man in test tube

Fall 2009 Lab Picture coming soon! Click here to see pictures from the Research Lab.

 

In addition to working with students on class-related research projects and supervising theses and independent studies, I also have my own on-going program of research. For more information, feel free to contact me at wolfe@muhlenberg.edu or stop by during my office hours sometime to chat.


Racism & Diversity Education

My broad interests encompass the subtle ways in which White Americans' sense of self-worth is invested in racist ideology, including the endorsement of a color-blind ideology and resistance to the notion of white privilege. Most recently my research has focused on student and faculty perceptions of diversity, and educating about diversity.  I, Dr. Janine Chi, and student collaborators have explored student attitudes toward "diversity" themed courses, the "D" requirement, and attitudes about the need to focus on diversity at a societal level. We are interested in the ways in which one's own social identity influences a person's desire to learn about diverse social identities; how the desire to be "color-blind" interacts with the desire to learn about other people and cultures; and, other related questions. This research has sparked an interest in qualitative research methods, and I am currently studying such methods.

Continuing Research Interests

Although not actively pursuing this work at present, I remain interested in self-esteem research. In particular, I am interested in what people base their self-esteem on (i.e., contingencies of worth). This work stems from a theory developed by Dr. Jennifer Crocker at the University of Michigan (my graduate school advisor). According to Crocker & Wolfe, it is important to understand not only whether a person's self-esteem is high or low - but also to understand the basis for that judgment. Some people may base self-worth on being competent, others on being liked, others on being virtuous, and so on. I am especially interested in understanding how multiple contingencies of worth operate together, and how a person "recovers" from negative feedback in an area related to a contingency of worth.

I also have an on-going interest in the experiences of members of stigmatized groups. What are the consequences of being a member of a group for whom others hold negative stereotypes? My past work in this area has included consequences for subjective well-being and academics (e.g., stereotype threat). Click here to see my vita, which includes a full list of my publications and presentations.


Getting Involved

I welcome inquiries from students who are interested in the topics described above, either to sign-on as research apprentices, or to develop your own research project in a related area. I recruit new students for the lab each semester, but most students start in the Fall term and continue through Spring. Therefore, I would be especially interested hearing from you in late Spring in order to plan for the upcoming school year. The number of students in the lab changes each semester and year as a function of the projects we are working on. I hope to maintain membership in the group such that it is composed of students from freshmen to seniors. Students in my lab help design studies, evaluate existing designs, run subjects, enter and analyze data, and work on ideas for future research. Students may volunteer or receive PSY 270 credit; advanced students may receive PSY 970 credit if they wish to do independent work related to relevant topics. We usually meet as a lab group once per week at a time that works for everyone, and the typical PSY 270 (1/2 credit) student can expect a workload of about 4 hours per week. For more information, feel free to contact me at wolfe@muhlenberg.edu.

Work conducted with student collaborators has culminated in several presentations at national and regional psychological conventions. For example, in June 2008, David Weiss, Rachel Leavitt and Lindsey Grom traveled to Chicago with me to present our fledgling work on attitudes toward diversity education. We presented the poster (also authored by Karly Rodriguez, Tom Prevete and Dr. Janine Chi) at the conference for the internationally recognized organization, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.

Students in my research lab have also been very productive outside the lab. Several students spent a summer doing research at other institutions. For example, Zeke Strober and Wendy Eichler both spent the summer before their senior year working with Dr. Andy Karpinski at Temple University. Tom Prevete and was awarded a prestigious NSF “REU” summer fellowship which he completed the summer before his senior year. After graduation, students have gone in a number of different directions. For example, Wendy Eichler was awarded a one year Professional Psychology Traineeship through the Devereux Institute of Clinical Training and Research.  Many of the lab's former students are now in graduate programs. See below for more information about past lab members.


Fall 2009 Lab Members


Representative Research

Chi, J., Wolfe, C. T., Weiss, D., Leavitt, R., Grom, L., Rodriguez, K., & Prevete, T. (2008, June). Social Justice and "Diversity Talk" at a Small Liberal Arts Institution. Poster presented at the conference for the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Chicago, Illinois. Click here to download a copy of the poster handout (PDF).

Weiss, D., Grom, L., & Leavitt, R. (2008, April). Diversity Education at Muhlenberg College. Presented at the 5th Annual Undergraduate Conference on Social Justice/Social Research, Allentown, PA.

Wolfe, C., Buck, D., Davenport, M., Lytle, J., Krantz, J. & Liwski, N. (2007, May). Approaching intelligence and avoiding stupidity: Self-determination, BIS/BAS and contingencies of worth. Poster presented at the Third International Conference on Self-Determination Theory, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Click here to download a copy of the poster (PDF).

Strober, Zeke (2007, April). Arousal as a Mediator of Stereotype Threat in Women's Math Performance. Presented at the 22nd Annual LVAIC Undergraduate Psychology Conference, Allentown, PA.

Buck, D. & Wolfe, C. (2006, May). Contingencies of worth and contingent motivation orientation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, Illinois.

Eichler, W. (2005, April). Appearance as a contingency of worth: A lab manipulation. Presented at the 20th Annual LVAIC Undergraduate Psychology Conference, Allentown, PA. Click here to download a copy of the PowerPoint presentation (PDF).

Davenport, M. (2005, April). What motivates contingencies of worth? Presented at the 20th Annual LVAIC Undergraduate Psychology Conference, Allentown, PA. Click here to download a copy of the PowerPoint presentation (PDF).


Past Lab Members (email me with an update!)