My research interests are in the areas of intergroup relations, political behavior, and prejudice-reduction. Much of my work is focused on the following topics: understanding when and why people will actively respond to information about social injustices; ways to reduce intergroup conflict/promote reconciliation; effective political and campaign messaging; the use of emotions to conduct better public diplomacy; the relation between psychological needs and differing political behavior of liberals and conservative; and understanding the individual and situational processes that lead to social change. My approach is interdisciplinary, such that I use social psychology, political psychology, and government/public policy studies to inform the investigation of individual and group behavior. Broadly, I seek to ground my research questions within the larger goal of discovering solutions to social problems, such that my research can inform domestic and foreign policy.
