No living organism exists in isolation. We live and act in the much larger contexts of physical and social environments, which provide the supporting structure and referents for all thought, behavior, and perception. Thus, from a psychological perspective, what takes place outside of the head is just as important as what takes place within it.
My research program investigates how the physical environments and settings that humans occupy guide and constrain the social psychological processes that take place within them. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, I seek to integrate work in social, personality, and environmental psychology with recent theoretical advancements in embodied cognition and the ecological study of perception. The primary question that I ask is: How does an individual best fit within his or her immediate physical and social context?
If you are a student interested in working with me on this research, please fill out this application form and email it back to me. To learn more about the different types projects we are working on, follow the links below.
September 12, 2018. Michala Ringquist and Caitlyn Heidenga presenting at Hope College’s Summer Research Celebration.
- Research on Group Embeddedness
How does the composition and diversity of a group influence the attitudes, beliefs, and outcomes of its members? How do these groups and communities reach consensus regarding their judgments of members?
- Research on Physical Embeddedness
How are preferences for particular physical environments guided by the personality, beliefs, and abilities of occupants, as well as the complementary structure of the setting? How can being embedded in a particular location (e.g., one’s home or territory) facilitate or hinder performance, coping, and emotional experience?