My research expertise is in the area of Self and Self-processes. I am particularly interested in people’s expectations about the future, how expectations persevere and change in the face of challenging information, and how people think about and respond to threat. Below are specific topics I examine.

Maintaining Desired Self-Views

I have conducted a number of studies examining how people avoid, distort, and dismiss unwanted and threatening information. By so doing, they are able to sustain desired self-views. Most of my research in this area has examined strategies such as self-handicapping – the tendency to to proactively set up barriers to performance – and the self-serving bias – the tendency to claim personal responsibility for positive outcomes but not for negative outcomes. Currently I am examining how people will sometimes avoid potentially threatening information altogether. For example, people may delay or avoid getting a medical test and thereby can remain blissfully ignorant of possible medical problems.

Optimism, Risk Perceptions & Behavior

People often display comparative optimism in their judgments, believing that they are less likely than others to experience negative events and more likely than others to experience positive events. Comparative optimism occurs for a variety of events including likelihood judgments for car accidents, illnesses, suicide, and having gifted children and a good first job. My research on comparative judgments addresses: 1) why people display comparative optimism, 2) what moderates comparative optimism, 3) how stable are comparative risk judgments across time and events, 4) does comparative optimism primarily reflect a distortion in personal estimates (personal optimism) or a distortion in target estimates (pessimism for others), and 5) what are the consequences of the comparative optimism for affect, cognition, motivation and behavior.

Psychological Approaches to the Gun Debate in America

I have become increasingly interested in why Americans agree that gun violence in the United States is a problem, yet are unable to agree on strategies for reducing the violence. My graduate students and I take a psychological approach to the debate and argue that the conflicting strategies for reducing gun violence reflect different views of the role of guns in satisfying the need for safety.

Religiousness and Risk Behavior

Religious adolescents are less likely than non-religious adolescents to engage in a variety of risk behaviors such as alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use, but we have no idea why. Dr. Wendi Miller, my postdoc, and I received a large grant from the Templeton Foundation to explore how religiousness eventuates in lower risk behavior. We are exploring a theoretical model we developed that proposes numerous routes by which religiousness leads to lower risk behavior. This research stems directly from research I have done on risk perceptions and behavior.

Decision Making Among Caregivers of Children with Asthma

Although medical researchers have made huge advances helping people control asthma, many children continue to have uncontrolled asthma. Along with Dr. Gaby Pogge (my postdoc), Dr. Greg Webster (my stats guru), Dr. Erika Waters (my close collaborator), and a host of other folks, we are exploring how the social context and how caregivers think about asthma influence the decisions caregivers make about the care of their child with asthma. This research is funded by the the National Institute of Blood, Lung and Heart.

Undergraduates Interested in Working in My Lab

**Application to do Research**

Undergraduates

I recruit new students to work in my lab in late fall and late spring. Undergraduates interested in working in my lab should send me an email, the earlier the better! I have five criteria in selecting undergraduate research assistants:

1. Must be an upperclassman (sophomore or higher).
2. I require a two-semester commitment (Fall and Spring, or Spring and Fall).
3. Must be mature and work well with others.
4. Must have a schedule that permits attending meetings and running participants during regularly hours of the work week.
5. Must have done well (B+ or better) in social psychology (sop3004).

Research assistants are responsible for running participants in studies, helping with the development of study materials, helping with piloting study materials, and entering and proofing data.

If you are interested in working in my lab, please download the application form, complete it and bring when we schedule an interview. Or, you can send it via email.

Past Students

Undergraduate students working in my lab have gone on to lots of other places. In recent years I have had students from my lab enroll in…

• Law schools (e.g., Boston University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Florida)
• Medical schools (e.g., University of Florida)
• Masters programs in psychology (e.g., Eastern Tennessee University, Florida State University, Georgia State, Georgia Southern University, LeHigh University, NYU, Tennessee State University, University of North Dakota, University of North Florida, Wake Forest University, Vanderbilt)
• Clinical and Counseling Psychology Doctoral Programs (e.g., Penn State University, University of Florida, University of Mississippi, University of North Texas, University of Miami, University of South Florida, SUNY Albany)
• Doctoral programs outside of Psychology (e.g., Columbia University, Harvard University, University of Florida)
• Social Psychology Doctoral Programs (e.g., UC Berkeley, Cornell University, Ohio University, Ohio State University, University of Chicago, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Houston, University of Illinois, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of Wisconsin, Washington University, UC Riverside)

Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Fellows

I have two graduate students working in my lab, both in their fourth year: Rachel Forsyth and Liz Kerner.

Rachel Forsyth