Brent Simpson
Department of Sociology
University of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina 29208
U.S.A.
Home Page
Phone: (803) 777-6848
Fax: (803) 777-5251

I am an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of South Carolina, and Director of the Laboratory for Sociological Research. My teaching and research interests focus on areas of cooperation and collective action, social psychology, and social networks. I am especially interested in "social dilemmas" (i.e., situations that pose tensions between individual and collective interests). My ongoing research projects investigate structural and social psychological determinants of behavior in social dilemmas, and the foundations of soical order. I teach courses related to altruism and prosocial behavior, social psychology, and introductory sociology.
 Journal Articles:
Irwin, K., McGrimmon, T., & Simpson, B. (2008). Sympathy and social order. Social Psychology Quarterly, 71, 379-97.
Simpson, B. (2006). Social identity and cooperation in social dilemmas. Rationality and Society, 18, 444-70.
Simpson, B. (2006). The poverty of trust in the southern United States. Social Forces, 84, 1625-38.
Simpson, B. (2004). Social values, subjective transformations, and cooperation in social dilemmas. Social Psychology Quarterly, 67, 385-95.
Simpson, B. (2003). Sex, fear, and greed: A social dilemma analysis of gender and cooperation. Social Forces, 82, 35-52.
Simpson, B., & Borch, C. (2005). Does power affect perception in social networks? Two arguments and an experimental test. Social Psychology Quarterly, 68, 278-87.
Simpson, B., & Eriksson, K. (2009). The dynamics of contracts and generalized trustworthiness. Rationality & Society.
Simpson, B., Irwin, K., & Lawrence, P. (2006). Does a norm of self-interest discourage prosocial behavior? Rationality and quid pro quo in charitable giving. Social Psychology Quarterly, 69, 3296-306.
Simpson, B., & Macy, M. (2004). Power, identity, and collective action in social exchange. Social Forces, 82, 1375-1411.
Simpson, B., & Macy, M. (2001). Collective action and power inequality: Coalitions in exchange networks. Social Psychology Quarterly, 64, 88-100.
Simpson, B., & McGrimmon, T. (2008). Trust and embedded markets: A multi-method investigation of consumer transactions. Social Networks, 30, 1-15.
Simpson, B., McGrimmon, T., & Irwin, K. (2007). Are Blacks really less trusting than Whites? Revisiting the race and trust question. Social Forces, 86, 525-52.
Simpson, B., & Walker, H. A. (2002). Status characteristics and performance expectations: A reformulation. Sociological Theory, 20, 24-40.
Simpson, B., & Willer, D. (2005). The structural embeddedness of collective goods: Connection and coalitions in exchange networks. Sociological Theory, 23, 387-407.
Simpson, B., & Willer, R. (2008). Altruism and indirect reciprocity: The interaction of person and situation in prosocial behavior. Social Psychology Quarterly, 71, 37-52.
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