Current Research Projects
Here, we highlight some of the current research projects that the Wiezel Behavior, Opinions, & Relations between Groups (BORG) is working on
The Conversation Project
Team Members:
Dr. Wiezel, Lila, Lindsay, Sophie
American partisans’ feelings toward one another have cooled significantly in recent decades. As part of a larger research project, some of our work explores how intergroup contact, in the form of conversations, may potentially improve relations between Democrats and Republicans.
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In our current project, we analyze videos of cross-party conversations. By coding and meticulously analyzing these interactions, we seek to uncover factors that contribute to successful (or unsuccessful) intergroup conversations. This research will provide insights into effective strategies for fostering constructive dialogue and understanding across political divides.
Understanding Motivation & Leader Preferences
Team Members:
Dr. Wiezel, Abram,
Dr. Kenrick, Dr. Wagner
In recent elections around the world, voters have often gravitated toward dominant male leaders. Although research suggests this pattern of voting intensifies when people perceive threats to their physical safety, less is known about when the opposite is preferred: prestigious female leaders, who remain significantly underrepresented in political office.
This study follows up on two others exploring what motivations might be associated with preferences for prestigious female leaders to help give us a more complete picture of the psychology of people’s leadership preferences.
Student-Driven Project: Understanding Leader Role Model Traits
Team Members:
Lindsay, Dr. Wiezel
Recent U.S. elections have seen a variety of candidates of varying identities. To what extent have these candidates served as role models to other Americans considering going into politics, and on the basis of what characteristics?
This project uses secondary data and a planned original study to investigate the extent to which different descriptive traits of potential political leaders motivate the political ambition of others, and under what circumstances.
Student-Driven Project: Investigating Mate Preferences
Team Members:
Sophie, Dr. Wiezel
Choosing a romantic partner is one of the most important decisions people make. But how do we make these decisions, and what factors influence our choices? Although past research provides some answers to this question, particularly among heterosexual individuals, less is known about the preferences of homosexual individuals, especially women, and about the mechanisms that drive these mate preferences.
This project aims to use secondary data and an original study to investigate the mate preferences of this group, among others, in order to gain more insight into the psychology of mate preferences as a whole.
Student-Driven Project: Motivation and Exercise
Team Members:
Lila, Dr. Wiezel,
Dr. Chandler
Exercise has multiple health benefits, but sometimes people are not motivated to exercise. When it comes to motivation, one type of motivation, intrinsic motivation–or the motivation to engage in an activity purely for the sake of the inherent enjoyment/satisfaction it brings– has been shown to be a particularly strong predictor of persistence in a variety of contexts, including exercise. The present study examines how different internal and external factors influence such intrinsic motivation to exercise.