Motivated cognition and action lab

Ongoing Research

  • The benefits of goal conflict
  • Motivational and cognitive factors underlying engagement in risk behavior (risky sexual behavior, self-harm, substance use, drinking and driving)
  • The mechanisms underlying intermittent compared to daily smoking
  • People’s failure to pursue goals that are important to them (e.g. exercising, eating a healthy diet)
  • The role of power and culture in self-regulation
  • The psychology of extreme behaviors

People

Wesley Starnes

Bachelor of Science in Psychology—University of Pittsburgh, 2017

Wesley is a Third-year Social Psychology doctoral student. His research interests focus broadly on goal systems theory and how individuals navigate the complicated world of choice through means-goal analysis. More specifically, he is interested in the principal of counterfinality and how it relates to individuals’ pursuit of different risk behaviors, such as smoking, drug use, or risky sexual behavior.

Kevin Heslip

Kevin is an undergraduate student, currently working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He would like to study Neuroscience or Clinical Psychology in graduate school and research pharmacologically supported psychotherapy. For a career, he is planning to stay in academia as a professor or become a clinician. Working with human participants in this lab provides him with valuable experience for both goals. He also works in Dr. Scott E. Bowen’s lab researching toluene abuse in mice.

My Nguyen

My name is My Nguyen. I’m a graduate from Wayne State with a Bachelor of Psychology. I’m a research assistant. I plan on getting my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in either Neuropsychology or IO psychology.

Moosa Khan

My name is Moosa Khan. I’m currently in my second year as an undergraduate psychology major with aspirations of getting a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. My interests are motivation and cognition as well as child psychology. This will be my third semester in the MCA lab.

Aaron Filmore

My name is My Nguyen. I’m a graduate from Wayne State with a Bachelor of Psychology. I’m a research assistant. I plan on getting my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in either Neuropsychology or IO psychology.

Get involved

If you want to participate in any of our research projects, please contact us at mca@wayne.edu

If you are interested to join the lab as a research assistance please contact Dr. Kopetz at catalina.kopetz@wayne.edu