2018

Mark Brandt is an associate professor at Tilburg University. His research examines how ideological and moral beliefs – such as political ideology, religious fundamentalism, and moral conviction – influence attitudes and behaviors and provide people with meaning.

Molly Crockett is an assistant professor of psychology at Yale University and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Neuroethics. She completed her PhD in experimental psychology at the University of Cambridge. Her research investigates the psychological and neural mechanisms of moral judgment, learning, and decision-making.

Michael Kraus is a father, basketball fan, and serious coffee drinker who works at the Yale University, School of Management. His current research explores the behaviors and emotional states that perpetuate economic and social inequality. University life is a privilege and a constant source of joy for Michael.

Nour Kteily is a psychologist at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. His research examines the psychological mechanisms that influence the stability of social hierarchy and shape conflict between groups in society.

Kristin Laurin’s research investigates how an individual’s goals and motivations interact with their beliefs and ideologies. Under that general theme, she has investigated beliefs about politics, religion, and morality, both in terms of their motivational underpinnings, and how they influence a person’s ability to self-regulate in pursuit of important goals.

Ryne Sherman received his PhD from the University of California, Riverside in 2011 and is an associate professor of psychology at Texas Tech University. His research concerns person-situation transactions, that is, how people navigate their social worlds on a daily basis. As part of his research, he has pioneered the use of wearable cameras in studying daily life.

Erica Slotter is an associate professor of psychology at Villanova University. She received her PhD from Northwestern University in 2011. Her work focuses on the social factors that influence identity. In particular, she examines how various social role transitions can influence the content and clarity of an individual’s self-concept.

Joshua Tybur is an associate professor in the Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His work, which is often inspired by an evolutionary perspective, aims to better understand how people avoid infectious disease, select versus avoid potential mates, and advance personal interests via moral condemnation.

2017

Erika Carlson is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on identifying and understanding the bright spots and blind spots in self- and other-perception as well as if self- and other-knowledge is adaptive.

Mina Cikara is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. She adopts an interdisciplinary approach drawing on theory and methods from psychology and cognitive neuroscience to understand how the mind, brain, and behavior change when the social context shifts from “me and you” to “us and them.” 

Jesse Graham is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern California. He got his PhD in 2010 at U.Virginia, and before that he futzed around at Harvard Divinity School and U.Chicago. Jesse studies the moral, political, and religious convictions that bind us together and tear us apart.

Kurt Gray is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina who studies the cryptic minds of machines, animals, God, and people.  His work has helped to reveal the basis of morality, social groups, and religious belief. He would love you to buy a copy of “The Mind Club.”

Andrew Todd is an Assistant Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa. He received his PhD from Northwestern University and was a postdoc at the University of Cologne. His research focuses on perspective taking and mental-state reasoning, automatic processes in social judgment, and intergroup bias.

Liane Young is an associate professor of psychology at Boston College. She received her BA in philosophy in 2004 and her PhD in psychology in 2008 from Harvard. She studies moral cognition using methods from social psychology and neuroscience. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, John Templeton Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and Dana Foundation.

Jamil Zaki is an assistant professor of psychology at Stanford University.  His research examines the neural bases of social cognition and behavior: and especially how people understand and respond to each other’s emotions.  This work spans a number of domains, including empathy, social influence, and prosocial behavior (see ssnl.stanford.edu for details).  

2016

Wiebke Bleidorn is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. She received a PhD in Psychology at Bielefeld University, Germany in 2010 and was an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Tilburg University, the Netherlands. Dr. Bleidorn’s research examines the conditions, mechanisms, and consequences of personality change.

Jon Freeman is Assistant Professor of Psychology at NYU. He received his Ph.D. from Tufts and was previously on the faculty at Dartmouth. He studies split-second social perception using brain- and behavior-based techniques, examining the interplay of visual perception and social cognition in how we categorize others and infer personality traits and emotion.

Ulrich Orth is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Bern. He completed his PhD at the University of Trier, was a postdoc at University of Bern and UC Davis, and was an assistant professor at University of Basel. His research focuses on self-esteem development across the lifespan, the link between low self-esteem and depression, and the consequences of self-esteem for important life domains such as relationships, work, and health. In 2013, he received the William Stern Award for Personality Psychology from the German Psychological Society.

