Motivation and Social Cognition
Dr. Ehrlinger, Dr. Maner and Dr. Plant conduct research examining how people's motives influence their social cognitive processes and behavior. Dr. Ehrlinger's research explores how motives to feel good about the self – to believe we are smart and capable – influence the choices we make and the information we attend to within achievement settings. In particular, Dr. Ehrlinger explores how motivation, directly and indirectly through its impact on behavior, influences conceptions of the self.
Dr. Maner's research focuses on how fundamental social motives -- like searching for a romantic partner, wanting to maintain healthy romantic relationships, striving for high social status, and protecting ourselves from physical harm -- influence the way we perceive, think about, and relate to other people. Most of his work falls within the domains of romantic relationships, power, and social affiliation/friendships. Dr. Maner has particular interest in applying evolutionary perspectives to these areas.
Dr. Plant's work in this area focuses on the reasons underlying people's motivation to respond without prejudice. She has found that people can be motivated to respond without prejudice because of personally important nonprejudiced beliefs (i.e., internal motivation). However, it is also possible to be motivated to respond without prejudice due to normative standards discouraging the expression of prejudice (i.e., external motivation). These distinct types of motivation have implications for people's regulation of bias and influences a range of people's implicit and explicit prejudice-relevant responses.
Sample Publications: Motivation and Social Cognition
Ehrlinger, J. (2007). Skill level, self-views and self-theories as sources of error in self-assessment. Social and Personality Psychology Compass.
Ehrlinger J., Gilovich, T., & Ross, L. (2005). Peering into the bias blind spot: People's assessments of bias in themselves and others. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Ehrlinger J. & Dunning, D. (2003). How chronic self-views influence (and mislead) estimates of performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 5-17.
Maner, J.K., Gailliot, M.T., Rouby, D.A., & Miller, S.L. (2007). Can't take my eyes off you: Attentional adhesion to mates and rivals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 389-401.
Maner, J.K., DeWall, C.N., Baumeister, R.F., & Schaller, M. (2007). Does social exclusion motivate interpersonal reconnection? Resolving the “porcupine problem.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 42-55.
Maner, J. K., Gailliot, M. T., Butz, D., & Peruche, B. M. (2007). Power, risk, and the status quo: Does power promote riskier or more conservative decision-making? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 451-462.
Maner, J. K., Kenrick, D. T., Neuberg, S. L., Becker, D. V., Robertson, T., Hofer, B., Delton, A., Butner, J., & Schaller, M. (2005). Functional projection: How fundamental social motives can bias interpersonal perception. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 88, 63-78.
Plant, E. A., & Devine P. G. (1998). Internal and external motivation to respond without prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 811-832.
Plant, E. A., & Devine, P. G. (2001). Responses to other-imposed pro-black pressure: Acceptance or backlash? Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 486-501.
Devine, P. G., Plant, E. A., Amodio, A. M., Harmon-Jones, E., & Vance, S. L. (2002). Exploring the relationship between implicit and explicit prejudice: The role of motivations to respond without prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 835-848.
