Amanda Rotella

Biographic Data

ID	1905173
NAME	Amanda Rotella
GIVEN NAMES	Amanda
FAMILY NAME	Rotella
SIGNATURE	ROTELLA A
AFFILIATIONS	University of Waterloo
ORCID	0000-0002-2637-1892
VERIFIED	Yes
TOTAL WORKS	6
TOTAL CITATIONS	5
WORKS AS AUTHOR	6
WORKS AS EDITOR	0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR	2021
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR	2025
H-INDEX	2

Observation Moderates the Moral Licensing Effect
Open AccessAmanda Rotella, Jisoo Jung et al.ARTICLEPersonality and Social Psychology…2025
Moral licensing occurs when someone who initially behaves morally subsequently acts less morally. We apply reputation-based theories to predict when and why it occurs. As pre-registered, we predicted: (1) being observed would be associated with larger licensing effects and (2) unambiguous outcomes would have smaller licensing effects. In a multi-level meta-analysis of 115 experiments ( N = 21,770), moral licensing was stronger when participants w…
The Wise Mind Balances the Abstract and the Concrete
Open AccessIgor Grossmann, Julia Peetz et al.ARTICLEOpen MIND2024
We explored how individuals’ mental representations of complex and uncertain situations impact their ability to reason wisely. To this end, we introduce situated methods to capture abstract and concrete mental representations and the switching between them when reflecting on social challenges. Using these methods, we evaluated the alignment of abstractness and concreteness with four integral facets of wisdom: intellectual humility, open-mindednes…
On the accuracy, media representation, and public perception of psychological scientists’ judgments of societal change
Open AccessCendri A Hutcherson, Konstantyn Sharpinskyi et al.ARTICLEAmerican Psychologist2023
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, psychological scientists frequently made on-the-record predictions in public media about how individuals and society would change. Such predictions were often made outside these scientists' areas of expertise, with justifications based on intuition, heuristics, and analogical reasoning (Study 1; N = 719 statements). How accurate are these kinds of judgments regarding societal change? In Study 2, we obtained …
Insights into the accuracy of social scientists' forecasts of societal change
Open AccessThe Forecasting Collaborative, Igor Grossmann et al.ARTICLENature Human Behaviour2023Cited by: 3References: 58
Increasing population densities predict decreasing fertility rates over time
Amanda Rotella, Michael E W Varnum et al.ARTICLEAmerican Psychologist2021Cited by: 2References: 2
Fertility rates have been declining worldwide over the past 50 years, part of a phenomenon known as "the demographic transition." Prior work suggests that this decline is related to population density. In the present study, we draw on life history theory to examine the relationship between population density and fertility across 174 countries over 69 years (1950 to 2019). We find a robust association between density and fertility over time, both …
Men’s Mate Value Correlates with a Less Restricted Sociosexual Orientation
Open AccessSteven A Arnocky, Jessica Desrochers et al.ARTICLEArchives of Sexual Behavior2021References: 47

Increasing population densities predict decreasing fertility rates over time
Amanda Rotella, Michael E W Varnum et al.ARTICLEAmerican Psychologist2021Cited by: 2References: 2
Fertility rates have been declining worldwide over the past 50 years, part of a phenomenon known as "the demographic transition." Prior work suggests that this decline is related to population density. In the present study, we draw on life history theory to examine the relationship between population density and fertility across 174 countries over 69 years (1950 to 2019). We find a robust association between density and fertility over time, both …
Men’s Mate Value Correlates with a Less Restricted Sociosexual Orientation
Open AccessSteven A Arnocky, Jessica Desrochers et al.ARTICLEArchives of Sexual Behavior2021References: 47
On the accuracy, media representation, and public perception of psychological scientists’ judgments of societal change
Open AccessCendri A Hutcherson, Konstantyn Sharpinskyi et al.ARTICLEAmerican Psychologist2023
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, psychological scientists frequently made on-the-record predictions in public media about how individuals and society would change. Such predictions were often made outside these scientists' areas of expertise, with justifications based on intuition, heuristics, and analogical reasoning (Study 1; N = 719 statements). How accurate are these kinds of judgments regarding societal change? In Study 2, we obtained …
Insights into the accuracy of social scientists' forecasts of societal change
Open AccessThe Forecasting Collaborative, Igor Grossmann et al.ARTICLENature Human Behaviour2023Cited by: 3References: 58
The Wise Mind Balances the Abstract and the Concrete
Open AccessIgor Grossmann, Julia Peetz et al.ARTICLEOpen MIND2024
We explored how individuals’ mental representations of complex and uncertain situations impact their ability to reason wisely. To this end, we introduce situated methods to capture abstract and concrete mental representations and the switching between them when reflecting on social challenges. Using these methods, we evaluated the alignment of abstractness and concreteness with four integral facets of wisdom: intellectual humility, open-mindednes…
Observation Moderates the Moral Licensing Effect
Open AccessAmanda Rotella, Jisoo Jung et al.ARTICLEPersonality and Social Psychology…2025
Moral licensing occurs when someone who initially behaves morally subsequently acts less morally. We apply reputation-based theories to predict when and why it occurs. As pre-registered, we predicted: (1) being observed would be associated with larger licensing effects and (2) unambiguous outcomes would have smaller licensing effects. In a multi-level meta-analysis of 115 experiments ( N = 21,770), moral licensing was stronger when participants w…