Research Projects
Here, we highlight some of the current and past research projects that the Wiezel Behavior, Opinions, & Relations between Groups (BORG) is working on
PROJECTS FOCUSING ON POLARIZATION & INTERGROUP RELATIONS
Political Essay Coding Project
Team Members:
Dr. Wiezel, Charlie, Justice,
Joan Kim
What happens when Democrats and Republicans are assigned to write essays on political issues after being given different interventions?
This question is part of a two-study research project done in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund and some cross-national collaborators.
Although coders will be blind to condition and participant ideology, this study will investigate the extent to which these different interventions might influence different features of the essays, such as their quality and extremity.
Powering the Future Dialogue
Team Members:
Dr. Wiezel, Charlie,
Dr. Joo, Andrew Moffa
How do we get people with different positions on political issues to have constructive conversations and build shared reality about contentious topics?
This project, spearheaded by a non-partisan, non-profit organization, the Environmental Defense Fund, aims to answer this question by bringing people from different perspectives together at evidence-based workshops designed to foster constructive conversations around environmental issues. We have run two pilot workshops in Chatham County, NC, and at UNC, Chapel Hill, and are excited to report that in March 2026, we will be bringing one of these workshops to Elon as part of the Kernodle Center's Spring Dialogue Series!
PROJECTS FOCUSING ON LEADERSHIP
Leader Effectiveness & Individual Differences
Team Members:
Dr. Wiezel, Fiona
What kinds of traits do people prefer in leaders? Does it depend on the kind of task or role in question? And on the kind of outcome at hand--such as whether someone would be good at accomplishing the task, or good to work for?
We will be investigating some of these questions as part of Fiona's Elon College Fellows project!
PROJECTS FOCUSING ON POLITICAL ATTITUDES/IDEOLOGY
Student-Driven Project: Political Ideology & The Law
What is the relation between case law and political ideology? Is there any mapping between different ideological dimensions and different aspects of the U.S. legal disputes?
This project combines Dr. Wiezel's expertise in political psychology with the legal interests and expertise of Charlie and Reina Magistro Nadler, J.D.
Team Members:
Dr. Wiezel, Charlie,
Reina Magistro Nadler
Student-Driven Project: Parental Influences & Political Attitudes
Team Members:
Justice, Dr. Wiezel,
Dr. Bussberg
To what extent are people's political attitudes associated more with different aspects of their socialization--such as their parents, peers, or media exposure? Does it depend on the kind of political attitude in question?
This project, which earned Justice a Sinclair Endowed Grant, investigates this question using a large online survey among U.S. adults.
PROJECTS FOCUSING ON SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
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, which earned Lila a Grants-in-Aid, examines how different internal and external factors influence such intrinsic motivation to exercise.
PAST PROJECTS/PROJECTS WITH ALUMNI
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.
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.
Status: Analysis in Progress
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.
Status: Presented at NCUR & SURF, used for Abram's senior capstone
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, which earned Lindsay a Grants-in-Aid, to investigate the extent to which different descriptive traits of potential political leaders motivate the political ambition of others, and under what circumstances.
Status: Presented at SURF, used for Lindsay's senior capstone, currently being revised for submission
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.
Status: Presented at NCUR & SURF, used for Sophie's senior capstone, currently under review at a peer-reviewed journal