2008 Student Grant Competition Winners

Michael Morrow

A Daily Diary Study of Children's Negative Peer Experiences and Daily Functioning

Michael T. Morrow, University of Delaware

"This study will examine the impact of a broad range of negative peer experiences on
children's daily functioning. Daily diaries will be used to repeatedly assess fifth-grade children's peer experiences, affect, and perceived social competence across 10 school days. Data will also be obtained on general patterns of aggression, depressive symptoms, and peer rejection. This study has three specific aims: 1) to examine the unique and joint effects of negative peer experiences on children's daily affect and daily perceived social competence, 2) to test whether four individual characteristics (gender, aggression, depressive symptoms, and peer rejection) influence children's experience of negative peer experiences, and 3) to explore whether the same individual characteristics heighten children's reactivity to negative peer experiences."
Anna-Kaisa Newheiser

Sexual Objectification as a Form of Dehumanization

Anna-Kaisa Newheiser, Yale University

"Sexual objectification occurs when an individual is treated as a mere body or
collection of body parts. In contrast to prior research that has focused almost exclusively on self-objectification, in the present research we examine the consequences of sexually objectifying other people. In particular, we propose that objectification can be characterized as a form of dehumanization. By providing evidence for this proposal, we aim to broaden the conceptualization of sexual objectification and point to practical implications for the ways in which individuals are portrayed in the mass media."

 

Lindsay Nelson

The Neurobiological Basis of Performance Monitoring and Relationships to Impulse Control Disorders

Lindsay Nelson, University of Minnesota

"My research focuses on how people monitor and adjust their behavior according to goals, as well as the relationship between impulse control disorders (e.g., antisocial personality disorder and substance use disorders) and self-monitoring. The performance monitoring literature recognizes two types of monitoring: monitoring one's own behavior (i.e., endogenous action monitoring) and monitoring external feedback about one's performance from the environment (i.e., exogenous action monitoring). Although people with impulse control problems show deficits in endogenous action monitoring, they largely process external performance information normally. This superiority of exogenous performance monitoring has implications for developing interventions that capitalize on the strengths of individuals' with impulse control problems. This study will attempt to better understand the neural processes underlying endogenous and exogenous action monitoring for the purpose of elucidating the neurobiological nature of impulse control problems."
Adam Waytz

Social Connection and Seeing Human

Adam Waytz, University of Chicago

"The current research tests the idea that motivation for social connection is a primary determinant of anthropomorphism. When individuals feel isolated from other humans, one potentially creative strategy to satisfy this social motivation is to treat non-humans (e.g. spiritual deities, technology, pets) as humanlike agents, capable of social support. Anthropomorphizing also should promote well-being by decreasing feelings of isolation. Just as social deprivation should stimulate seeing human, when one's affiliation needs are adequately met, the need to see human diminishes, facilitating dehumanization. This research will also test the notion that experiencing high levels of social affiliation can decrease people's natural tendency to perceive basic human qualities in others."