Social & Personality

Faculty members of the social/personality psychology area manage ongoing research programs geared toward improving our understanding of a wide range of psychological issues, from the very basic processes that govern how we perceive, make sense of, and relate to the world to pressing social problems.

At the very basic level, we study cognitive phenomena such as the formation of beliefs, attitudes, personality, and the unconscious. At the interpersonal level, we study the self and its relationship to others, romantic relationships, marital harmony, and interracial interactions. At the group level, we study violence, sexual aggression, social inequities, and racial and gender discrimination. Commensurate with the diversity of our interests, we utilize an array of research methodologies, including experimental, observational, longitudinal, and qualitative techniques.

We encourage you to peruse the faculty pages to obtain more detailed information about who we are and what we do. And feel free to contact any of us with questions about research or graduate training.

Our Social Behavior Research Group meets weekly during the academic year as a forum for students and faculty.

Contact Information

Department of Psychology
Austin Peay Building
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996

Phone: 865-974-3328
Fax: 865-974-3330