Cheryl Wakslak is an assistant professor of management and organization at the University of Southern California. She earned her PhD in social psychology from NYU in 2008. Her research explores the way people use different styles of thinking to help them connect with those closer to them and those farther away.

Adam Waytz is a psychologist at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management who studies how people think about minds. He looks at when we attribute or deny mental states to other entities, and the moral and ethical implications of these processes.

2015 

Clayton Critcher is an Assistant Professor of Marketing, Cognitive Science, and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business. He received a PhD in social and personality psychology from Cornell University in 2010, and an AB in psychology from Yale University in 2005. He works in various areas—self and identity, judgment and decision making, moral psychology, and social cognition—all toward an understanding of how people reason about and behave in ambiguous and challenging social, economic, political, and moral settings. He was the 2014 winner of the Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award.

Emily Impett is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. She completed her PhD in Social Psychology at UCLA and completed two postdocs, the most recent at UC Berkeley. Dr. Impett applies and blends social psychological theories of close relationships and sexuality to understand when “giving” to a partner—both inside and outside of the bedroom—help versus harm relationships. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and she has received several research awards, including an award for Early Career Achievement from the International Association for Relationship Research.

Nick Rule is assistant professor of psychology and Canada Research Chair in Social Perception and Cognition at the University of Toronto. He received a PhD in 2010 from Tufts University under the mentorship of Nalini Ambady and an AB from Dartmouth College in 2004 where he worked with Neil Macrae. He was the 2013 recipient of the International Social Cognition Network’s Early Career Award and the Ministry of Research and Innovation of Ontario’s Early Researcher Award in 2012. His research focuses on processes and outcomes related to person perception, ranging from micro-level phenomena (brain responses) to macro-level phenomena (cultural differences).

Jenessa Shapiro is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Management at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She received her PhD in Social Psychology in 2008 from Arizona State University, working with Steven Neuberg. Dr. Shapiro's research attempts to understand when and why people express vs. conceal prejudices. In addition, she explores the experience of being a target of prejudice, examining topics such as multiple forms of stereotype threat and relations between members of different minority groups. Dr. Shapiro's research has been supported by over $2.8 million in grant dollars from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, and the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program.

Jay Van Bavel is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at New York University. He completed his PhD in Psychology at the University of Toronto and a postdoc at The Ohio State University. Dr. Van Bavel blends theory and methods from social psychology and cognitive neuroscience to study how group identities, moral values, and political beliefs alter our perceptions and evaluations. His research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the John Templeton Foundation, and received several research awards, including the Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions in Social Neuroscience.

2014

• Paul Eastwick
• Jochen Gebauer
• Edward Lemay
• Kristina Olson
• Tessa West

2013

• Joan Chiao
• Wilhelm Hoffman
• Ethan Kross
• Elizabeth Paluck
• Greg Walton

2012

• Colin DeYoung
• Naomi Eisenberger
• Vladas Griskevicius
• Mark J. Landau
• Michael I. Norton

2011

• Emily Balcetis
• C. Nathan DeWall
• Kentaro Fujita
• Omri Gillath
• Jason P. Mitchell
• Simine Vazire

2010

• Reginald Adams
• William Cunningham
• Sally Dickerson
• Grainne Fitzsimmons
• Aaron Kay

2009

• David Amodio
• Wendy Berry Mendes
• Cheryl Kaiser
• Kurt Hugenberg
• David Sherman
• Alexander Todorov

2008

• Eli Finkel
• Virginia Kwan
• Jon Maner
• B. Keith Payne
• Kathleen Vohs

2017 - Olivia Atherton, University of California, Davis

Antecedents and Consequences of Effortful Control from Late Childhood to Young Adulthood

Why do some individuals develop the capacity to effectively regulate their behavior, whereas others have difficulty controlling their impulses and consistently succumb to temptation? My research examines the antecedents and consequences of the temperamental trait of effortful control. Using multi-method longitudinal data spanning ages 10 to 20, I have documented numerous psychological, familial, and sociocultural influences on effortful control, as well as how effortful control co-develops with delinquency, school behavioral problems, and psychiatric disorders.

2017 – Andrew G. Christy, Texas A&M University

Perceptions of Persons and their Purposes: Teleology and Inferences About Personal Identity

Five studies test whether teleological (i.e., purpose-based) intuitions explain the belief that persons’ true selves are morally good. Specific hypotheses are that moral traits are perceived as more purpose-related and identity-relevant than other traits (Study 1), that manipulations of general and specific teleological beliefs will affect identity-related judgments (Studies 2 and 3), and that effects of moral changes on identity-related judgments will depend on whether those changes affect persons’ purposive activity (Studies 4A and 4B).

