Christina M. Brown: Research

Broadly, my research explores how the self plays a critical role in social behavior. Within this theme, I study the consequences of self-concept structure, emotions, expectations, and inclusion status on behavior.

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Published Work

Social Inclusion Facilitates Interest in Mating

Brown, C. M., Young, S. G., Sacco, D. F., Bernstein, M. J., & Claypool, H. M. (In press.) Evolutionary Psychology.

Full text

Abstract

According to a life history framework, variability across an organism's lifespan necessitates trade-offs between behaviors that promote survival and those that promote reproduction. Adopting this perspective, the current work investigates how social acceptance or rejection can influence the differential priority placed on mating and survival motivations. Because social acceptance is an important survival-related cue (i.e., group living provides protection from predators and sharing of resources), we predicted that recent experiences of social acceptance should increase people's motivation to mate. In support of this prediction, Study 1 found that participants who were included in an electronic ball-toss game showed more interest in mating (regardless of the potential mate's attractiveness) than excluded and control participants. In Study 2, participants who recalled an experience of social acceptance viewed sexual affiliation as more important than did participants in rejection and control conditions. Collectively, these results suggest an adaptive trade-off such that interest in mating increases upon satiation of affiliative needs. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that the experience of social acceptance can have unique effects and should not be treated as the sole comparison condition when studying social rejection.

When Chronic Isn't Chronic: The Moderating Role of Active Self-Aspects

Brown, C. M., & McConnell, A. R. (2009). Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 3-15.

Abstract

The current work considered how self-concept organization moderates the consequences of chronic attributes, which are widely assumed to be always accessible and influential. In Study 1, the accessibility of participants' chronic attributes was assessed before and after activating a self-aspect that was either relevant or irrelevant to participants' chronic attributes. Results showed that chronic attributes were more accessible when they were relevant to a participant's active self-aspect than when they were irrelevant to it. In Study 2, participants read ambiguous behaviors performed by others, some of which could be interpreted in line with their own chronic attribute or an alternative attribute. Participants were more likely to interpret behaviors as consistent with their own chronic attributes, but only when a relevant self-aspect had been previously activated. These studies suggest that chronicity can be moderated by self-aspect activation, consistent with the perspective that the self consists of multiple, context-dependent self-aspects.

Effort or Escape: Self-Concept Structure Determines Self-Regulatory Behavior

Brown, C. M., & McConnell, A. R. (In press). Self & Identity.

Abstract

The current research examined the interaction between self-complexity, affect, and perceived goal attainability on self-regulation. Participants received failure feedback about their performance and were given the opportunity to reduce this discrepancy through practice. Greater self-complexity was associated with greater practice, regardless of affect and perceived effectiveness of practice. Lower self-complexity was only associated with greater practice when participants experienced negative affect and believed practice was effective at improving performance. These results suggest that those greater in self-complexity self-regulate when external cues signal the presence of a self-discrepancy, whereas those lower in self-complexity self-regulate when negative affect signals the presence of a discrepancy. However, when the discrepancy cannot be reduced directly, lower self-complexity individuals escape the situation to avoid negative affect.

Adaptive Responses to Social Exclusion: Social Rejection Improves Detection of Real and Fake Smiles

Bernstein, M. J., Young, S. G., Brown, C. M., Sacco, D. F., & Claypool, H. M. (2008). Psychological Science, 19, 981-983.

Abstract

Given the importance of group living in the evolutionary history of humans, how people respond to exclusion from a group should have considerable survival consequences. We predicted that socially rejected individuals should respond to exclusion in adaptive ways; specifically, they should devote resources toward activities that may increase opportunities for re-affiliation. Consistent with our prediction, individuals who were led to re-experience feelings of social rejection were more accurate at discriminating between real (Duchenne) and fake smiles.

Personal, Interpersonal, and Situational Influences on Behavioral Self-handicapping

Brown, C. M., & Kimble, C. E. (In press). Journal of Social Psychology.

Abstract

This study explored the combined effects of personal factors (participant sex), interpersonal factors (experimenter sex), and situational factors (performance feedback) on two forms of behavioral self-handicapping. Participants received non-contingent success or failure feedback concerning their performance on a novel ability and were given the opportunity to self-handicap before performing again. Behavioral self-handicapping took the form of (a) exerting less practice effort (practice) or (b) choosing a performance-debilitating tape (choice). Men practiced least after failure feedback and chose a debilitating tape if they were interacting with a female experimenter. Generally, across all participants in both choice and practice conditions, high performance concern and the presence of a male experimenter led to the most self-handicapping. Results are interpreted in terms of self-presentational concerns that emphasize a desire to impress or an awareness of the female or male experimenter's acceptance of self-handicappers.

Current Research

The role of affect in self-regulation

Social acceptance and mating behavior

Self-concept structure and mental representations of close others

Self-concept structure and cognitive dissonance

The effect of affect on stereotyping and behavior

Self-handicapping interventions

Research Collaborators

Allen McConnell

Steve Young

Don Sacco

Mike Bernstein

Charles Kimble

Amanda Diekman

Heather Claypool

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