Faculty Spotlight: Psychology Prof. Brian Meier

Psychology Prof. Brian Meier has taught and conducted research at Gettysburg College since fall 2005.

Meier received a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in social and health psychology from North Dakota State University (“Go Bison!” Meier said). His research focuses on the social and cognitive mechanisms of behavior and personality and includes topics such as health decision-making, mindfulness, and religion. Meier’s research has appeared in journals spanning psychology, medicine, and health.

His early research focused on the metaphorical aspects of emotion, and his recent work focuses on health decision-making. For example, Meier has conducted extensive research on the naturalness bias, or the tendency people have to favor things labeled “natural.” He recently published a paper with Michael Fellman ’25, examining the extent to which a naturalness label biases behavior in both meaningful and trivial contexts. Meier has published papers with dozens of other Gettysburg College students.

Other recent projects have examined perceptions of psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) use for mental health, the role of trait mindfulness and spatial distance in the behavior of taking free candy from a bowl, and perceived fear and existential threat related to AI.

In recognition of his teaching and research, Meier was named the Benjamin Franklin Professor of the Liberal Arts and Sciences from 2020 to 2025.

“I love coming up with new research ideas and discussing study designs with students,” he said. “The creative process and the back-and-forth with students are so much fun. My position makes me feel like I’m always learning and expanding my own knowledge along with my students.”