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Kristin Laurin

Kristin   Laurin
Assistant Professor, Organizational Behavior
Contact Info
KristinLaurin
Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior
Academic Area: 
Organizational Behavior

Research Statement

Kristin Laurin’s research investigates how people’s goals and motivations interact with their beliefs and ideologies – about politics, about religion, or about the nature of the world. She is especially interested in how beliefs about societal, organizational and interpersonal structures can affect people’s ability to self-regulate in pursuit of their important goals. She also studies how various motivations can shape people’s beliefs and ideologies.

Bio

Kristin Laurin’s research can be divided into two general categories. On the one hand, she is interested in understanding how people’s beliefs and ideologies can affect their ability to self-regulate in pursuit of their goals. For example, she has studied how beliefs about social justice and religion can make people better or worse at dedicating themselves to the pursuit of their long-term goals. On the other hand, she is interested in understanding the motivated nature of beliefs and ideologies themselves. For example, she has investigated how the need for control and order can change people’s religious beliefs, and how their desire to put a positive spin on their enduring circumstances can influence their beliefs about justice, and even about their relationships. Her research appears in academic journals such as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Psychological Science.

Kristin Laurin received her PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Waterloo.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Psychology, University of Waterloo, 2012
  • MA in Psychology, University of Waterloo, 2008
  • BSc (Honors) in Psychology, McGill University, 2006

Awards and Honors

  • Louise & Claude N. Rosenberg Jr. Faculty Scholar, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2014-2015

Publications

Journal Articles

Kristin Laurin, Karina Schumann, John G. Holmes. Social Psychological & Personality Science. September 2014, Vol. 5, Issue 7, Pages 777-785.
Kristin Laurin, Jason E. Plaks. Social Psychological & Personality Science. September 2014, Vol. 5, Issue 7, Pages 835-843.
Aaron C. Kay, Kristin Laurin, Gráinne M. Fitzsimons, Mark J. Landau. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 23, 2014, Vol. 143, Issue 2, Pages 486-491.
Kristin Laurin, Aaron Kay, Devon Proudfoot, Gavan Fitzsimons. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2013, Vol. 122, Issue 2, Pages 152–162.
Kristin Laurin, Danielle Gaucher, Aaron Kay. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2013, Vol. 43, Issue 4, Pages 246–254.
Kristin Laurin, David R. Kille, Richard P. Eibach. Psychological Science. 2013, Vol. 24 , Issue 8, Pages 1523-1532 .
Kristin Laurin, Azim F. Shariff, Joseph Henrich, Aaron C. Kay. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 23, 2012.
Kristin Laurin, Aaron Kay, Gráinne Fitzsimons. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2012, Vol. 102, Issue 1, Pages 4-21.
Kristin Laurin, Aaron C. Kay, Gavan J. Fitzsimons. Psychological Science. 2012, Vol. 23 , Issue 2, Pages 205-209.
Kristin Laurin, Aaron C. Kay, Steven Shepherd. Social Cognition. 2011, Vol. 29, Issue 3, Pages 360-375.
Kristin Laurin, GM Fitzsimons, Aaron Kay. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2011, Vol. 100, Issue 1, Pages 149-171.
Aaron C. Kay, David A. Moscovitch, Kristin Laurin. Psychological Science. 2010, Vol. 21, Issue 2, Pages 216-218 .
Kristin Laurin, Steven Shepherd, Aaron C. Kay. Psychological Science. 2010.
Aaron C. Kay, Danielle Gaucher, Jennifer M. Peach, Kristin Laurin, Justin Friesen, Mark P. Zanna, Steven J. Spencer. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2009, Vol. 97, Issue 3, Pages 421–434.
Aaron C. Kay, Danielle Gaucher, Jamie L Napier, Mitchell J Callan, Kristin Laurin. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. July 2008, Vol. 95, Issue 1, Pages 18-35.
Kristin Laurin, Aaron Kay, David Moscovitch. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2008, Vol. 44, Issue 6, Pages 1559–1562.

Courses Taught

Degree Courses

2015-16

Building on the discipline of social psychology, this course helps you cultivate mindsets and build skills to understand the ways in which organizations and their members affect one another. You will learn frameworks for diagnosing and resolving...

This year-long course takes a hands-on approach to learning about experimental research. It will cover the entire process of experimental research from idea and hypothesis generation to study design, analysis, and publication. The topical...

2014-15

Building on the discipline of social psychology, this course helps you cultivate mindsets and build skills to understand the ways in which organizations and their members affect one another. You will learn frameworks for diagnosing and resolving...

This year-long course takes a hands-on approach to learning about experimental research. It will cover the entire process of experimental research from idea and hypothesis generation to study design, analysis, and publication. The topical...

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April 30, 2015
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October 9, 2014
A scholar finds similarities between interpersonal connections and relationships to a higher power.
November 5, 2013
Researchers find that just reading about God can affect people's behavior on tasks, even the behavior of non-believers.

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