2017 – Jason Deska, Miami University

They’re all the same to me: Homogeneous groups are denied mind

Although ascribing sophisticated, human-like minds to others is central to social cognition and behavior, dehumanization is an all-too-common phenomenon. My dissertation investigates a specific characteristic of groups—homogeneity—that may influence dehumanizing judgments. Specifically, my dissertation research examines whether homogeneous groups are dehumanized compared to heterogeneous groups and the extent to which this homogeneity-based dehumanization leads to both decreased prosocial and increased antisocial behavior. 

2017 – Franki Kung, University of Waterloo

Lay Theories of Goal Models

Being able to regulate multiple goals effectively is essential for well-being, yet how people think about the relations among their goals is not well understood. My dissertation examines individuals’ lay theories of goal models (i.e., beliefs about the organizing principles of their multiple goals: hierarchical, network, sequential) and their diverse implications for self-regulation effectiveness. This research aims to advance the literature on goals and self-regulation and to promote success in critical self-regulatory challenges.

2017 – Randi Proffitt Leyva, Texas Christian University

Examining the Impact of Childhood Environmental Unpredictability on Ghrelin Dysregulation

My previous research focused on the relationship between childhood unpredictability, body awareness, and eating in the absence of hunger (EAH). EAH is a major factor influencing obesity. In my dissertation, I will extend this work by examining whether childhood unpredictability impacts EAH through adaptive calibration of a hormonal mechanism, specifically ghrelin, commonly known as “the hunger hormone.” This work will contribute to a growing body of literature using an evolutionary perspective to better understand the adaptive utility of seemingly maladaptive health behaviors.

2017 – Chelsea Schein, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Beyond Nasty Women & Deplorables: Bridging Political Divides by Focusing on the Common Denominator of Harm

Political polarization is a prevalent and increasingly salient challenge in the United States. While liberals and conservatives hold opposing moral views, a new theory of moral psychology, the Theory of Dyadic Morality, suggests that these views are unified by a common denominator of harm. This dissertation tests whether appeals to this common denominator reduces the dehumanization of political opponents and increases willingness to engage in bipartisan conversations.

2017 – Haran Sened, Bar Ilan University

Improving couples’ empathic accuracy: development of a brief intervention and analysis of its effects.

Empathic Accuracy (EA) is the extent to which people correctly identify others' thoughts and feelings. Previous research has suggested that EA might be important for romantic partners.  My aim is to develop a brief intervention which can increase couples' EA towards one another by motivating them to be more accurate and giving them appropriate feedback. This intervention will be tested in a lab setting and, through a diary study, in couples' daily lives.

2017 – Vivian P. Ta, University of Texas at Arlington

Opposing Attitudes in Controversial Discussions: The Role of Latent Semantic Similarity in Computer-Mediated Interactions

Technology has made it easier to engage in discussions with diverse others via computer-mediated communication. However, negative behaviors (e.g., flaming) can often occur in this type of interaction. Theories of conflict communication suggest that this stems from the inability to develop latent semantic similarity, an essential process in the establishment of common-ground understanding. My dissertation tests this theory and identifies the characteristics that influence the development of common-ground understanding in contentious text-based computer-mediated discussions.

2017 – Sarah Ward, University of Missouri

Gender, Emotion, and Morality

Gender differences in morality have been debated throughout history, yet they remain poorly understood.  Do women and men differ in their propensity towards immoral personally-advantageous actions like lying to get ahead or cheating to win money?  Using a mix of correlational and experimental designs, my dissertation research examines whether gender differences in emotional experiences (i.e., empathy; guilt/shame proneness) account for potential disparities in moral decision-making.

2017 – Marika Yip- Bannicq, New York University

Construal Enhanced Conflict Management: The Role of Abstraction in the Regulation of Conflict in Romantic Relationships

How romantic couples engage in conflict is essentially tied to both individual and relationship well-being, yet the socio-cognitive mechanisms of constructive conflict management are not well understood. My dissertation tests the proposition that high level construals facilitate constructive conflict management by investigating the influence of adopting a high versus low level construal of one’s relationships on how couples approach, engage in and resolve important conflicts and regulate relationship conflict in daily life.

