Department of Psychology

College of Arts & Sciences

Motivation and Cognition Laboratory

Principal Investigator: Dr. Sean McCrea

University of Wyoming
Department of Psychology, Dept. 3415
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
E-mail: smccrea@uwyo.edu

 

The Motivation and Cognition Laboratory conducts research on the interplay of motivational and cognitive processes in human behavior. Examples include the role of cognitive processes in self-regulation and achievement behavior, and the impact of motivational factors on decision making and learning.

 

Lab Members:

Alex Bitter, B.A.
    Self-handicapping among women in STEM
    Self-Control in daily life

Angel Muñoz Gómez Andrade, M.S.
    Commission errors in prospective memory
    Teaching of Psychology

Former Lab Members:

Joshua Reynolds, Ph.D., Stockton University
Richard Vann, Ph.D., Penn State Behrend
                           

Current and Recent Research Projects:

• Action phase mindsets
• Defensiveness in groups
• Self-control and regulation of health behaviors
• Self-handicapping in clinical populations
• Evolutionary approaches to exploitative and deceptive behaviors

 

Recent Publications:

Reynolds, J. J., & McCrea, S.M. (in press). Environmental Constraints on the Functionality of Inhibitory Self-Control: Sometimes you have to eat the donut. Self and Identity.

Reynolds, J. J., & McCrea, S. M. (in press). Criminal Behavior and Self-Control: Using the Dual Component Theory of Inhibition Regulation to Advance Self-Control and Crime Research. Current Psychology

Reynolds, J. J., & McCrea, S.M. (in press). Spontaneous violent and homicide thoughts in four homicide contexts. Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law

Estrada, V., Reynolds, J. J., Freng, S., & McCrea, S. M. (2017). I don’t like the cut of your jib: Perceived facial masculinity as a cue to criminality. Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, 24, 392-409.

McCrea, S. M., Geršak, G., & Novak, D. (2017). Absolute and relative user perception of classification accuracy in an affective videogame. Interacting with Computers, 29, 271-286.

Jaconis, M., Boyd, S. J., Hartung, C., McCrea, S. M., Canu, W. H., Lefler, E. K. (2016). Sex differences in claimed and behavioral self-handicapping and ADHD symptomatology. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 8, 205-214.

Freng, S., Schweitzer, K., & McCrea, S. M. (2015). Reversal of fortune: When does increased distance from an initial negligent act make one more blameworthy? Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, doi:10.1080/13218719.2015.1021735.

Reynolds, J. J., & McCrea, S.M. (2015). Exploitative and deceptive resource
acquisition strategies: The role of life history strategy and life history contingencies. Evolutionary Psychology, 13, 1474704915593664.

McCrea, S. M, Penningroth, S. L., & Radakovich, M. P. (2015). Implementation intentions forge a strong cue-response link and boost prospective memory performance. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 27, 12-26.

 

Grant Activity:

2017-2020  A Kinder, Gentler Technology: Enhancing Human-Machine Symbiosis Using Adaptive, Personalized Affect-Aware Systems, PI Domen Novak (UW), NSF 1717705

2015  Treatment noncompliance as a form of self-handicapping behavior, University of Wyoming (PI)

2014  Overcoming collective defensiveness with implementation intentions, University of Konstanz (collaboration with PI Dr. Lukas Thuermer, University of Konstanz)

 

Research Collaborators:

Dr. Matthew T. Crawford, Victoria University Wellington (New Zealand)

Dr. Peter M. Gollwitzer, New York University; University of Konstanz (Germany)

Dr. Edward R. Hirt, Indiana University

Dr. Nira Liberman, Tel Aviv University (Israel)

Dr. Lukas Thuermer, University of Konstanz

Dr. Frank Wieber, University of Konstanz (Germany)