Laboratories : Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences : UMass Amherst

Faculty in the Psychological and Brain Sciences department operate many different research labs, including:

Affect and Social Cognition Lab

Our lab investigates the ways in which emotions influence ordinary, everyday information processing and judgment across a wide variety of important social psychological and real-world domains.
Principal Investigator: Linda Isbell
https://sites.google.com/umass.edu/umass-ascl/home
Tobin 643

Aging Cognition and Emotion Lab

Dr. Ready studies the interface between cognition and emotion in normal aging and in older adults suffering from neurodegenerative disease and mild cognitive impairment.
Principal Investigator: Rebecca Ready
https://sites.google.com/site/agingcognitionemotionlab/

Clinical Affective Science Lab (CASL)

Research on the emotions and personality disorder characteristics and their treatment.
Principal Investigator: Katherine Dixon-Gordon
http://www.caslumass.com
Tobin 303G

Cognitive & Developmental Neuroscience Lab

In our lab we study human cognition and cognitive development using behavioral and neuroimaging (fMRI and EEG) measures in children, adolescents, and adults.
Principal Investigator: Joonkoo Park
http://www.codeneuro.net/
Tobin 305

Culture and Morality Lab

Our research lab, Culture and Morality Lab (CaM-L), broadly investigates the co-evolution of culture and psychology. Specifically, we examine the differences and similarities in moral values, social norms, and decision-making across diverse cultures. Additionally, we employ advanced computational methods, including Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, to address questions related to social psychology.
Principal Investigator: Mohammad Atari
https://blogs.umass.edu/matari/

Disability, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (DICE) Lab

In this lab, we explore the experience of children and adults with disabilities in family, community and higher education settings.
Principal Investigator: Ashley Woodman
https://websites.umass.edu/dice/
Bartlett 7B

Dynamic Memory Modeling Lab

In the lab, we explore how people remember events and make simple decisions by analyzing the time course of these processes. We also test ways to help people rationally respond to new information.
Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Starns
https://blogs.umass.edu/jstarns/

Family Relationships, Affective Science, & Minority Health (FAM) Lab

Here at the FAM Lab, we're interested in gaining a better understanding of how family relationships can yield benefits for mental health among youth from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. We approach this question through a biopsychosocial lens, and examine biological (hormones), psychological (emotion regulation), and social (cultural values) factors that might explain the impact social relationships have on mental health.
Principal Investigator: Evelyn Mercado
https://sites.google.com/view/famlabumass/
Tobin 303B

Healey Lab

Research in the Healey lab is focused on the neural basis of natural behavior.
Principal Investigator: Luke Remage-Healey
http://www.umass.edu/healeylab

Hormones & Cognition Lab

Sex hormones and cognition across the lifespan.
Principal Investigator: Agnès Lacreuse
https://www.lacreuselab.com/

Human Relations Lab

Focuses on how people behave in response to societal threats, particularly climate change.
Principal Investigator: Brian Lickel
https://sites.google.com/view/human-relations-lab/home
Tobin 421

Implicit Social Cognition Lab

Principal Investigator: Nilanjana Dasgupta
http://www.implicitdasgupta.org

Individual Differences in Development Lab

We study the development of individual differences in behavioral, social-emotional and cognitive outcomes, with emphasis on parenting, home and school environments and how these interact with biological factors.
Principal Investigator: Kirby Deater-Deckard
http://blogs.umass.edu/kdeaterdeck
Tobin 306

Infant Cognition Lab

Principal Investigator: Erik Cheries
http://infantcoglab.wix.com/home

Intergroup Relations and Social Justice Lab

Our research examines relations between groups to consider how legacies of inequality and conflict shape group members’ views of each other and the society in which they live, as well as their motivations for social change. We also seek to identify and test strategies that can foster improved relations between groups while also achieving ever-greater levels of social equality and justice.
Principal Investigator: Linda Tropp
https://lindatropp.com/

Karatsoreos Lab Website

Principal Investigator: Ilia Karatsoreos
http://www.karatsoreoslab.org

Language, Intersensory Perception, & Speech (LIPS) Lab

Auditory and audiovisual speech perception.
Principal Investigator: Alexandra Jesse
http://lips.psych.umass.edu
Tobin 649

Learning Lab

Our research explores cognitive and emotional processes that support the development of self-regulation skills throughout childhood.
Principal Investigator: Jennifer M. McDermott
http://umasslearninglab.com/
Tobin 205 or 647

Moorman Lab

Cellular and network mechanisms of motivation, learning, and executive functions. Neural function in animal models of addiction, ADHD, obesity, and depression. Neurotechnology and neural computation.
Principal Investigator: David Moorman
https://www.moormanlab.org/

Neuro Learning & Performance Laboratory

Principal Investigator: Youngbin Kwak
http://kwaklab.com/

Neurocognition and Perception Laboratory

Neurocognitive research on basic auditory perception, speech perception, and selective attention with the goal of helping listeners (including children and older adults) understand speech in noise.
Principal Investigator: Lisa Sanders
http://ncap.psych.umass.edu/
Tobin 655

Psychotherapy Research Lab

Our research focuses on diverse aspects of psychotherapy process, outcome, integration, and implementation. More precisely, we are keenly interested in examining patient and dyadic characteristics and in-session processes that influence treatment outcomes; developing and testing context-responsive therapeutic interventions; and establishing, understanding, and leveraging therapist differences in effectiveness.
Principal Investigator: Michael Constantino
https://sites.google.com/site/constantinotherapyresearchlab/
Tobin 143, 145

RDCL

Reasoning, decision-making, and computational modeling laboratory.
Principal Investigator: Andrew Cohen
http://blogs.umass.edu/rdcl/
Tobin 508

Richardson Lab

The Richardson Laboratory studies the neurobiology of stress and addiction. For more information about our research and available positions, see our website: www.richardsonlab-umass.com
Principal Investigator: Heather Richardson
http://www.richardsonlab-umass.com

Self-Regulation, Emotions, & Early Development (SEED) Lab

Principal Investigator: Adam Grabell
https://seedlabumass.com/
Tobin 664F

Social Processes and Health Lab

Principal Investigator: Allecia Reid
http://blogs.umass.edu/spahlab/
Tobin 651

Somneurolab

Brain functions underlying sleep's benefit on cognition and how this changes across the lifespan
Principal Investigator: Rebecca Spencer
http://www.somneurolab.com
Life Science Labs S360

UMass Eyetracking Lab

Principal Investigator: Adrian Staub
http://blogs.umass.edu/eyelab/
Tobin 206

Violence & Trauma Across the Lifespan (ViTAL) Lab

Principal Investigator: Maria M. Galano
https://www.vitallab.info
Tobin 303L

Visual Cognition and Attention Lab

Attention and high level visual functions such as object recognition.
Principal Investigator: Kyle Cave
http://blogs.umass.edu/vcalab
Tobin 201E

Work and Family Transitions Project

Principal Investigator: Maureen Perry-Jenkins
http://blogs.umass.edu/wftp/
Tobin 604