2016 - William Brady, New York University

Moral Contagion: How Emotion Shapes Diffusion of Moral Ideas in Social Networks

My dissertation explores what factors makes moral and political ideas most likely to spread to others. Specifically, I use a combination of behavioral, psychophysiological and social media methods to investigate 'moral contagion', or the process by which morally-framed emotion expression leads to greater diffusion of ideas in social networks. In the dissertation I also study the psychological processes that underlie moral contagion and its boundary conditions. 

2016 - Kassandra Cortes, University of Waterloo

Perceiving Relationship Success through a Motivational Lens: A Regulatory Focus Perspective 

In my dissertation research, I am examining how the qualities that contribute to relationship success depend on the motivational (regulatory focus) orientation of the individual. In initial studies I found that promotion-focused people value growth-related qualities in their relationships, while prevention-focused people prioritize security-related qualities. I am now examining how the same relationship-enhancing intervention can be framed in different ways to serve both growth and security needs. The goal of this research is to better understand what makes relationships work (and work better). 

2016 - Brittany Jakubiak, Carnegie Mellon University

Hand-in-hand combat: An experimental test of affectionate touch to promote relational well-being and buffer stress during couple conflict 

Romantic couples benefit from having constructive rather than destructive conflicts, but there have been limited attempts to influence conflict behaviors and to reduce the stress of relational conflicts using non-intensive interventions. My dissertation research will test experimentally whether engaging in affectionate touch (i.e., holding hands) before and during a conflict promotes positive relational behaviors and perceptions and buffers the stress of the conflict. 

2016 - Jinhyung Kim, Texas A&M University

In Pursuit of Existential Meaning: Motivation to Search for Meaning Facilitates Experiential Purchases Over Material Purchases 

People are fundamentally motivated to search for meaning, but what do people actually do when they want to find meaning in their lives? My dissertation aims to illuminate types of daily activities people engage in as they are motivated to search for meaning. Specifically, my dissertation research examines whether the motivation to search for meaning fosters the preference for experiential purchases (e.g., going to European vacation) over material purchases (e.g., buying jewelry). The potential increase in meaning in life via experiential purchases may be driven by multiple underlying mechanisms such as social relatedness, competence, intrinsic motivation, true self-knowledge, and positive affect. 

2016 - Yeonjeong Kim, Carnegie Mellon University

Detecting the Moral Character of Strangers: The Hidden Information Distribution and Evaluation (HIDE) Model 

The ability to correctly judge other people’s moral character—their disposition to think, feel, and behave ethically—allows us to predict and possibly prevent unethical behaviors that harm individuals and society. My dissertation proposes a new theoretical framework of person perception—the HIDE mode—, and uses this framework to develop a battery of interview questions designed to covertly reveal strangers’ moral character through their spontaneous written responses. I examine the validity of these interview-based moral character judgments by testing how well they predict unethical behaviors. 

2016 - Erin Westgate, University of Virginia

Why Boredom is Interesting 

What is boredom, why do we experience it, and what happens when we do? According to the Motivational and Attentional Components (MAC) model, we feel bored when we can't successfully engage our attention in meaningful activities. We may not enjoy it, but boredom gives us important feedback about our lives; it tells us whether we want to and are able to do something. My dissertation proposes and tests this new model of state boredom. 

2016 - Ashley Whillans, The University of British Columbia

Exchanging cents for seconds: The happiness benefits of choosing time over money 

In a typical day and across a lifetime, people face trade-offs related to time and money. These trade-offs play a role in major decisions such as whether to choose a higher paying career that demands longer hours (vs. making less money and having more free time) and in mundane decisions, such as whether to spend a Saturday afternoon cleaning gutters (or paying someone else to do it). My dissertation examines the (1) happiness benefits of choosing time over money and explores (2) how to help people use their money to buy themselves more and better time. 

2015 - Jeffrey Bowen, University of California, Santa Barbara

2015 - David Chester, University of Kentucky

2015 - Allison Farrell, University of Minnesota

2015 - Nicole Lawless DesJardins, University of Oregon

2015- Chadly Stern, New York University

2015 - Konstantin Tskhay, University of Toronto

2014 Winners

• Alyssa Croft, University of British Columbia
• Patrick Forscher, University of Wisconsin
• Nathan Hudson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign