Department of Psychology
1000 E University Ave
Dept. 3415
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 307-766-6303
Email: psyc.uw@uwyo.edu
Education
Ph.D., Indiana University 2002
B.A., Bucknell University 1996
Contact
smccrea@uwyo.edu • Bio Sciences Bldg 109
2019-present Professor, University of Wyoming
2013-2019 Associate Professor, University of Wyoming
2009-2013 Assistant Professor, University of Wyoming
2003-2009 Assistant Professor for Motivational and Social psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
My current research interests broadly focus on the interplay of motivational and cognitive processes. Our laboratory is currently focusing on defensive behaviors in a variety of contexts, particularly self-handicapping behavior and responding to crticism. Other areas of research interest include phases of goal-pursuit, behavior change, and counterfactual thinking.
* Research Methods in Psychology
* Motivation
* Advanced Social Psychology
* Social cognition
* Self-regulation
Thuermer, J. L., & McCrea, S. M. (2024). Intergroup sensitivity in a divided society:
Calls for unity and reconciliatory behavior during the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 27, 414–431.
https://doi.org/10.1177/13684302221147005
McCrea, S. M., Thuermer, J. L., Helm, M. R., Erion, C. J., & Krueger, K. P. (2024). Respecting conversational norms improves reception of expert messages among unvaccinated individuals. Health Communication, 39, 1795–1806. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2243047
Thuermer, J. L., & McCrea, S. M. (2023). Behavioral consequences of intergroup sensitivity. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 17, e12716. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12716
Thuermer, J. L., & McCrea, S. M. (2023). What motivates the vaccination rift effect? Psycho-linguistic features of responses to calls to get vaccinated differ by source and recipient vaccination status. Vaccines, 11, 503. DOI:10.3390/vaccines11030503
Wondra, T., & McCrea, S. M. (2022). Collective Self-Doubt: Does Subjective SES Predict Behavioral Self-Handicapping Tendency in College Students? Social Psychology of Education, 25, 129–167. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-021-09678-z
Thuermer, J. L., Stadler, J., & McCrea, S. M. (2022). Intergroup Sensitivity and Promoting Sustainable Consumption: Meat-eaters Reject Vegan’s Call for a Plant-based Diet. MDPI: Sustainability, 14, 1741. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/3/1741
Thuermer, J. L., & McCrea, S. M. (2022). The vaccination rift effect provides evidence that source vaccination status determines the rejection of calls to get vaccinated. Scientific Reports, 12, 18947. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-23291-w
McCrea, S. M., Erion, C. J., & Thuermer, J. L. (2022). Why punish critical outgroup commenters? Social identity, general norms, and retribution. British Journal of Social Psychology, 61, 711–728. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12508
Thuermer, J. L., & McCrea, S. M. (2022). On Efficient Mass-Media Messages During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Expertise and Expressed Social Identity. Technology, Mind, and Behavior, 3, https://tmb.apaopen.org/pub/eo6qkr07/release/2
Bitter, A. N., Wondra, T. K., McCrea, S. M., Darzi, A., & Novak, D. (2022). Does it Pay to Play?: Undermining Effects of Monetary Reward but not Gamification in a Web-based Task. Technology, Mind, and Behavior, 3 (1). https://tmb.apaopen.org/pub/jbkavq2a/release/2
2022-present RAISE: IHBEM: Understanding and Predicting Behavioral Responses to Epidemic Risks and Control Policies: Implications for Epidemiological Models and Policy Design, NSF. PI David Finnoff with CoPI Rongsong Liu, CoPI Sean McCrea, CoPI Linda Thunstrom, CoPI Stephen Newbold
2017-2020 A Kinder, Gentler Technology: Enhancing Human-Machine Symbiosis Using Adaptive, Personalized Affect-Aware Systems, PI Domen Novak (UW), NSF
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 Lab
Department of Psychology
1000 E University Ave
Dept. 3415
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 307-766-6303
Email: psyc.uw@uwyo.edu