My research interests are primarily in examining the interface between motivation and cognition. Interest in group dynamics, social motivation, and relating these two fields also continues.

The specific substantive areas are as follows: (1) Motivation and Cognition: A theory of individual difference in thought and action is being developed and hypotheses tested. This stems from research relating uncertainty orientation to achievement behaviour. The theory is currently being applied to numerous areas of social psychology (e.g., social influence, social comparison, group polarization, attitude change and persuasion) and general psychology (e.g., cognitive, developmental, clinical, industrial/organizational). (2) Group Dynamics: The study of social influence and other group processes as a function of the interaction between personality and situational determinants. Current research involves extending the theory of thought and action in order to predict leadership, conformity and group performance. (3) Learning and Cognitive Development: From the above research, we are now closely examining the development of thought and action and investigating its implications for teaching and education. This research is being conducted here and cross-culturally.