Meet The Influence Doctor
Hi, I’m Professor Richard Crisp, a psychological and behavioural science at Durham University.
For 30 years, I've studied social influence — how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are shaped by others, whether at work, home, or online.
I think most communication misses the mark because it ignores how people actually think. My approach bridges the gap between intention and impact — using science, not guesswork.
That’s why I created The Influence Doctor — a fresh, skills-based approach to enhancing persuasive communications in the workplace using insights from psychological science. It's a mission to help organisations communicate with clarity, influence with integrity, and drive lasting change.
See below for the ways you can engage with me to help enhance the power of your persuasive communications.
Psychology Games
Transform Your Training with Top Trumps Social Psychology
I've partnered with Top Trumps® to create a Social Psychology version of the popular card game. Get people learning together with the perfect antidote to increasingly artificial, on-line learning environments. Free instructors pack with lesson plans and game variants available.
More About Professor Richard Crisp
My Qualifications
I'm an Oxford-educated first generation scholar with a PhD from Cardiff University. I'm a chartered Psychologist, Lifetime Fellow of the British Psychological Society and Editor-in-Chief at the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. I've published over 150 articles, chapters and books on social influence and I'm past winner of the British Psychological Society President's Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychological Science. I've been a practicing behavioural science consultant for the past 10 years, and tackled a range of executive communications challenges during my tenure as Durham University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost.
My Approach
Great ideas deserve impact. I help leaders, teams, and organisations harness the psychology of influence to communicate with clarity, confidence, and credibility. Through behavioural science insights and strategic message design, I transform how you engage, inspire, and drive action — whether you're leading change, training others, or building buy-in.
My Specialties
Equip your teams with the science of influence. I provide on-line or in-person seminars and design evidence-based training that empowers people to communicate with clarity, confidence, and behavioural insight. From change initiatives to everyday collaboration, I help organisations build internal capability that drives alignment, engagement, and action.
Executive Coaching
My Approach
My Experience
My Experience
Speak to be remembered — and create real change. Using the principles of psychological and behavioural science, I help speakers, leaders, and facilitators develop compelling narratives, sharpen delivery, and connect with audiences on a deeper level.
My Experience
My Experience
My Experience
I draw on my 20 years experience as a manager (Head of Department) and latterly executive (Deputy Vice-Chancellor) and the value I found in applying insights from psychological science to the communication challenges faced at these levels.
Your Sessions
My Experience
Your Sessions
I provide 1:1 leadership coaching to managers and executives at all levels specifically on communication challenges, whether this be to do with staff engagement, performance management, or organisational change.
Books by Professor Richard Crisp
Social Psychology: A Very Short Introduction
In this Very Short Introduction I tell the story of social psychology, its history, concepts and major theories. Discussing the classic studies that have defined the discipline, I introduces key thinkers, and shows how their personal histories spurred them to understand what connects people to people, and the societies in which we live. From attitudes to attraction, prejudice to persuasion, health to happiness - social psychology provides insights that can change the world, and help us tackle the defining problems of the 21st century.
The Social Brain: How Diversity Made the Modern Mind
Is conflict caused by an inherently hostile human nature? Are efforts to promote peaceful co-existence fated to fail? Is the story of human history destined to play out a clash of civilizations? These are the questions framing contemporary debate over diversity, immigration and multiculturalism. The Social Brain provides an entirely new psychological perspective on this debate. It argues that diversity is critical to our very survival as a species; that contact with different cultures was, and is, the essential element that fuels our creativity, innovation and growth.
The Psychology of Social and Cultural Diversity
Promoting a scholarly understanding of the psychology of social and cultural diversity in the early stages of 21st century, this volume encourages an in-depth appreciation of the value in diversity while directly addressing social intervention and policy implications.
The book explores the psychological implications and applications of new forms of social and cultural diversity and includes research from a diverse range of scholars that covers a broad spectrum of sub-disciplines.
Essential Social Psychology (5th Ed.)
Essential Social Psychology introduces you to the core topics in Social Psychology, covering its history, methods, and approaches, as well as helping you grasp key topics such as social influence, group processes, prejudice, friendship, affiliation, and love. This new edition has a strong emphasis on real-world applications, for example exploring how social psychology was applied during the Covid-19 pandemic. This book is ideal for undergraduate students of social psychology.
Social Psychology: Foundations, Advances & Applications
This textbook covers the entire social psychology curriculum, helping you connect theories directly to your own experiences, world views, and behaviours. It features personal narratives from a diverse range of practising social psychologists, from academics to practitioners, offering a rich collection of real-world examples and encouraging deep thinking about your future career. Each chapter moves through the foundations, advances and applications of the field with exercises and revision prompts to ensure success and real understanding.
A Degree in a Book: Behavioural Science
Coming soon!