Social Psychology Research

The Social Psychology concentration emphasizes research training above all other goals.

Our award-winning faculty and graduate students conduct both basic and applied empirical research with a variety of populations, including college students, community adults, schoolchildren and medical patients.

Researchers in the program use a range of technologies, including fMRI, EEG/ERP and eye-tracking, along with computer-based and smartphone-based methods. Topics addressed include:

• The influence of emotions on self-judgments
• The role of mindfulness in psychological and social well-being
• How implicit attitudes affect decision-making
• Alcohol use and aggression
• Close relationship processes

VCU is a highly collaborative environment, and students have abundant opportunities to collaborate with students and faculty in the other psychology programs, as well as with:

• The high-profile Spit for Science project
• The College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute
• The Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics
• The Collaborative Advanced Research Imaging facility

Whether a social program student is interested in social or emotional development, social health phenomena, genetics, or brain science, there are potential collaborative relationships waiting to happen.