About the Bloggers/Researchers

We are researchers studying a wide variety of topics in psychology who have an interest in applying what we learn to real life issues. Below, you can learn more about us.


Juliana Breines is a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. Her current research examines (1) how interpersonal processes shape the way people treat themselves, and (2) how constructive and destructive forms of self-treatment impact outcomes such as self-improvement motivation and health-relevant behaviors. She can be reached at jbreines@berkeley.edu.

Amie Gordon is a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on prosocial cognitions and emotions in romantic relationships. Specifically, her current projects focus on (1) appreciation, (2) power dynamics, and (3) perspective taking. She received her M.A. in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.

website: https://sites.google.com/site/
amiemgordon/


Michael W. Kraus is an assistant professor at Yale University in the School of Management. His research focuses on (1) power and status, (2) emotion, empathy, and psychophysiology, and (3) the self and close relationships. Michael received his PhD in social psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.
twitter: mwkraus 
website: www.michaelwkraus.com





Kate Reilly Thorson is a doctoral student in social psychology at New York University. In her current research, she explores the influence of emotion and stress on behavior and the mechanisms underlying self-regulation.






Emeritus Blogger/Researcher


Anna Luerssen is (also) a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Anna is currently involved in two lines of research: (1) the development of self-control abilities in childhood, and the implications of self-control for academic and social functioning, and (2) the ways in which interpersonal vulnerabilities, like low self-esteem, impact how we process compliments and other forms of social acceptance from significant others. Anna received her M.A. in psychology from the University of CaliforniaBerkeley in 2009.

Olga Antonenko Young is a Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley. Her interests focus broadly on morality, religion, and emotion. One line of research investigates how religious and political orientations predict moral judgments about equality and justice.  A second line of research investigates how spirituality influences the experience of emotion, including general positive affect as well as concrete states such as awe and forgiveness. You can find more information about her research at olga-antonenko-young.com.

Maya Kuehn is a Ph.D. candidate in social and personality psychology at UC Berkeley. She has two primary lines of research, examining: 1. How social power affects interpersonal dynamics, and 2. The intersection of self-control and emotion regulation.