Dolores Albarracín Awarded BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award

Dolores Albarracín, Amy Gutmann Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, with appointments at Penn’s Annenberg School, School of Nursing, School of Arts & Sciences, and Wharton School, was awarded the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Social Sciences in 2025.

Albarracín’s research, a combination of basic and applied psychology, uncovers the impact of communication and persuasion on human behavior and the formation of beliefs, attitudes and goals. She has published six books and more than 200 journal articles throughout her career.

Albarracín is one of five recipients of the BBVA Foundation’s Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Social Sciences, recognized for her research increasing “our understanding of how attitudes can be changed, particularly with regard to persuasive messages,” the award committee says.

The BBVA Foundation, based in Spain, supports scientific research and cultural creation through grants, disseminates knowledge and culture, and recognizes talent and innovation through awards. The social sciences is one of eight Frontiers of Knowledge Awards categories, each of which comes with a 400,000-euro prize to be divided among the awardees.

“My research has been guided by the following questions: How do we change behavior through persuasion? When does persuasion begin with changes in convictions, and when does it end with changes in beliefs that originate in particular emotions? How can we promote exposure to messages audiences fear and resist?” Albarracín said. “Answering these questions involves identifying the psychological processes at play and producing policy recommendations that benefit society … This international award will strengthen our motivation to make social science discoveries at a time when our research and funding are threatened by our government. It is a tribute to the work of my lab and the contributions of my colleagues who are winning the award with me.”