Michal Kosinski

Research Statement

Michal Kosinski’s research focuses on individual differences in behavior, preferences, and performance. Specifically, he is interested in the mechanisms linking psychological traits (such as personality) with a broad range of organizational and social outcomes, including job performance, person-job fit, consumer preferences, and ideology, as well as the expression and recognition of psychological traits from behavioral residues, language, and facial features. Kosinski conducts his research using a range of computational methods, including machine learning, data mining, and observational studies involving millions of participants.

Research Interests

• Computational Social Science
• Big Data
• Artificial Intelligence
• Personality and Individual Differences
• Psychological Assessment
• Consumer Preferences
• Facial Features

Bio

Professor Kosinski received his PhD in Psychology from the University of Cambridge (UK) in 2014. He also spent a year as a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Computer Science Department at Stanford University. Kosinski’s research has had a significant impact on both academia and the industry. His findings featured in The Economist’s special report on the future of insurance (2015), inspired two TED talks, and prompted a discussion in the EU Parliament. In 2013, Kosinski was listed among the 50 most influential people in Big Data by DataIQ and IBM, while three of his papers were listed among Altmetrics’ “Top 100 Papers That Most Caught the Public Imagination” (in 2013 and 2015). Prior to entering academia, he founded a successful ITC startup and served as a brand manager for a major digital brand.

Academic Degrees

• Phd in Psychology, University of Cambridge, 2014
• MPhil in Psychometrics, University of Cambridge, 2009
• MSC in Psychology, Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2008

Academic Appointments

• Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford GSB, 2019–present
• Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford GSB, 2015–19
• Postdoctoral Scholar, Computer Science Dept., Stanford University, 2014–15
• Visiting Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, University of Namur, 2012–13

Professional Experience

• Deputy Director, University of Cambridge Psychometrics Center, 2010-2014
• Researcher, Microsoft Research, 2010-2014

Awards and Honors

• Business School Trust Faculty Scholar for 2019–20
• GSB Trust Faculty Scholar for 2018–19
• GSB Trust Faculty Scholar for 2017–18
• Rising Star, Association for Psychological Science, 2015
• Top 100 Papers that Most Caught the Public Imagination (22nd), Altmetrics, 2015
• Open Innovation Award, Accenture, 2015
• One of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Big Data, DataIQ and IBM, 2013
• Top 100 Papers that Most Caught the Public Imagination (9th), Altmetrics, 2013
• Top 100 Papers that Most Caught the Public Imagination (21st), Altmetrics, 2013