My scholarly interests are in Social and Personality Psychology. I use the experimental approach to test theories relevant to self and identity. My research interests are relatively broad, spanning three main research areas: (1) group stability and membership dynamics, (2) social judgement and decision-making, and (3) personality and individual differences.

In the domain of group stability and membership dynamics, I focus on the trade-off between the collective self and the individual self, how this trade-off influences group members’ exit decisions in groups with permeable boundaries, and subsequent impact of the trade-off on group performance. This research has examined the antecedents of individual members’ exit decisions, as well as subgroups of members exiting a group in conjunction with one another, both in the laboratory, and in real-world settings.

In the domain of social judgment and decision making, my research is concerned with procedural fairness (i.e., the extent to which decision-making procedures implemented by authorities are perceived by organizational members as fair). Past research has shown that procedural fairness matters to group members; it influences their cognitive, affective, and behavioural responses. But why does procedural fairness matter? My answer is that it has important implications for self-regulation. In particular, I conceptualise procedural fairness as self-affirmation: fair procedures affirm and boost the self, shielding the individual from subsequent negative information.

In the domain of personality and individual differences, my research largely focuses on subclinical narcissism, a personality characteristic consisting of an aggrandizing, entitled, and exploitative social orientation. How do narcissists strive to maintain their overly positive self-views? To address this question, I have examined their hedonism, autobiographical and nostalgic recollections, consumer patterns, and self-presentational styles. In examining the impact of narcissism on interpersonal relations I am also exploring their empathy (using self-reports and physiological responses), mimicry, and giving and receiving of social support. Further research is examining the blurred boundaries between subclinical narcissism and clinical levels of narcissistic personality disorder in a forensic sample.