Our Research Projects
In this research program we address the following questions: What is the relationship between the group decision-making processes and the quality of their outcomes? How do group members influence each other in order for a group to converge on a single decision? How are decision-making processes affected by a group's task? How are group processes and outcomes affected by communication technologies?
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Group-Based Approaches to Addressing Climate Change
We are interested in how group processes — within and between groups — influence environmental beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Our current projects involve (a) survey and experimental research on effects of relational closeness among partners in conversation about climate change; (b) experimental research on intergroup dynamics in interpersonal communication about climate change; (c) experimental research on social identity group-based effects on pro-environmental actions and beliefs.
Development of Teamwork Skills
We are interested in how college-based group experiences provide students with transferable teamwork skills. Through surveys and observations of course-based and extracurricular teamwork, we are examining factors associated with leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Technology-Supported Teamwork
We are engaged in experimental work on (a) interpersonal processes within teams that rely primarily on computer-mediated communication and immersive virtual environments, and (b) the dynamics within teams comprised of humans and autonomous agents.
Intergroup Dynamics
Our work in this area includes experimental studies of (a) truth bias expectations across social identity group differences and (b) mortality salience effects on linguistic intergroup bias.