E. Tory Higgins | |
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| Born | Edward Tory Higgins March 12, 1946 |
| Alma mater | McGill University Columbia University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Social psychology, personality psychology, developmental psychology, social cognition, judgment and decision making, motivation science |
| Institutions | Columbia University (1989-present) Columbia Business School (2002-present) New York University (1981–1989) University of Western Ontario (1977–1981) Princeton University (1972–1977) |
Edward Tory Higgins (born March 12, 1946) is the Stanley Schachter Professor of Psychology and Business,[1] and Director of the Motivation Science Center[2] at Columbia University. Higgins' research areas include motivation and cognition, judgment and decision-making, and social cognition. Most of his works focus on priming, self-discrepancy theory, and regulatory focus theory. He is also the author of Beyond Pleasure and Pain: How Motivation Works,[3] and Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World for Success and Influence (with Heidi Grant Halverson).[4]
Higgins received a Joint Honors B.A. degree in sociology and anthropology from McGill University in 1967, an M.A. in social psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1968, and a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University in 1973. His early work included the study of priming and accessibility, through which social judgment is influenced through the unconscious activation of social categories.[5] In 1981, He was employed by New York University, where he collaborated with fellow colleagues to reconstruct the social/personality psychology program. In 1989, Higgins returned to Columbia and assumed the role of Chair of the psychology department from 1994 to 2001.
At Columbia University, Higgins conducted a research on the science of motivation and self-regulation. He further developed his previous research on self-discrepancy theory, , exploring the gaps individuals perceive between their actual selves and the standards set by their "ideal" or "ought" self-guides.[6] Based on self-discrepancy theory, Higgins then developed regulatory focus theory, which posits two distinct self-regulatory systems for approaching goals: achieving gains (promotion) and avoiding losses (prevention).[7] In 2000, Higgins developed regulatory fit theory, proposing that people experience fit when using means of goal pursuit that align with their regulatory orientation: vigilant or eager.[8] Also in 2000, Higgins and Arie Kruglanski developed regulatory mode theory, which describes two complementary self-regulatory functions: assessment and locomotion.[9] These theories have also informed the development of Higgins’ model of motivational effectiveness, which posits that motivation comprises distinct drives for value (achieving desired end-states), truth (understanding what's real), and control (managing what happens).[3][10] Higgins has also studied shared reality, the motivation to create shared feelings, beliefs, and concerns with others.[11]
Higgins is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[12] He gave the University Lecture at Columbia University and received Columbia's Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching.[13] He is a member of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Wall of Fame[14] and was recently awarded the Ambady Award for Mentoring Excellence (Society for Personality and Social Psychology).[15] Selected additional awards include:
