Faculty and students in the Social Area work on a range of research questions such as how do peers influence teen decisions? Or how does the cerebellum modulate the cortex to give rise to complex social behavior? Many of our faculty collaborate with researchers in the department as well as researchers in other departments across the university including Computer Science and Business.
A list of Social Psychology faculty is given below. Faculty research areas can be subdivided into two clusters based on methodology:
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Social Psychology (focus on behavioral paradigms)
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Social and Affective Cognitive Neuroscience (includes using fMRI, non-invasive brain stimulation, and EEG)
Some Social faculty are also part of the Cognition & Neuroscience Area or the Developmental Area. Prospective applicants are encouraged to explore faculty web pages to get a closer look at the research topics that are currently being investigated. A strong fit between an applicant’s research interests and those of a specific faculty member is a very important aspect of the admissions process.
- For more information see the Cognition & Neuroscience, Developmental, and Social Areas FAQ
- For information on how to apply to the Social Psychology program, please visit the Psychology Graduate Bulletin.
For further information or questions concerning the Doctoral Program in Social Psychology, contact Dr. Johanna Jarcho:
Social Psychology Primary Faculty
Faculty | Area of Study | Accepting Graduate Students | Not Accepting Graduate Students |
|---|---|---|---|
Neurodiversity and technology at work, Human-Robot Interaction, and Behavioral Economics | Accepting graduate students for fall 2025 | ||
Accepting graduate students for fall 2025 | |||
Dr. Xie’s Peer Social Networks lab studies adolescents’ peer relationships, including bullying, victimization, popularity, cross-race friendships, and social media engagement | Not accepting graduate students for fall 2025 |
Social and Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Primary Faculty
Faculty | Area of Study | Accepting Graduate Students | Not Accepting Graduate Students |
|---|---|---|---|
Dr. Chein does research on social media use and how it affects adolescent brain and behavior | Accepting graduate students for fall 2025 | ||
Not accepting graduate students for fall 2025 | |||
Accepting graduate students for fall 2025 | |||
Dr. Olson does research on theory of mind, and social-affective functions of the cerebellum | Accepting graduate students for fall 2025 | ||
Dr. Smith does research on reward processing and how it contributes to maladaptive social and economic decisions | Accepting graduate students for fall 2025 |