Research
Research in our lab integrates social, cognitive, and biological approaches to explore dynamics of fundamental social motives, in particular power and mating.
Power and Social Hierarchy
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Power is a fascinating construct with a long history in the social sciences. In psychology, we typically think of power as the ability to control resources and influence the outcomes of others. In this sense, a babysitter, little league coach, and Fortune 500 CEO all have power. Our lab seeks to understand the cognitive, motivational, and behavioral dynamics of having (or lacking) power. We're also interested in two distinct paths to attaining social status: dominance and prestige. Some of our work has shown, for example, that power fundamentally changes the way people think about, and sacrifice for, the preservation of natural resources.
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Dynamics of Mating
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Love, they say, is a battlefield, which raises several interesting questions: What qualities do men and women look for in a potential mate? Why do men and women tend to get jealous in different ways? How do people keep their relationships intact and fend off romantic rivals? These questions reflect recurring adaptive problems throughout human history. Our lab incorporates different theories and research to understand principles of mate attraction and mate retention. For example, our work has shown that men and women engage in strategic mate retention efforts corresponding with their levels of dominance and prestige motivation.
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Social Health
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Recently, our lab has begun integrating research on power-related dynamics and mating psychology with aspects of social health. For instance, we recently studied correlates of psychological well-being among college student leaders. And in the domain of mating, we found that, compared to low-frequency exercisers, high-frequency exercisers reported a higher self-perceived mate value and a higher ideal partner mate value, suggesting that exercise frequency is linked to mate selection. As we continue to merge these lines of inquiry, we aim to provide novel insights into social psychological determinants of health and wellness.
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Media Coverage
For recent media coverage of Dr. Conlon's research, check out:
- "Personality Shapes Mate-Poaching Tactics, According to New Study on the Psychology of Partner Stealing"
- Podcast episode: "The Last Show with David Cooper"
