Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 38, eds. Darren W. Dahl, Gita V. Johar, & Stijn M.J. van Osselaer. Duluth, MN: Association for Consumer Research.
Karelaia, N. (2009). Book review: “Predictably irrational: The hidden forces that shape our decisions.” by Dan Ariely. Harper, 2008. Academy of Management Perspectives, 23(1), 86-88.
Karelaia, N. (2008). Book review: “Straight choices. The psychology of decision making.” by Newell, B. N., Lagnado, D. A., and Shanks, D. R. Psychology Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Hove and New York, 2007. Journal of Economic Psychology, 29(3), 372-374.

Working papers: Jin, P., Lawson A., Karelaia, N., Chun, S.Y., & Uhlmann, E. (2024). Fading of bias or pervasive backlash? Cross-temporal ecological replications of gendered responses to expressions of anger. Submitted.
Karelaia, N., & Lawson, A. (2024). When women ask, do they receive? Gender bias in the relevance and tone of responses to women’s questions. Submitted.
Cojuharenco, I., Karelaia, N., & Malafronte, O. (2024). The role of questions in human versus AI-mediated developmental conversations. Early draft/Working paper. Two studies completed; third study is in progress.
Cojuharenco, I., & Karelaia, N. To ask or not to ask: A gendered question? Early draft.
Cojuharenco, I., & Karelaia, N. Will virtue ethicists from a distance turn consequentialists up close? Testing whether psychological distance may shift criteria of moral judgment. Early draft.
Karelaia, N., & Van der Heyden, L. (2020). Leading in wicked times: A shift to inquiry, humility, and fairness. INSEAD Working Paper No. 2020/55/DSC/TOM.
Guillén, L., & Karelaia, N. Who leads the leader? Job performance of mid-level visionary leaders depends on who leads them.

Work-In-Progress: Humility in teams, diversity of knowledge, and team performance. (with Miguel Lobo).
Gender differences in decision making under stress. (with Hilke Plassmann).
Why we select overconfident leaders at our own cost. (with Peter Wallmueller).
Group-identity uncertainty and the approval of escalating leaders (with Peter Wallmueller).
Mindset of broad awareness (with Jochen Reb & Elena Reutskaja).

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