Ben-Shakhar, Gershon
BEN-SHAKHAR, GERSHON
BEN-SHAKHAR, GERSHON (1942– ), Israeli cognitive psychologist and president of Israel's Open University. Ben-Shakhar's fields of inquiry are cognitive psychophysiology, psychophysiological detection of information, psychological testing and individual differences, and the confirmation bias in expert opinions. Ben-Shakhar completed his academic studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, receiving a B.A. in psychology and statistics in 1966, an M.A. in psychology in 1970, and a Ph.D. in psychology in 1975. In 1976, after a postdoctoral year at Northwestern University, he joined the department of psychology at the Hebrew University; he was head of the department 1987–90, becoming a full professor in 1991. Between 1992 and 1995 he was the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Hebrew University, and from 1995 until 1998 he was pro rector of the university. During these years he was visiting professor at Stanford, Toronto, and Brandeis universities. In 2003 he was appointed president of the Open University. Ben-Shakhar wrote many articles and a number of books, among them Theories and Applications in the Detection of Deception: A Psychophysiological and International Perspective (with J.J. Furedy, 1989) and Studies in Psychology: Volume in Honor of Sonny Kugelmass (edited with A. Lieblich, 1995).
[Shaked Gilboa (2nd ed.)]