Jonathan Potter

Jonathan Potter has a distinguished record in teaching, research, and administration in UK and US universities. His research at the intersection of communication, psychology, and language is influential and impactful. Much of his recent work is done in collaboration with Alexa Hepburn, Professor Emerita at SC&I.

Potter’s research has focused on the way careful analyses of interaction can be a route to understanding and reworking basic psychological questions. Throughout his research career, Potter has addressed fundamental issues of theory and method, as well as made substantial research contributions in the area of language and racism, the operation of helplines, and the role of cognition in communication. His 1987 book developed a new way of thinking about social psychology – highlighting the role of communication – and continues to be widely influential. His 1996 book on epistemics, fact construction, and communication also has been heavily cited. His 2026 book on emotion, written with Alexa Hepburn, is designed the change the way psychologists think about emotion. He has sat on more than 20 editorial boards, is a member of the Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow of the International Communication Association, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and an honorary fellow of the TAOS Institute.

D.Phil., Sociology, University of York
M.A., Philosophy of Science, University of Surrey
B.A., Psychology, University of Liverpool

Rutgers University Conversational Analysis Lab (RUCAL)