Welcome to the Lickel Human Relations Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst!
Research in the Human Relations Lab focuses on the dynamics of individual and group-based processes related to social issues, such as climate change, environmental issues, and intergroup conflict. Much of this research focuses on how people perceive and interpret events related to these topics and how these interpretations influence their emotions, behaviors, and support for different social and political policies.
Interested in working in the HR Lab as a research assistant ? Visit our contact page.
Lab News
The HR Lab is presenting at The Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Virtual Conference 2021.
SPSP "strives to advance the science, teaching, and application of social and personality psychology." Two posters will be presented, led by Joel Ginn and Andrea Mah. The first poster presents work examining how people respond to messages about meat's impact on the environment when it's presented by a vegetarian as an all-or-nothing change as compared to a more flexible message that promotes meat reduction but not elimination. The second presents recent findings on geographic variation in how people have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Publication in the Journal of Social Issues
Read Joel Ginn's new article in a special issue of the Journal of Social Issues on perceptions of the environmental impacts of meat. Check it out at our recently updated Publications page. This article is part of the Special Issue “Sustainable consumption: The psychology of individual choice, identity, and behavior;” Matthew B Ruby, Iain Walker and Hanne M Watkins (Special Issue Editors).