Hank Rothgerber Ph.D.

About

Hank Rothgerber, Ph.D., is a professor in the psychology department at Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY. He earned degrees from Georgetown University and Texas A&M University. His research primarily focuses on motivated reasoning – the tendency for pre-existing views to motivate us to reach certain conclusions in advance, regardless of what the evidence says. Much of his work has examined motivated reasoning in the context of food choices, specifically eating meat. How do we resolve the so-called meat paradox that we love animals yet continue to eat them? His work has been covered by various media outlets, including NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Associated Press, Scientific American, Huffington Post, and USA Today.

Recent Posts

Drunk With Distraction

Think you've learned to manage your smartphone while simultaneously attending to important tasks? Think again.

14 Ways Meat Eaters Let Themselves Off the Hook

How people who love animals can still eat meat.

How to Cheat Without Being a Cheater

If you’re like most people, you probably cheat more than you realize. Don’t believe me? Herein, the science of how we deceive ourselves.

The Cognitive Bias That May Undo Democracy

We are affected by all sorts of biases in our judgments. This one may erode our democracy.

How We Scapegoat Climate Change Migrants

Did you know that at least hundreds of millions of people will likely be displaced from their homeland because of climate change? What are your reactions toward such migrants?

The Parent Trap: Smartphones and the Teen Mental Health Crisis

Smartphones and social media are a gateway to poor teen mental health. Yet, without a device, kids feel socially excluded from their peers.

Can Dogs Fare Well on Plant-Based Diets?

Pets eat an estimated one-fourth of all meat in the U.S. For some vegetarians and vegans, this poses a dilemma. Is it safe to feed dogs a plant-based diet?

Should Doctors Wear Body Cameras?

How well do you really know your doctor? Their beliefs about hot-button issues like diversity and politics may seem irrelevant, but emerging research suggests otherwise.

Eating Ourselves Into the Next Pandemic

It is tempting to characterize pandemics as problems foreign in origin and harder to acknowledge how our own diet spreads infectious diseases—especially if you eat meat.

How Can We All See the Same Thing and Still Disagree?

When you look at a visual image or video, you probably assume you simply see what's in the image. It turns out, though, that our beliefs and biases shape what we literally see.