Assistant Professor
Ph.D. Princeton University
Area: Social

Contact Information

Email: smgarcia@umich.edu
Psychology Office: 741 Dennison
Psychology Phone: 734-615-2561

Research and Teaching Interests

I study decision-making and social comparison processes, and my primary research program explores how people make decisions in cooperative and competitive environments.

Selected Publications

Garcia, S.M., & Tor, A. (in press). The N-Effect: More competitors, less competition. Psychological Science.

Garcia, S.M., & Miller, D.T. (2007). Social categories and group preference disputes: The aversion to winner-take-all solutions. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 10, 581-593.

Garcia, S.M., & Ybarra, O. (2007). People accounting: Social category-based choice. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 802-809.

Weaver, K., Garcia, S.M., Schwarz, N., & Miller, D.T. (2007). Inferring the popularity of an opinion from its familiarity: A repetitive voice can sound like a chorus. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 821-833.

Garcia, S.M., & Tor, A. (2007). Rankings, standards, and competition: Task vs. scale comparisons. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 102, 95-108.

Garcia, S.M., Tor, A., & Gonzalez, R.D. (2006). Ranks and rivals: A theory of competition. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 970-982.

Garcia, S.M., Tor, A., Bazerman, M.H., & Miller, D.T. (2005). Profit maximization versus disadvantageous inequality: The impact of self-categorization. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 18, 187-198.

Garcia, S.M., Weaver, K., Moskowitz, G.B., & Darley, J.M. (2002). Crowded minds: The implicit bystander effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 843-853.

Garcia, S.M., Darley, J., & Robinson, R. (2001). Morally questionable tactics: Negotiations between district attorneys and public defenders. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 731-743.

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