Faculty & Research Published Research Research Education (-) Social Psychology Facet Area of Focus - Research Eileen Chou Sophie Trawalter Gabrielle Adams Christopher J. Ruhm Frederick P. Hitz John Holbein Noah Myung Richard Bonnie (-) Benjamin Converse Facet People - Research Facet UVA Partner - Research Published Research Social Psychology Slow Motion Increased Perceived Intent Authors: Benjamin Converse, Eugene M. Caruso, Zachary C. Burns To determine the appropriate punishment for a harmful action, people must often make inferences about the transgressor’s intent. In courtrooms and popular media, such inferences increasingly rely on video evidence, which is often played in “slow motion.” Learn more Published Research Social Psychology Investing in Karma: When Wanting Promotes Helping Authors: Benjamin Converse, A., Risen, J. L., & Carter, T. J. People often face outcomes of important events that are beyond their personal control, such as when they wait for an acceptance letter, job offer, or medical test results. We suggest that when wanting and uncertainty are high and personal control is lacking, people may be more likely to help others, as if they can encourage fate’s favor by doing good deeds proactively. Learn more Published Research Social Psychology Instrumentality boosts appreciation: Helpers are more appreciated while they are useful Authors: Benjamin Converse, A. Fishbach We propose that in social interactions, appreciation depends on the helper’s instrumentality: The more motivated one is to accomplish a goal and the more one perceives a potential helper as able to facilitate that goal, the more appreciation one will feel for that helper. Three experiments support this instrumentality-boost hypothesis by showing that beneficiaries feel more appreciation for their helpers while they are receiving help toward an ongoing task than after that task has been completed or after the helper has been deemed no longer instrumental. Learn more Published Research Social Psychology You’re having fun when time flies: The hedonic consequences of subjective time progression Authors: Benjamin Converse, A.M. Sackett, T. Meyvis, L.D. Nelson, A.L. Sackett Learn more
Published Research Social Psychology Slow Motion Increased Perceived Intent Authors: Benjamin Converse, Eugene M. Caruso, Zachary C. Burns To determine the appropriate punishment for a harmful action, people must often make inferences about the transgressor’s intent. In courtrooms and popular media, such inferences increasingly rely on video evidence, which is often played in “slow motion.” Learn more
Published Research Social Psychology Investing in Karma: When Wanting Promotes Helping Authors: Benjamin Converse, A., Risen, J. L., & Carter, T. J. People often face outcomes of important events that are beyond their personal control, such as when they wait for an acceptance letter, job offer, or medical test results. We suggest that when wanting and uncertainty are high and personal control is lacking, people may be more likely to help others, as if they can encourage fate’s favor by doing good deeds proactively. Learn more
Published Research Social Psychology Instrumentality boosts appreciation: Helpers are more appreciated while they are useful Authors: Benjamin Converse, A. Fishbach We propose that in social interactions, appreciation depends on the helper’s instrumentality: The more motivated one is to accomplish a goal and the more one perceives a potential helper as able to facilitate that goal, the more appreciation one will feel for that helper. Three experiments support this instrumentality-boost hypothesis by showing that beneficiaries feel more appreciation for their helpers while they are receiving help toward an ongoing task than after that task has been completed or after the helper has been deemed no longer instrumental. Learn more
Published Research Social Psychology You’re having fun when time flies: The hedonic consequences of subjective time progression Authors: Benjamin Converse, A.M. Sackett, T. Meyvis, L.D. Nelson, A.L. Sackett Learn more