The Emotion & Self Lab
In the Emotion and Self Lab at the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, we study the process, structure, expression, and regulation of emotions and self. Much of our research is focused on self-conscious emotions (pride, shame, embarrassment, and guilt) — emotions that are intricately entwined with complex self-evaluative processes. But we also study more basic level emotions, such as anger, fear, sadness, and happiness. We use a wide range of methods to study emotional processes, including behavioral observation and coding, social-cognitive techniques (e.g., reaction time assessment, eye-tracking), cross-cultural and cross-species comparisons, narrative assessment, and physiological (e.g., hormone) assessment; and we use experimental, cross-sectional, and longitudinal designs. In an effort to improve the study of self-conscious emotions, we have developed several measurement tools that are available to other researchers. These tools can be downloaded or copied and pasted from this website.
Featured Projects »
The Emergence of Status Hierarchies
Status differences are universal in all known human societies, and they partially determine patterns of resource allocation, conflict, mating, and group coordination. However, there’s little systematic research into questions of why and how hierarchies emerge. [...]
Read more »Origins and Functions of the Nonverbal Pride and Shame Expressions
This line of research examines the evolutionary origins and functions of the pride and shame expressions. [...]
Read more »Featured Blog Post »
Featured Media »
Two ways to the top: Evidence that dominance and prestige are distinct yet viable avenues to social rank and influence
Cheng, Tracy, Foulsham, Kingstone, & Henrich (2013).
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Featured Recruitment »
Undergraduate Research Participants
If you are a UBC student and would like to participate in a study currently being conducted in the Emotion and Self Lab, please go to the Subject Pool website and sign up. Our studies are conducted on the second and third floors of the Kenny Building at UBC (2136 West Mall), or on-line. We greatly appreciate your participation! If you want to know more about the purpose or findings of a study you participated in, send an email to jeff.emoselflab@gmail.com with the name of the study.
Read more »Latest News »
New research by Alec Beall and Jess Tracy shows that women are more likely to dress in red when they are at peak fertility– first evidence for an observable behavioral display that cues ovulation. Read the paper, now in press at Psych Science.
Nonverbal displays of shame predict relapse and worsened health, months later, among recovering alcoholics. Read the paper by Dan Randles and Jess Tracy, now in press at Clinical Psych Science. Read Huffington Post coverage here.
New research by Joey Cheng, Jess Tracy, and other UBC collaborators showing that Dominance and Prestige are both effective routes to social influence, now published at JPSP. Read the CNN story here.
New research from Will Dunlop and Jess Tracy suggests that newly sober alcoholics who talk about their last drink in redemptive terms are over 40% more likely to stay sober, months later, than those who don’t. Narrated redemption also predicts improvements in health. Read the paper, just published in JPSP.
Nonverbal pride displays function to bias social learning. Read Jason Martens’ and Jess’ paper– online early edition now available at SPPS.
Upcoming Talks »
Jess Tracy, “The Irrepressible Communicative Power of the Emotion Expressions of Pride and Shame”
In the symposium,“Face it! Context reveals what the face conceals” (H. Aviezer, Chair), at the annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science. Washington DC.
May, 2013
Joey Cheng, “Listen, follow me: Changes in vocal pitch predict leader emergence.”
In the symposium,“Psychophysical cues to fertility, leadership capacity, trustworthiness, and health” (J.T. Cheng, & J.L. Tracy, Chairs), at the annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science.
Washington DC.
May, 2013
Alec Beall, “The Little Red Dress Spells Reproductive Success.”
In the symposium,“Psychophysical cues to fertility, leadership capacity, trustworthiness, and health” (J.T. Cheng, & J.L. Tracy, Chairs), at the annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science.
Washington DC.
May, 2013
Joey Cheng, “Listen, follow me: Changes in vocal pitch predict leader emergence.”
In the symposium,“Causes and consequences of individual differences in social status: New insights from research on nonverbal behavior, neuroendocrinology, health, and self-regulatory goals” (J.T. Cheng, & J.L. Tracy, Chairs), at the biennial meeting of the Association for Research in Personality.
Charlotte, NC
June, 2013
Aaron Weidman, “The Jingle and Jangle of Emotion Assessment: Imprecise Measurement, Casual Scale Usage, and Conceptual Fuzziness in Discrete Emotion Research.”
At the biennial meeting of the International Society for Research in Emotion
Berkeley, CA
August, 2013
