Andrew M. Parker

Photo of Andrew Parker
Senior Behavioral and Social Scientist; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Pittsburgh Office

Education

Ph.D. in behavioral decision theory, Carnegie Mellon University; M.S. in statistics, Carnegie Mellon University; B.A. in psychology and statistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Andrew M. Parker is a senior behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation and a member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School faculty. His research applies core concepts in behavioral decision research to the understanding of decisions in complex, real-world situations. He has led or contributed to RAND projects on decision quality, risk perception, and individual differences, involving such content domains as health and financial behavior, aging, emergency preparedness and community resilience, climate change, and psychological health. Past projects have addressed low-income consumption decisions, adolescent sexual and contraceptive behavior, retirement planning, drug and alcohol use, expectations for major life events, and public responses to risk information. Parker was principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-funded project validating an adult measure of decisionmaking competence, which has been used to predict major life outcomes. He currently coleads a National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases–funded project examining how influenza and COVID-19 risk perceptions propogate across social networks and influence vaccination decisions. He received a Ph.D. and M.S. in behavioral decision theory and an M.S. in statistics from Carnegie Mellon University, and a B.A. in psychology and statistics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Modeling the Coupled Dynamics of Influenza Transmission and Vaccination Behavior
  • Assessing Consumer Experiences with Health Care
  • Behavioral Consequences of Excessive Confidence
  • RAPID: Evolution of Public Risk Perception and Mental Models Regarding COVID-19

Selected Publications

Schlesinger, M., Grob, R., Shaller, D., Martino, S.C., Parker, A.M., Finucane, M.L., Cerully, J.L., & Rybowski, L., "Taking patients’ narratives about clinicians from anecdote to science," New England Journal of Medicine, 373(7), 2015

Parker, A.M., Bruine de Bruin, W., Fischhoff, B., & Weller, J.A., "Robustness of Decision-Making Competence: Evidence from two measures and an 11-year longitudinal study," Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 31, 2018

Bruine de Bruin, W., Parker, A.M., Galesic, M., & Vardavas, R., "Reports of social circles’ and own vaccination behavior: A national longitudinal survey," Health Psychology, 39(11), 2019

Bruine de Bruin, W., Parker, A.M., & Fischhoff, B., "Decision-making competence: More than intelligence?" Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2020 (forthcoming)

Parker, A.M., Edelman, A.F., Carman, K.G., & Finucane, M.L., "On the need for prospective disaster survey panels," Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2020 (forthcoming)

Walsh, M.M., Parker, A.M., Vardavas, R., Nowak, S.A., Kennedy, D.P., & Gidengil, C.A., "The stability of influenza vaccination behavior over time: A longitudinal analysis of individuals across eight years," Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 54(10), 2020

Weden, M.M., Parks, V., Parker, A.M., Drakeford, L., & Ramchand, R., "Health disparities in the U.S. Gulf Coast: The interplay of environmental disaster, material loss, and residential segregation," Environmental Justice, 14(2), 2021

Scherer, A.M., Gedlinske, A.M., Parker, A.M., Gidengil, C.A., Askelson, N.M., Petersen, C.A., Woodworth, K.R., & Lindley, M.C. , "Acceptability of adolescent COVID-19 vaccination among adolescents and parents of adolescents — United States, April 15–23, 2021," MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(28), 2021

Publications