Damian R. Murray
Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
Rolfe Hall, Room 2314, 90095
Tel: (310) 463-3905
E: dmurray@psych.ucla.edu
Web: www2.psych.ubc.ca/~dmurray
Education
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Ph. D. Social Psychology (Advisor: Dr. Mark Schaller)
Ph. D. Minor Quantitative Methods
August 2013
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
M. A. Social Psychology
August 2009
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
B. A. Psychology
May 2006
Professional Employment
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Postdoctoral Scholar; Instructor (Advisor: Dr. Martie Haselton)
October 2013-Present
Publications
Schaller, M., Murray, D. R., & Bangarter, A. (in press). Implications of the behavioral immune
system for social behavior and human health in the modern world. Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society B.
Cashdan, E., Steele, M., & Murray, D. R. (in press). New pathogen codes for the Standard
Cross-Cultural Sample. PLoS ONE.
Haselton, M. G., Nettle, D., & Murray, D. R. (in press). The evolution of cognitive bias. In D.
M. Buss (Ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology (2nd edition). New Jersey:
Wiley.
Murray, D. R. (2014). Direct and indirect implications of disease threat for scientific and
technological innovation. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 45, 971-985.
Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (2014). Pathogen prevalence and geographical variation in traits
and behavior. In P. J. Rentfrow (Ed.), Psychological Geography (pp. 51-70). Washington
DC: APA Books.
Murray, D. R. (2014). Ecological threat and psychological variation. Psychologia, 57, 82-101.
Napolioni, V., Murray, D. R., Comings, D. E., Peters, W. R., Gade-Andavolu, R., &
MacMurray, J. (2014). Interaction between infectious diseases and personality traits:
ACP1*C as a potential mediator. Infection, Genetics, and Evolution, 26, 267-273.
Murray, D. R., Jones, D. N., & Schaller, M. (2013). Perceived threat of infectious disease and
its implications for sexual attitudes. Personality and Individual Differences, 54, 103-108.
Murray, D. R., Schaller, M., & Suedfeld, P (2013). Pathogens and politics: Further evidence
that parasite prevalence predicts authoritarianism. PLoS ONE, 8, e62275.
Murray, D. R. (2013). Differential adaptations to threats posed by hot versus cold climates
(commentary on Van de Vliert). Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 36, 33-34.
Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (2012). Threat(s) and conformity deconstructed: Perceived threat
of infectious disease and its implications for conformist attitudes and behavior. European
Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 180-188.
Schaller, M., & Murray, D. R. (2012). Mechanisms by which parasites influence cultures, and
why they matter (commentary on Thornhill & Fincher). Behavioral and Brain Sciences,
35, 91-92.
Murray, D. R., & Trudeau, R., & Schaller, M. (2011). On the origins of cross-cultural
differences in conformity: Four tests of the pathogen prevalence hypothesis. Personality
and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 318-329.
Schaller, M., & Murray, D. R. (2011). Infectious disease and the creation of culture. In M.
Gelfand, C.-y. Chiu, & Y.-y. Hong (Eds.), Advances in Culture and Psychology (pp.99152). New York: Oxford University Press.
Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (2010). Historical prevalence of infectious diseases within 230
geopolitical regions: A tool for investigating origins of culture. Journal of Cross-Cultural
Psychology, 41, 99-108.
Schaller, M., & Murray, D. R. (2010). Infectious diseases and the evolution of cross-cultural
differences. In M. Schaller, A. Norenzayan, S. J. Heine, T. Yamagishi, & T. Kameda
(Eds.), Evolution, culture, and the human mind (pp.243-256). New York: Psychology
Press.
Thornhill, R., Fincher, C. L., Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (2010). Zoonotic and non-zoonotic
diseases in relation to human personality and societal values: Support for the parasitestress model. Evolutionary Psychology, 8, 151-169.
Fincher, C. L., Thornhill, R., Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (2008). Pathogen prevalence
predicts human cross-cultural variability in individualism / collectivism. Proceedings of
the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275, 1279-1285.
