The Social and Existential Motives Lab has several ongoing projects that broadly focus on self/identity, meaning/purpose in life, religion/spirituality, culture, belonging, and human flourishing.
Recent and ongoing projects include looking at how nostalgia helps inspire people to pursue meaningful goals, how students can adopt a resilient mindset to overcome situations that challenge their sense of meaning/purpose in life, and how individual differences like culture and social class impact the sense of self and meaning in life.
Interested students should see Dr. Abeyta’s faculty webpage for more info about projects: https://abeyta.camden.rutgers.edu/
Undergraduate students must enroll in psychology independent study and attend period lab meetings.
Requirements: Pre-requisite course Method and Theory in Psychology (830:255) must be completed
Keywords/Areas of Study: Nostalgia, Social Psychology, Meaning in life, Religion/Spirituality
Hourly Time Commitment (per week): No fewer than 3 hours, and no more than 9 hours
Length of Commitment: No fewer than 2 semesters
Start Date: Ongoing
Modality: Face-to-face
Type of Opportunity:
- Credit- or course-based (e.g., independent study, capstone project)
Contact Faculty Lead:
Andrew Abeyta
Department of Psychology
Contact: andrew.abeyta@Rutgers.edu
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