Social Psychology Concentration

Psychological and Brain Sciences

Welcome to Social Psychology

Students attending a summer camp stand inside a small laboratory space and observe a female graduate student place an EEG electrode cap on a male graduate student.

University of Delaware graduate students demonstrate an EEG electrode cap to students attending a summer workshop on neuroscience.

The social psychology program in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Delaware focuses on interpersonal, intergroup, motivation, and social cognitive processes. Our faculty members use social neuroscience or psychophysiology methods, making the area the largest social neuroscience program in the world. We invite graduate students to join us in the excitement of research of social phenomena. We have a good track record of placing our graduate students into academic institutions and research-focused jobs.

Nature and goals of the program

The social psychology program operates on an apprenticeship model by which students work closely with a faculty member on theory-driven research. This model strongly encourages students to work with more than one faculty member during their training. Active research experience leading to published research is a key element of our program.

Depending on a student's interests, the majority of research may be conducted in laboratory settings or in such applied settings as schools or community centers. We are a highly interdisciplinary program, utilizing methods from multiple domains to study questions of societal import. Our overarching goal is to provide graduate students with the means to examine issues of interest with a similar approach.

Rigorous research

Researchers with the social psychology program explore topics such as psychoneuroendocrinology, social attachment, health and health disparities, stereotyping, prejudice and stigma, identity development and maintenance, motivation, impression formation, emotion, and social decision-making. Visit Our People to learn more about the research interests of individual faculty.

We employ a variety of methodologies including social neuroscience (using EEG, fMRI, and genetics), psychophysiological (e.g., EKG and hormones), experimental, and big data techniques. Our laboratories are well-equipped to record a variety of physiological and behavioral measures, and our research-dedicated fMRI imaging center is conveniently located adjacent to our laboratories.

Mentor-based training

Students work closely with faculty mentors to develop research skills, analyze data, and write scholarly papers. The mentor-based training prepares students for careers in academic institutions and other settings where strong skills in research methodology and statistical analysis are desirable. Our students receive cutting-edge training in advanced statistical methodologies, interdisciplinary methodologies, and have ready access to researchers across disciplines who conduct complementary research.

Our faculty and students strive to apply transparent and open research practices. Our weekly Brown-Bag Series provides a platform to discuss current research activities with faculty and fellow students in a supportive environment that builds confidence and provides constructive feedback.

Award-winning faculty

Our faculty have extensive publication records and international reputations. They have obtained research funding from the National Institutes for Mental Health, Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute for Nursing Research, the National Institute for General Medical Sciences, and the National Institutes for Aging. They serve on the editorial boards of leading journals in the field of social psychology and social neuroscience. Faculty members have won national awards including the Caryl Rusbult Close Relationships Early Career Award, Ford Foundation Senior Fellowship, the Society for the Science of Motivation Early Career Award, and numerous "Rising Star" awards by the Association for Psychological Science.