Schaller, M., & Murray, D. R. (2008). Pathogens, personality, and culture: Disease prevalence
predicts worldwide variability in sociosexuality, extraversion, and openness to
experience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 212-221.
Selected Works in Progress
Gervais, W. M., Murray, D. R., & Lund, E. M. (under revision). Of germs and gods: Pathogen
concerns promote religious belief. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Murray, D. R., Fessler, D. M. T., & Lupfer, G. (under revision). Young flames: Predictors of
psychological associations with fire. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences.
Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (in preparation). Is disease avoidance a functionally unique
human motive?
Van de Vliert, E., & Murray, D. R. (in preparation). Creative invention thrives in wealthier
countries with higher climatic demands and lower pathogenic burdens.
Murray, D. R., Larson, C. M., & Haselton, M. (in preparation). The interactive effects of scent
attractiveness and hormonal contraception on relationship satisfaction.
Dar-Nimrod, I., Ruby, M., Murray, D. R., Cheung, B., & Pong-Tam, K. (in preparation). A
scale measuring the four facets of genetic essentialism.
Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (in preparation). Cognitive and behavioral adaptations to
parasites: A six-strategies model in humans.
Conference Presentations
Dar-Nimrod, I., Ruby, M., Cheung, B., Tam, K., & Murray, D. R. (2014). The four horsemen of
genetic essentialism: Theoretical underpinnings, methodological advancements, and
empirical findings. Talk presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality
and Social Psychology. Austin, TX, USA.
Schaller, M., & Murray, D. R. (2013). How do diseases create cultures? Talk presented at the
Annual Meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Cultural
Psychology Preconference. New Orleans, LA, USA.
Schaller, M., & Murray, D. R. (2012). The threat of pathogen infection and its implications for
human personality. Talk presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Personality
and Social Psychology. San Diego, CA, USA.
Schaller, M., Beall, A., & Murray, D. R. (2011). Pathogen threat and its implications for mate
preferences. Talk presented at the Human Behavior and Evolutionary Society, Annual
Conference, Montpelier, France.
Tudor, I., Ehmann, T., & Murray, D. R. (2011). Applying Buddhist and psychoanalytic
concepts of grieving in treating Buddhist patients. Talk presented at the UBC Psychology
Undergraduate Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
McKerracher, L., Sellen, D., Nepomnaschy, P., Murray, D. R., Schaller, M., & Collard, M.
(2011). Variation in age at introduction of weaning foods in small-scale farming and
herding populations is inversely associated with pathogen risk. Poster presented at the
American Association of Physical Anthropology, Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN,
USA.
Murray, D. R., Jones, D. N., & Schaller, M. (2010). Chronic germ aversion and temporary
disease salience predict more restrictive sociosexual orientation. Poster presented at the
Annual Meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Evolutionary
Psychology Preconference. Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (2010). Disease prevalence and conformity. Talk presented at the
Human Behavior and Evolutionary Society Annual Conference, Eugene, OR, USA.
Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (2009). Pathogen prevalence predicts cross-cultural differences
in conformity. Poster presented at the Evolutionary Psychology Preconference, Annual
Meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Tampa, FL, USA.
Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M. (2008). Pathogens, personality, and culture: Disease prevalence
predicts worldwide variability in sociosexuality, extraversion, and openness to
experience. Poster presented at the Evolutionary Psychology Preconference, Annual
Meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology. Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Invited Talks
Murray, D. R. (2010). Disease prevalence and the evolution of cross-cultural differences. Simon
Fraser University, Anthropology and Archaeology Lecture Series. Vancouver, BC,
Canada.
Awards, Grants, & Scholarships (Graduate & Postgraduate)
2014-2015: Academic Senate Grant; University of California, Los Angeles (co-written with
Martie Haselton). ($10,000).
2013-2015: Postdoctoral Fellowship; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada. ($81,000).
2012: Micheal Smith Foreign Study Grant; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada. ($6000).
2010: Stanley Coren Prize: Best Master’s Thesis in Psychology. University of British Columbia.
2010: Award for Academic Excellence—Master’s Thesis. Canadian Psychological Association.
