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Welcome to the Evolutionary Social Psychology (ESP) Lab at Michigan! We conduct research on a variety of psychological topics that are informed by evolutionary thinking. In doing so, we ask not only what people do, but why and how our ancestral histories might have influenced such behaviors. We investigate questions such as:

  • What are the psychological mechanisms that protect us from, and help us manage, infectious disease? What relevant beliefs do we hold? How do we detect disease in the world? When are we right and when are we wrong? How do we control signals of sickness to further our goals?
  • How do threats and opportunities linked to other ecological features (like sex ratios, resource scarcity, and environmental unpredictability) shape how we think about others and ourselves?
  • How do people respond when evolved psychological mechanisms are mismatched to current environments?
  • What aspects of consumer decisions (e.g., food choice) are affected by these types of factors?

Interested in joining our lab?

  • Undergraduates — we recruit students each semester. The lab is currently full for Summer and Fall 2025. If you are interested in interviewing for Winter 2026, please get in touch with our lab manager, Nicole, in late October.
  • Graduates — I currently do not plan to take new students for 2026. If this changes, I will update this page.