People > Graduate Students

Lisa Williams
Graduate Student
Department of Psychology, 125-NI
Northeastern University
Boston, MA 02115 USA
(617) 373-8541 (office)
(617) 373-8714 (fax)
williams.l@neu.edu

• See curriculum vitae (pdf)

Advisor: David Desteno

Research

I am a third-year graduate student working towards my Ph.D. in Social Psychology with Professor David DeSteno. Broadly, my research interests focus around the role that emotion plays in shaping our everyday behavior, from working towards goals to developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. My master's work set out to elucidate the behavioral outcomes stemming from pride that arises from interpersonal acclaim. I found that proud individuals persevere longer on a tedious task than individuals feeling generally happy or individuals that could expect future success. My dissertation will address the effects of pride in interpersonal settings, looking specifically at differences in perceived dominance and liking. I am also involved in research designed to demonstrate the relationship between emotion and social attitudes or prejudice as well as research looking into the social functions of gratitude.