Chip Heath

The Thrive Foundation for Youth Professor of Organizational Behavior, Emeritus
Academic Area:

Bio

Heath is the Thrive Foundation for Youth Professor of Organizational Behavior, Emeritus at Stanford Graduate School of Business. His research examines why certain ideas — ranging from urban legends to folk medical cures, from Chicken Soup for the Soul stories to business strategy myths — survive and prosper in the social marketplace of ideas. A few years back, Heath designed a course, now a popular elective at Stanford, that asked whether it would be possible to use the principles of naturally sticky ideas to design messages that would be more effective. The material from that course, How to Make Ideas Stick, has been taught to hundreds of students including managers, teachers, nonprofit leaders, doctors, journalists, venture capitalists, product designers, and film producers.

Heath is the coauthor (along with his brother, Dan) of a book titled Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, published by Random House in January 2007.

Heath’s research has appeared in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Cognitive Psychology, Journal of Consumer Behavior, Strategic Management Journal, Psychological Science, and Journal of Risk and Uncertainty. Popular accounts of his research have appeared in Scientific American, Financial Times, Washington Post, Business Week, Psychology Today, Vanity Fair, NPR, and a National Geographic television show.

Heath has taught courses on organizational behavior, negotiation, strategy, international strategy, and social entrepreneurship. Prior to joining Stanford, Heath taught at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He received his BS in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University and his PhD in psychology from Stanford.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Psychology, Stanford, 1991
  • BS in Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M, 1986

Academic Appointments

  • At Stanford University since 2000
  • Fuqua School, Duke, 1997–2000
  • University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, 1991–97

Research Statement

Chip Heath’s research focuses on two general areas: What makes ideas succeed in the social marketplace of ideas, and how can people design messages to make them stick? How do individuals, groups, and organizations make important decisions and what mistakes do they make?

Journal Articles

David Dunning, Chip Heath, Jerry M. Suls
Perspectives on Psychological Science
March 1, 2018 Vol. 13 Issue 2 Pages 185-189
Nathanael J. Fast, Chip Heath, George Wu
Psychological Science
July 2009 Vol. 20 Issue 7 Pages 904-911
Jonah Berger, Chip Heath
Journal of Consumer Research
August 2007 Vol. 34 Issue 2 Pages 121-134
Adrian Bangerter, Chip Heath
British Journal of Social Psychology
December 2004 Vol. 43 Issue 4 Pages 605–623

Books

Chip Heath, Karla Starr
Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster
January 11, 2022
Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Crown Business
New York
2013
Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Broadway Business
2010
Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Random House
2007

Non-Degree Courses

Cases

Chip Heath, James Phills
2006
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2005
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2005
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2005
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2004
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2004
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2004
Davina Drabkin, Chip Heath
2003
Davina Drabkin, Chip Heath
2003
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2002
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2002
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2002
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2002
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2001
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2001
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2001

In the Media

Insights by Stanford Business

July 07, 2022
The latest books from Stanford GSB faculty and lecturers.
January 19, 2022
In this podcast episode, we discuss the importance of communicating numbers so they pack a punch.
August 19, 2019
Our experts’ tips on small changes that can make or break your next presentation.
July 02, 2019
Escape the heat with books recommended by Stanford business professors.
March 29, 2018
6 ways to communicate challenging concepts to an audience.
February 19, 2018
A new book shows the value of memorable defining moments on customer and employee experiences.
April 26, 2017
Success depends on strong preparation, concrete examples, and good connection with your audience.
March 26, 2013
In their book, Chip and Dan Heath lay out a path for making better decisions.
March 11, 2013
Can any message be shaped to spread? A scholar offers tips to increase the odds.
June 01, 2009
Research shows that conversations between people seeking common ground can influence which ideas and people gain cultural prominence.
December 01, 2007
Research shows that popular products can quickly lose their cache if they become favored by the masses.
February 01, 2005
Researchers suggest the myth that listening to classical music boosts intelligence grew from anxiety about early childhood education.