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Erica Boothby

Erica Boothby

Social Psychologist, Wharton Lecturer, Negotiation Consultant and Coach

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
upenn
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Summary

Erica Boothby is a distinguished social psychologist and an award-winning Senior Lecturer at The Wharton School, specializing in negotiation. Her teaching draws heavily on her research in social psychology, decision-making, and social influence, with a focus on empowering students, particularly women and underrepresented groups, to effectively advocate for themselves. She has received the Wharton Teaching Excellence Award and was named one of Poets&Quants’ 50 Best Professors of 2023. upenn+3
Her primary research area investigates 'social blind spots'—the systematic biases and misperceptions that distort how individuals interpret others' views of them, often leading to an underestimation of how much others like them (known as the 'liking gap'). Her work, published in top academic journals like Psychological Science, reveals these dynamics to foster deeper social connection and better collaboration in both personal and professional settings. ericaboothby+3
As a Negotiation Consultant and Coach at Wet Cement and a Behavioral Scientist at Behavioralize, Erica applies her academic expertise to real-world business challenges. She co-designs and leads training programs that leverage behavioral science insights to help clients achieve win-win negotiation outcomes, enhancing confidence and skill in critical social interactions. wet-cement+2
Erica possesses a diverse range of personal interests, including creative pursuits like painting, photography, and playing the fiddle. She also enjoys surfing and traveling, with a particular affinity for Italy, where she continues to hone her Italian language skills by watching local series, reflecting her early academic focus on Italian language and philosophy. poetsandquantsforundergrads+2

Work

Education

Writing

Negotiation

January 1, 2025

Chapter in The Handbook of Social Psychology, providing an overview of negotiation scholarship, focusing on stable features across contexts and primary sources of variability. It highlights key phases and emerging trends in negotiation research.

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Embracing complexity: A review of negotiation research

January 1, 2023

Review of the negotiation literature, identifying emerging trends that embrace complexity, examine the nuances of social interaction, and approach negotiation as it occurs in the real world. Co-authored with Gus Cooney and Maurice Schweitzer.

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The liking gap in conversations: Do people like us more than we think?

January 1, 2018

Research showing that after interactions, people systematically underestimate how much their conversation partners liked them and enjoyed their company. This 'liking gap' persists across various settings and interaction lengths.

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The invisibility cloak illusion: People (incorrectly) believe they observe others more than others observe them

January 1, 2017

Study demonstrating a systematic bias where individuals believe they are more observant of others than others are of them, contributing to social interaction dynamics.

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Shared experiences are amplified

January 1, 2014

Research indicating that sharing an experience with another person, even without communication, intensifies both pleasant and unpleasant emotions associated with that experience.

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Hobbies

Enjoys surfing, painting, photography, and playing the fiddle. poetsandquantsforundergrads

Passionate about traveling, particularly to Italy. poetsandquantsforundergrads

Actively learning Italian through watching Netflix series to improve her language skills. poetsandquantsforundergrads