| |
Institution
University of Western Ontario
Current Position
Professor
Highest Degree
Ph.D. in Psychology from State University of New York--Buffalo, 1971
Research Interests
 | Culture/Ethnicity |
| Group Processes |
| Motivation/Goal Setting |
| Persuasion/Social Influence |
|
|
| | |
Richard Sorrentino
Department of Psychology
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario N6A 5C2
Canada
Home Page
Phone: (519) 661-2111, x84658
Fax: (519) 661-3961
|
|
|
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.
 Books:
 Higgins, E. T., & Sorrentino, R. M. (Eds). (1990). The handbook of motivation and cognition: Foundations of social behavior (Vol. 2). New York: Guilford.
- Sorrentino, R. M., & Higgins, E. T. (Eds). (1996). The handbook of motivation and cognition: The interpersonal context (Vol. 3). New York: Guilford.
- Sorrentino, R. M., & Roney, C. J. R. (1999). The uncertain mind. New York: Psychology Press.
Journal Articles:
- Sorrentino, R. M., Smithson, M. L. , Hodson, G., Roney, C. J. R., & Walker, M. A. A (2003). Theory of uncertainty orientation: A mathematical reformulation. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 47(2), 132‑149.
Other Publications:
- Sorrentino, R. M., & Higgins, E. T. (1986). Motivation and cognition: Warming to synergism. In R. M. Sorrentino & E. T. Higgins (Eds.), The handbook of motivation and cognition: Foundations of social behavior (pp. 3-10). New York: Guilford.
|
| |