Graduate Student, Psychology
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Margaret S. Clark
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About
Current research with Dr. Margaret S. Clark focuses on how competing motivations may pull attention away from one's partner, and how that might influence interpersonal interactions. We have found robust evidence that some motivations reduce the influence of information which is typically perceived automatically. Since much of what transpires during social interactions is transmitted through non-deliberative channels, such as the automatic reading of facial expressions and body language, we expect that a reduced influence of such information has significant social consequences.
In a second line of research with both Dr. Margaret Clark and Dr. John Bargh, we investigate behavioral manifestations of non-conscious emotion regulation mechanisms. It has long been thought in psychology that we have mechanisms such as cognitive dissonance reduction, self-deception, self-justification, and positive illusions (just to name a few) that work best outside of our conscious awareness to shield us from feeling bad. Gilbert (1998) proposed that these mechanisms are an automatic “psychological immune system that serves to protect the individual from an overdose of gloom.” We illustrate moment to moment behavioral phenomena that arise out of this protective immune system. More to come...
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