Robb Willer

Robb Willer is a Professor of Sociology at Stanford University (with courtesy appointments in Psychology and the Graduate School of Business). He directs the Politics and Social Change Lab, the AI for Public Benefit Lab, and co-directs the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society. 

With support from the IAJS Faculty Seed Grant Program, Willer and his collaborators are conducting a field experiment to identify and scale effective immigration-justice video narratives. The project meta-analyzes a large archive of professionally produced immigration-justice video ads and tests the most promising ones via a randomized controlled trial using addressable advertising on streaming television. The study measures effects on prejudice toward immigrants, support for pro-immigrant policies, and beliefs about immigrants' cultural and economic contributions, with attention to the durability of effects over time and generalizability across demographic groups. Findings will be translated into actionable guidance for civil society organizations and immigration-justice advocates working to shift public opinion at scale.