Social psychologists study how behaviors and beliefs are shaped by the social context in which people are embedded. Cornell social psychologists have studied status beliefs about gender and their impact on career choices; bargaining and power in exchange; the foundations of collective action; the emergence and diffusion of social norms; cooperation and trust; and the role of emotions in exchange. They use a variety of methods, including lab experiments, audit studies, network analysis, agent-based modeling, simulation models, and survey data analysis.
Cornell offers extensive resources for social psychology training and research. Students can take advantage of courses offered in Sociology and Psychology. Students and faculty have access to three experimental labs, all of which are “wired” for computer-based experiments: the Social Dynamics Laboratory (3rd floor Uris), the Social Science Research Laboratory (3rd floor Uris), and a social psychology lab in ILR. An intellectual focal point is a biweekly “lab group” where participants discuss and receive feedback on their social psychology projects.