The following is adapted from the nomination letter provided by E. Risko and E. Maloney.

Dr. Jonathan Fugelsang is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. He earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan in 2001. Before joining the University of Waterloo in 2005, he worked as a Research Associate in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College (2001-2005).

Jonathan published his first paper in 2000, examining strategy selection in causal reasoning. Since then, he has published an additional 105 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 8 chapters in books, and 2 books. His work has been widely cited (Citations = 10097, h-index = 53), and known around the globe. While many scholars will be influential within their niche, Jonathan has had an impact within multiple domains, whether it be through his work on intuitive and analogical reasoning, problem gambling, or creativity. Jonathan brings to all of these domains methodological rigor and creativity in experimental design, allowing him to be successful in every area of research in which he is engaged. He has also extended his work into the more applied domain by examining the role of intuitive and analytic thinking processes in smart phone usage. This latter research has received extensive coverage in the media, being featured in over 700 media outlets in 43 countries, including television outlets such as ABC, NBC, and CTV, and prominent print media outlets such as the Washington Post, Business Insider, and the New York Times.

Using convergent behavioural and psychophysiological measures, he has made several significant discoveries about the cognitive mechanisms of problem gambling. For example, he has been able to significantly advance the academic community’s understanding of the mechanisms underlying how ‘near misses’ promote addictive game play. In addition, using both data collected from his own lab as well a meta-analysis of 44 published studies, he has clearly demarcated key individual difference variables that are predictive of problem gambling. Perhaps the most influential finding from this line of research to date has involved the discovery that the mind mistakenly treats certain types of losses in video slot machines as wins (i.e., losses disguised as wins), thus reinforcing gambling behaviour. This research has had a large impact in explaining why slot machines are so addictive, and has also informed international policy. Like his other lines of research, his gambling studies have been featured in numerous media outlets, including both the print media (e.g., the Washington Post and New York Times) and television (e.g., 60 minutes).

Jonathan’s trainees have been consistently successful due, no doubt, to his strong and unwavering commitment to training. His current and former graduate students have been highly successful in obtaining awards and scholarships from provincial and national funding agencies. His lab is one that is a highly interactive and collaborative environment. He encourages his trainees to collaborate with others both within his own lab and with faculty and students in other labs at the University of Waterloo and elsewhere to provide them with as many research opportunities as possible.