Jessica Alquist, Ph.D.

Research Interests

My research focuses on self-control and agency.
My work is primarily based on the limited resource model of self-control, and I am particularly interested in the ways that self-control affects people's physical health. I am also interested in uncertainty, emotion, and how people's belief in free will affects their behavior.

If you are interested in joining my lab as a graduate student please email me. If you are interested in being an undergraduate research assistant in my lab, please fill out the application, which can be found on my laboratory's Web site.

Selected Research

• Uziel, L., Baumeister, R. F., & Alquist, J. L. (2021). What makes people want more self-control: A duo of deficiency and necessity. Motivation Science.
• Rice, L., Alquist, J. L., Penuliar, M., Donato, F. V., & Price, M. M. (2021). Engaging Students in a Research Methods Writing Lab Online. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 18-25.
• Alquist, J. L., Baumeister, R. F., Tice, D. M., & Core, T. J. (2020). What You Don't Know Can Hurt You: Uncertainty Impairs Executive Function. Frontiers in psychology, 11.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7573282/ 
• Alquist, J. L., Price, M. M., Hancock, D., Talley, A. E., & Cukrowicz, K. (2019). Exposure to negative stereotypes impairs older adults' self-control. Self and Identity, 18(2), 217-226.
• Alquist, J. L., & Baumeister, R. F. (2019). Foraging extends beyond food: Hoarding of mental energy and information seeking in response to uncertainty. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 42.
• Alquist, J. L., Baumeister, R. F., McGregor, I., Core, T. J., Benjamin, I., & Tice, D. M. (2018). Personal conflict impairs performance on an unrelated self-control task: Lingering costs of uncertainty and conflict. Journal of experimental social psychology, 74, 157-160. 
• Core, T. J., Price, M. M., Alquist, J. L., Baumeister, R. F., & Tice, D. M. (2018). Life is uncertain, eat dessert first: Uncertainty causes controlled and unemotional eaters to consume more sweets. Appetite, 131, 68-72.
• Hurst, A. C., Alquist, J. L., & Puts, D. A. (2017). Women's fertility status alters other women's jealousy and mate guarding. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(2), 191-203.
• Alquist, J. L., Ainsworth, S., Baumeister, R. F., Daly, M., & Stillman, T. F. (2015). The makings of might-have-beens: Effects of belief about free will on counterfactual thinking. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 268-283.
• Baumeister, R. F., Alquist, J. L., & Vohs, K. D. (2015). Illusions of learning: Irrelevant emotions inflate judgments of learning. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 28, 149-158.
• Alquist, J. L., Ainsworth, S. & Baumeister, R. F. (2013). Determined to conform: Disbelief in free will increases conformity. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49, 80-86.
• Conlon, K. E., Ehrlinger, J., Eibach, R. P., Crescioni, A.W., Alquist, J. L., Gerend, M. A., & Dutton, G.R. (2011). Eyes on the prize: The longitudinal benefits of goal focus on progress toward a weight loss goal. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 853-855.
• Crescioni, A. W., Ehrlinger, J., Alquist, J. L., Conlon, K. E., Baumeister, R. F., Schatschneider, C. & Dutton, G. R. (2011). High self-control predicts positive health behaviors and success in weight loss. Journal of Health Psychology, 16, 750-759.

Teaching Interests and Activities

Graduate Courses:

• Social Psychology

Undergraduate Courses:

• Research Methods
• Personality Psychology

Graduate Students

Current

• Tammy Core
• Alec Stinnett
• Jordan Rodriguez
• Hayden Holmes
• Heidi Martin
• Tyler Owens

Alumni

• Ashlee Hurst
• Mindi Price