2009-2012: Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canadian Graduate Scholarship; Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada. ($105,000).
2009-2013: Doctoral Tuition Grant; University of British Columbia. ($18,900).
2009: Four Year Ph.D. Fellowship; University of British Columbia. ($72,000—accepted in title
only).
2008-2009: Canadian Graduate Master’s Scholararship; Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada. ($17,500).
2007-2008: Lacey Graduate Entrance Scholarship; University of British Columbia. ($17,500).
Teaching
Teaching Interests
Social Psychology
Quantitative Methods
Evolutionary Psychology
Cultural Psychology
Research Methods
Personality
Teaching Experience
Instructor of Record
- Evolution, Culture, and Human Mating
Teaching Assistant
- Applied Social Psychology, Dr. Mark Schaller
March 2014 – June 2014
September 2011 – Dec 2011
January 2011 – May 2011
-
Community Psychology, Dr. Tom Ehmann
-
Psychology Honors Seminar, Dr. Mark Schaller
-
Community Psychology, Dr. Tom Ehmann
-
Applied Social Psychology, Dr. Mark Schaller
September 2009 – Dec 2009
-
Culture and Cognition, Dr. Ara Norenzayan
September 2009 – Dec 2009
-
Social Psychology, Dr. Mark Schaller
September 2008 – Dec 2008
-
Social Psychology, Dr. Mark Schaller
January 2008 – May 2008
Ad Hoc Manuscript Review
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Psychological Science
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
PLoS ONE
European Journal of Personality
Personality and Individual Differences
Evolution and Human Behavior
Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
Social Psychology
Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology
Asian Journal of Social Psychology
Translational Issues in Psychological Science
Co-Supervision of Undergraduate Projects
September 2008 – April 2009
Miranda Abild
September 2008 – April 2009
Kalie McCrystal
September 2008 – April 2009
Lillian May
September 2010 – May 2011
January 2010 – May 2010
September 2009 – April 2010
Kai Ling Chieh
September 2009 – April 2010
Leena Wu
September 2009 – April 2010
Andrew Saitoh
September 2010 – April 2011
Freeman Wu
September 2010 – April 2011
Houman Rashidan
September 2010 – April 2011
Vincent Fang
September 2010 – April 2011
Alyssa Matheson
September 2011 – April 2012
Eden Lin
September 2011 – April 2012
Alvin Man
September 2011 – April 2012
Jiun Yi Tan
September 2012 – April 2013
Christine Paynter
Quantitative Methods Experience & Specializations
Graduate Courses (University of British Columbia):
-
Applied Multiple Regression (A+)
Factor Analysis (A+)
Structural Equation Models (A+)
Multilevel Models (A)
Analysis of Variance (A+)
Applied Evolutionary Modeling (A)
Advanced Statistical Methods (A+)
Statistical Programs/Languages:
-
SPSS/PASW
R
EQS
LISREL
Mplus
Volunteer and Community Service
Social Committee -- Graduate Student Council
September 2011 – May 2013
Organizational Committee -- Graduate Student Council
September 2010 – May 2011
Co-Chair -- UBC Psychfest: Master’s Research Conference
September 2009 – May 2010
Co-Chair -- UBC Social/Personality Colloquium Series
September 2008 – May 2009
Other Community and Professional Service
Board Member – Community Builders Group
Consultant – Community Builders Group
January 2014 – Present
August 2013 – December 2013
References
Dr. Mark Schaller, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
(604) 822-2613 | schaller@psych.ubc.ca | 2136 West Mall, Vanccouver, BC, V6T 1Z4
Dr. Martie Haselton, Departments of Psychology and Communication Studies, UCLA
(310) 206-7445 | haselton@ucla.edu | 2303 Rolfe Hall, UCLA 90095
Dr. Steven Heine, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
(604) 822-6908 | heine@psych.ubc.ca | 2136 West Mall, Vanccouver, BC, V6T 1Z4
Dr. Daniel Fessler, Department of Anthropology, UCLA
(310) 794-9252 | dmtfessler@gmail.com | 390 Haines Hall, UCLA 90095