<< Back to Faculty Gabrielle Adams Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Business Administration, and, by Courtesy, Psychology Director of Executive Education Education & Training PhD, Business Administration (Organizational Behavior), Stanford University Graduate School of Business BA, Psychology, Philosophy, Colby College 434-243-2405 gadams@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L004C Curriculum Vitae Research Website Google Scholar Courses taught Values-Based Leadership Areas of focus Leadership Social Psychology UVA partners Darden School of Business Gabrielle Adams is a behavioral scientist, with a joint appointment as an assistant professor of public policy (Batten) and business administration (Darden: Leadership and Organizational Behavior area). Professor Adams studies the processes and dynamics that give rise to ‘good’ decisions, policies, and conditions in organizations. Her research focuses on psychological inefficiencies: the factors that cause friction and prevent people from understanding one another's viewpoints or making sound decisions. For example, why is it so difficult to resolve interpersonal conflict? Why do attempts to resolve ethical transgressions backfire? Her most recent research on design and problem-solving shows that when improving ideas, objects, or situations, people default to considering what they might add and only occasionally and effortfully consider what they could subtract. Her research has been published in journals such as Nature, Psychological Science; Journal of Experimental Psychology: General; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology; and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. It has also been the subject of articles in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review, and on national public radio shows such as NPR, the BBC, and CBC. Professor Adams teaches courses on leadership; interpersonal and group dynamics; diversity, equity, and inclusion; power, status, and influence; change; and negotiations. She has also taught many executive education programs for both public and private sector organizations. Professor Adams received UVA's All-University Teaching Award in 2021 and was named one of the 40 Best Business School Professors Under 40 by Poets & Quants. She also serves as a non-executive director/advisor of BrandsEye, Names & Faces, and Space 3, and is an affiliate of ideas42. She received her BA from Colby College and her PhD in Business Administration (Organizational Behavior) from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Related Content Batten's Gabrielle Adams and Lucy Bassett Receive UVA's Prestigious All-University Faculty Teaching Award News Despite many challenges posed by the pandemic, Adams and Bassett demonstrated outstanding skill, compassion and creativity in keeping students engaged in virtual classes and relating their subject material to daily life. We instinctively add on new features and fixes. Why don’t we subtract instead? News Across a series of studies published this month in the journal Nature, Batten’s Gabrielle Adams, Benjamin Converse and co-authors demonstrated that people tend to overlook the option to subtract parts when asked to change or improve something. In an op-ed for The Washington Post, they explore why ‘less is more’ is a hard insight to act on. Why People Forget that Less is Often More News Why, when solving problems, do people prefer adding things to getting rid of them? In an article for The Economist, Batten’s Gabrielle Adams and Benjamin Converse explain their research on subtractive improvements. Why Our Brains Miss Opportunities to Improve through Subtraction News In a new paper featured on the cover of Nature, Batten’s Gabrielle Adams, Benjamin Converse and co-authors explain why people systematically overlook subtractive improvements. People systematically overlook subtractive changes Research A series of problem-solving experiments reveal that people are more likely to consider solutions that add features than solutions that remove them, even when removing features is more efficient. The Business of Sports: At This Stage in the Game with Professor Gabrielle Adams and UVA Alumni Event Moderated by Batten's Gabe Adams, all UVA alumni, parents, and friends are invited to join UVA Clubs for The Business of Sports: At This Stage in the Game, an exciting discussion with UVA alumni Jonathan Becher and Jake Burns. Batten Faculty and Students Elevate UVA's Virtual January Term Offerings News Batten Professor David Leblang's "Pandemics Beyond the Headlines: COVID-19" and Professor Gabrielle Adams' "Leadership in Athletics" were among the standout virtual course offerings from UVA this January. Contributions from Batten's Center for Leadership Simulation and Gaming and Batten student Terrell Jana (BA '21) brought an experiential lens to some of today’s critical issues, preparing students to meet future challenges. Batten Hosts Candidate Forum with Democratic Contenders for Virginia’s 5th District Seat News Earlier this week, Batten professors moderated a discussion between the four candidates on issues ranging from racial justice to gun control. The Case for Regifting News Many think the move is shameful—but research from Batten's Gabrielle Adams and Harvard's Michael Norton suggests the problem is all in the regifter’s head. View All
Batten's Gabrielle Adams and Lucy Bassett Receive UVA's Prestigious All-University Faculty Teaching Award News Despite many challenges posed by the pandemic, Adams and Bassett demonstrated outstanding skill, compassion and creativity in keeping students engaged in virtual classes and relating their subject material to daily life.
We instinctively add on new features and fixes. Why don’t we subtract instead? News Across a series of studies published this month in the journal Nature, Batten’s Gabrielle Adams, Benjamin Converse and co-authors demonstrated that people tend to overlook the option to subtract parts when asked to change or improve something. In an op-ed for The Washington Post, they explore why ‘less is more’ is a hard insight to act on.
Why People Forget that Less is Often More News Why, when solving problems, do people prefer adding things to getting rid of them? In an article for The Economist, Batten’s Gabrielle Adams and Benjamin Converse explain their research on subtractive improvements.
Why Our Brains Miss Opportunities to Improve through Subtraction News In a new paper featured on the cover of Nature, Batten’s Gabrielle Adams, Benjamin Converse and co-authors explain why people systematically overlook subtractive improvements.
People systematically overlook subtractive changes Research A series of problem-solving experiments reveal that people are more likely to consider solutions that add features than solutions that remove them, even when removing features is more efficient.
The Business of Sports: At This Stage in the Game with Professor Gabrielle Adams and UVA Alumni Event Moderated by Batten's Gabe Adams, all UVA alumni, parents, and friends are invited to join UVA Clubs for The Business of Sports: At This Stage in the Game, an exciting discussion with UVA alumni Jonathan Becher and Jake Burns.
Batten Faculty and Students Elevate UVA's Virtual January Term Offerings News Batten Professor David Leblang's "Pandemics Beyond the Headlines: COVID-19" and Professor Gabrielle Adams' "Leadership in Athletics" were among the standout virtual course offerings from UVA this January. Contributions from Batten's Center for Leadership Simulation and Gaming and Batten student Terrell Jana (BA '21) brought an experiential lens to some of today’s critical issues, preparing students to meet future challenges.
Batten Hosts Candidate Forum with Democratic Contenders for Virginia’s 5th District Seat News Earlier this week, Batten professors moderated a discussion between the four candidates on issues ranging from racial justice to gun control.
The Case for Regifting News Many think the move is shameful—but research from Batten's Gabrielle Adams and Harvard's Michael Norton suggests the problem is all in the regifter’s head.