Social Personality Research
Social-Personality Research
Description of Research
The current focus of the UT-Arlington Social Interaction Lab is the study of a number of new personality dimensions that we have introduced: adherence to conventional morality (CM), strength of sense-of-self (SOS), affect intensity for anger and frustration (AIAF), and thin-skinned ego defensiveness (ED).
In the two decades from 1988 to 2009, the major focus of our lab was the study of empathic accuracy and other aspects of intersubjective social cognition. Most of this research is summarized in Everyday Mind Reading: Understanding What Other People Think and Feel (2003).
In the decade from 1975-1985, and occasionally thereafter, our research focused primarily on personality influences on social behavior. In this research, we used the unstructured dyadic interaction paradigm to study the influences of birth order, gender roles, and various personality traits on naturally occurring social interaction. This research is summarized in Strangers in a Strange Lab: How Personality Shapes Our Initial Encounters with Others (2009).
Social Research
Dr. Kenworthy, Dr. Paulus, and students on collaborative innovation and group performance.
Description of Research
Intergroup bias, conflict & threat; Intergroup contact; Consensus estimation & social projection; Crossed and multiple categorizations.
Description of Research
Fields of Interest: Group Creativity, Group Decision Making, Teamwork, Environmental Psychology, and Organizational Behavior.
Although creativity is typically seen as an individual process, much creative activity takes place in groups and teams. The focus of our research is to understand the processes involved in group creativity and team innovation. We have discovered many factors that can enhance creativity in groups. However, only a few studies have been able to demonstrate that creative groups can outperform the creative efforts of a similar number of individuals. We are collaborating with scholars at four other universities to develop a comprehensive model of the group creative process and its application to a wide variety of creative activities. This research is supported by several grants from the National Science Foundation and the Associate Direction of National Intelligence for Analysis.