Projects in Evolutionary Psychology Supervised by Keelah Williams
Professor Williams will supervise research projects in evolutionary or social psychology in either the fall or the spring semester. Depending on the students’ interest and demonstrated preparation, projects will involve either (1) conducting a literature review and writing a research proposal or (2) collecting data and writing an empirical paper. While Professor Williams is open to working with students on a variety of topics, her expertise is in the following:
Evolution and Human Behavior
Humans have faced recurrent adaptive challenges throughout our evolutionary history. How might this influence our psychology today? How do fundamental goals pursued by all human beings (e.g., avoiding disease, finding mates, acquiring resources, caring for kin) shape behaviors ranging from electing leaders to purchasing consumer products? My research draws upon evolutionary theory to help understand behavior in areas as diverse as cooperation, social influence, prejudice, and punishment.
Friendship Psychology
Friendships are essential to human thriving, yet they have received far less attention in the psychological literature than romantic relationships. My research explores how people navigate the many challenges of friendship, including choosing and being chosen as a friend, keeping/maintaining existing friendships, and ending detrimental relationships.
Psychology and Law
A growing body of literature applies psychological principles to a legal context. My research focuses on how features of the individual and their surrounding environment influence legal decision-making. For example, do expressions of disgust increase jurors’ tendency to conform? Does feeling contempt towards a perpetrator increase people’s willingness to impose a death sentence? How do we determine the future threats and benefits an offender might pose?
Social Perception
The goal of the social mind is to evaluate others’ affordances. My research investigates this process, focusing primarily on the origin and content of stereotypes. Why do we perceive groups as possessing particular characteristics? What implications do these inferences have for the way we behave towards others? I have examined these questions in relation to race, sex, age, and SES stereotypes.