Robyn Dawes


Robyn Mason Dawes was an American psychologist who specialized in the field of human judgment. His research interests included human irrationality, human cooperation, intuitive expertise, and the United States AIDS policy. He applied linear models to human decision making, including models with equal weights, a method known as unit-weighted regression. He co-wrote an early textbook on mathematical psychology.

Early life and education

Dawes earned his B.A. in Philosophy at Harvard and his Master’s in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan before earning his Doctorate in Mathematical Psychology at the same institution.

Career

Dawes held jobs at the University of Oregon, where he served as Department Head for five years, as well as the Oregon Research Institute.
In 1985, Dawes joined the Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University where he served as Department Head for six years eventually becoming the Charles J. Queenan, Jr. University Professor of Psychology. He was a fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the National Research Council's Committee on AIDS Research.
In 1990, he was awarded the William James Award by the American Psychological Association for the book Rational Choice in an Uncertain World, now in its 2nd Edition, which he co-wrote with Reid Hastie.
In 1994, Dawes wrote a book called House of Cards and one of the topics he discusses in this book is the comparison of results between non-professionals and professionals.
In 2006, Dawes was elected a Fellow of the American Statistical Association "for creative research on statistics and rational decision-making, contributions to the application of cognitive psychology to survey research, and promotion of careful statistical thinking in psychology and behavioral research." He was a member of the American Psychological Association Ethics Committee.

Books

Selected publications