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Zakary Tormala

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My research interests fall within the domains of attitudes and social cognition. My primary areas of emphasis include attitude formation and change, persuasion and resistance to persuasion, and attitude strength and structure. Much of my work takes a metacognitive approach in these areas, exploring the role of people’s thoughts about and perceptions of their own thoughts and attitudes in social and consumer contexts. For instance, some of my recent research seeks to better understand the feeling of attitude certainty, its origins, and its numerous implications for evaluative decision making and attitude-relevant behavior.

I received a B.A. in Psychology from Arizona State University in the fall of 1996 and went on to earn my Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Ohio State University in 2003. From 2003-2007, I served as Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at Indiana University. I joined the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in the summer of 2007 as Associate Professor of Marketing.

Primary Interests:

  • Applied Social Psychology
  • Attitudes and Beliefs
  • Communication, Language
  • Emotion, Mood, Affect
  • Interpersonal Processes
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Person Perception
  • Persuasion, Social Influence
  • Self and Identity
  • Social Cognition
  • Applied Social Psychology
  • Attitudes and Beliefs
  • Communication, Language
  • Emotion, Mood, Affect
  • Interpersonal Processes
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Person Perception
  • Persuasion, Social Influence
  • Self and Identity
  • Social Cognition

Journal Articles:

  • Briñol, P., Petty, R.E., & Tormala, Z.L. (2006). The malleable meaning of subjective ease. Psychological Science, 17, 200-206.
  • Chen, F.S., Minson, J.A., & Tormala, Z.L. (2010). Tell me more: The effects of expressed interest on receptiveness during dialogue. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 850-853.
  • Clarkson, J.J., Tormala, Z.L., & Rucker, D.D. (2008). A new look at the consequences of attitude certainty: The amplification hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 810-825.
  • Karmarkar, U.R., & Tormala, Z.L. (2010). Believe me, I have no idea what I'm talking about: The effects of source certainty on consumer involvement and persuasion. Journal of Consumer Research, 46, 1033-1049.
  • Litt, A., & Tormala, Z.L. (2010). Fragile enhancement of attitudes and intentions following difficult decisions. Journal of Consumer Research, 37, 584-598.
  • Mayer, N.D., & Tormala, Z.L. (2010). “Think” versus “feel” framing effects in persuasion. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 443-454.
  • Petrocelli, J.V., Percy, E.J, Sherman, S.J., & Tormala, Z.L. (in press). Counterfactual potency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
  • Petrocelli, J.V., Tormala, Z.L., & Rucker, D.D. (2007). Unpacking attitude certainty: Attitude clarity and attitude correctness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 30-41.
  • Petty, R.E., Briñol, P., & Tormala, Z.L. (2002). Thought confidence as a determinant of persuasion: The self-validation hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 722-741.
  • Petty, R.E., Tormala, Z.L., Briñol, P., & Jarvis, W.B.G. (2006). Implicit ambivalence from attitude change: An exploration of the PAST model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 21-41.
  • Tormala, Z.L., & Clarkson, J.J. (2007). Assimilation and contrast in persuasion: The effects of source credibility in multiple message situations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 559-571.
  • Tormala, Z.L., Clarkson, J.J., & Henderson, M.D. (in press). Does fast or slow evaluation foster greater certainty? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
  • Tormala, Z.L., Clarkson, J.J., & Petty, R.E. (2006). Resisting persuasion by the skin of one's teeth: The hidden success of resisted persuasive messages. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 423-435.
  • Tormala, Z.L., DeSensi, V.L., Clarkson, J.J., & Rucker, D.D. (2009). Beyond attitude consensus: The social context of persuasion and resistance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 149-154.
  • Tormala, Z.L., DeSensi, V.L., & Petty, R.E. (2007). Resisting persuasion by illegitimate means: A metacognitive perspective on minority influence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 354-367.
  • Tormala, Z.L., Falces, C., Briñol, P., & Petty, R.E. (2007). Ease of retrieval effects in social judgment: The role of unrequested cognitions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 143-157.
  • Tormala, Z.L., & Petty, R.E. (2002). What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger: The effects of resisting persuasion on attitude certainty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1298-1313.
  • Tormala, Z.L., Petty, R.E., & Briñol, P. (2002). Ease of retrieval effects in persuasion: A self-validation analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1700-1712.
  • Tormala, Z.L., & Rucker, D.D. (2007). Attitude certainty: A review of past findings and emerging perspectives. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 1, 469-492.
  • Wan, E.W., Rucker, D.D., Tormala, Z.L., & Clarkson, J.J. (2010). The effect of regulatory depletion on attitude certainty. Journal of Marketing Research, 47, 531-541.

Courses Taught:

  • Attitudes and Persuasion (PhD)
  • Consumer Behavior (MBA)
  • Persuasion (MBA)
  • Resistance to Persuasion (PhD)
  • Social Pyschology (BA/BS)
  • Attitudes and Persuasion (PhD)
  • Consumer Behavior (MBA)
  • Persuasion (MBA)
  • Resistance to Persuasion (PhD)
  • Social Pyschology (BA/BS)

Zakary Tormala
Graduate School of Business
Stanford University
518 Memorial Way
Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Phone: (650) 723-1892
Email: tormala_zakary@gsb.stanford.edu

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Last edited by profile holder: December 29, 2010
Visits since January 30, 2004: 16,240