Christina M. Brown

Research

McConnell Lab, 2005-2006 (above)
Top row: Emily, Erin, Ashley, Leah, Kiki, Cara, Laura, Allen
Bottom row: Kristin, Christina, Jenny, Abby
Not pictured: Patti, Sarah, Noelle

McConnell Lab, 2006-2007:
Undergraduate Research Assistants: Jessica Birnbaum, Patti Brodbeck, Ibrahim Choudhry, Noelle Croley, Lauren Ellis, Cassie Kendeica, Tim Leslie, Kettie McDowell, Kiki McLinden, Leah Price, Michelle Ross, Sarah Shimmel, Chelsea Sill, Jenny Smurlo, Sam Whedon

McConnell Lab, 2007-2008:
Undergraduate Research Assistants: Erin Anderson, Jessica Birnbaum, Carolyn Dea, Lauren Ellis, Kiki McLinden, Leah Price, Andrea Roth, Chelsea Sill, Camille Szuch, Christina Tobler, Sam Whedon

Research Interests

Broadly, I am interested in evolutionary psychology, the self-concept, expectations, social rejection, emotion, and the interaction between chronic individual differences and situational factors.

Self-Concept: Self-Complexity and Chronicity

A general theme of my research on the self-concept is how the organization of self-knowledge influences robust social psychological phenomena. I am also interested in how robust effects (e.g., social comparison on self-evaluation, chronic attributes) can change depending on the type of self-knowledge that is currently accessible. We have found that the accessibility of chronic attributes is moderated by their relevancy to the individual’s active self-aspect, with chronic attributes only being highly accessible when they are relevant (Brown & McConnell, in press, PSPB). (Collaborator: Allen McConnell)

The Adaptive Nature of Reactions to Social Rejection

People’s reactions to social rejection (e.g., aggression) are often considered maladaptive. However, I believe that these behaviors are highly functional when considered in an evolutionary context. Our research also explores the effect of acceptance on social behavior. (Collaborators: Steven Young, Don Sacco, and Michael Bernstein)

Affect, Stereotyping, & Behavior

I am interested in the effect of positive affect on stereotyping and behavior. (Collaborator: Amanda Diekman)

Self-Complexity & Cognitive Complexity

A frequently asked question is whether self-complexity is simply a byproduct of the individual’s chronic cognitive complexity. A preliminary study in our lab suggests that this is not the case. However, self-complexity is related to one’s perceived complexity for a close other. We are currently conducting other studies to examine the relation between self-complexity and other complexity. (Collaborators: Steven Young and Allen McConnell)

Affect Expectancy Effects

Preliminary studies in our lab have found that people who’ve recently experienced a failure but expect to perform an unrelated task feel just as positive as those who never failed in the first place. Future studies will test the role of general expectations on current affect. (Collaborator: Allen McConnell)

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