World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Psychology

D-Index
56
Citations
13381
World Ranking
4181
National Ranking
2333

Overview

Daniel M. T. Fessler is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles in the United States. Their research spans multiple areas within the social sciences and psychology, contributing extensively to topics related to moral and emotional judgment as well as social and political behavior.

The scientist's work predominantly covers the following topics:

  • Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
  • Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection
  • Cultural Differences and Values
  • Social and Intergroup Psychology
  • Social Media and Politics
  • Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
  • Misinformation and Its Impacts

Fessler's main fields of study include Social Sciences and Psychology, with a strong focus on several subfields such as Sociology and Political Science, Social Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence, and Communication.

The scientist frequently publishes in a variety of academic venues. The most common platforms where their work appears are:

  • arXiv (Cornell University)
  • Revista de Historia de las Prisiones
  • Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media
  • Evolution and Human Behavior
  • PLoS ONE

Collaborations form an important part of their research efforts. Frequent co-authors include:

  • Keith Burghardt
  • Daniel Hickey
  • Colin Holbrook
  • Theodore Samore
  • Paul E. Smaldino

Recent papers authored or co-authored by Fessler feature topics ranging from social media dynamics to moral psychology. Selected recent publications include:

  • "Auditing Elon Musk's Impact on Hate Speech and Bots," 2023, Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media
  • "Kinship intensity and the use of mental states in moral judgment across societies," 2020, Evolution and Human Behavior
  • "Gruesomeness conveys formidability: Perpetrators of gratuitously grisly acts are conceptualized as larger, stronger, and more likely to win," 2020, Aggressive Behavior
  • "Of pathogens and party lines: Social conservatism positively associates with COVID-19 precautions among U.S. Democrats but not Republicans," 2021, PLoS ONE
  • "X under Musk's leadership: Substantial hate and no reduction in inauthentic activity," 2025, PLoS ONE

This body of work illustrates a focus on understanding social dynamics, moral judgments, and the impact of social media in contemporary contexts.

Best Publications

  • Nobody's watching? Subtle cues affect generosity in an anonymous economic game.

    Kevin J. Haley;Daniel M.T. Fessler

  • Disease avoidance and ethnocentrism: the effects of disease vulnerability and disgust sensitivity on intergroup attitudes

    Carlos David Navarrete;Daniel M.T. Fessler

  • Elevation Leads to Altruistic Behavior

    Simone Schnall;Jean Roper;Daniel M.T. Fessler

  • Small-scale societies exhibit fundamental variation in the role of intentions in moral judgment.

    H Clark Barrett;Alexander H Bolyanatz;Alyssa N Crittenden;Daniel M. T. Fessler

  • Meat Is Good to Taboo: Dietary Proscriptions as a Product of the Interaction of Psychological Mechanisms and Social Processes

    Daniel M.T. Fessler;Carlos David Navarrete

  • Shame in Two Cultures: Implications for Evolutionary Approaches

    Daniel M. T. Fessler

  • Angry men and disgusted women: An evolutionary approach to the influence of emotions on risk taking

    Daniel M.T. Fessler;Elizabeth G. Pillsworth;Thomas J. Flamson

  • Harm, Affect, and the Moral/Conventional Distinction.

    Daniel Kelly;Stephen Stich;Kevin J. Haley;Serena J. Eng

  • Elevated ethnocentrism in the first trimester of pregnancy

    Carlos David Navarrete;Daniel M.T. Fessler;Serena J. Eng

  • Elevated disgust sensitivity in the first trimester of pregnancy: Evidence supporting the compensatory prophylaxis hypothesis

    Daniel M.T. Fessler;Serena J. Eng;C. David Navarrete

  • Domain-specific variation in disgust sensitivity across the menstrual cycle

    Daniel M.T. Fessler;C.David Navarrete

  • Disgust sensitivity and meat consumption: a test of an emotivist account of moral vegetarianism.

    Daniel M.T Fessler;Alexander P Arguello;Jeannette M Mekdara;Ramon Macias

  • Third-party attitudes toward sibling incest: Evidence for Westermarck's hypotheses

    Daniel M.T. Fessler;C.David Navarrete

  • Do representations of male muscularity differ in men's and women's magazines?

    David A. Frederick;Daniel M.T. Fessler;Martie G. Haselton

  • Reproductive immunosupression and diet. An evolutionary perspective on pregnancy sickness and meat consumption.

    Daniel M. T. Fessler

  • Anxiety and Intergroup Bias: Terror Management or Coalitional Psychology?:

    C. David Navarrete;Robert Kurzban;Daniel M. T. Fessler;Lee A. Kirkpatrick

  • Conflict, sticks and carrots: war increases prosocial punishments and rewards

    Ayelet Gneezy;Daniel M. T. Fessler

  • Toward an Understanding of the Universality of Second Order Emotions

    Daniel M.T. Fessler;Malu Dusun Baguk

  • Progesterone's effects on the psychology of disease avoidance: Support for the compensatory behavioral prophylaxis hypothesis

    Diana S. Fleischman;Daniel M.T. Fessler

  • Detecting affiliation in colaughter across 24 societies

    Gregory A. Bryant;Daniel M. T. Fessler;Riccardo Fusaroli;Edward Clint

  • The strategy of affect: Emotions in human cooperation.

    Daniel M. T. Fessler;Kevin J. Haley

Frequent Co-Authors

Stefan Stieger
Stefan Stieger Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences
Stephen Stich
Stephen Stich Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Martie G. Haselton
Martie G. Haselton University of California, Los Angeles
Shanmukh V. Kamble
Shanmukh V. Kamble Karnatak University
Tatsuya Kameda
Tatsuya Kameda Meiji Gakuin University
Norman P. Li
Norman P. Li Singapore Management University
Lee A. Kirkpatrick
Lee A. Kirkpatrick William & Mary
Kerri L. Johnson
Kerri L. Johnson University of California, Los Angeles
David A. Frederick
David A. Frederick Chapman University
Michael Bang Petersen
Michael Bang Petersen Aarhus University

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Considering a career in psychology? Online degrees in psychology and related fields can open doors to a variety of rewarding professions. Many students pursue online programs to gain flexibility while preparing for certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The path to becoming a BCBA usually includes obtaining a relevant graduate degree, completing supervised experience, and passing the certification exam.

It's important to know that each location may have specific requirements. For instance, you can read more about Orlando bcba requirements and compare them with bcba certification requirements in Philadelphia. If you are interested in the West, explore how to become a bcba in Phoenix as well.

For those planning to practice in Pennsylvania, understanding bcba certification requirements in Pittsburgh is essential. Online degree programs can help you meet these licensing and certification needs, while also giving you the freedom to study according to your own schedule.

Best Scientists Citing Daniel M. T. Fessler

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles