Jessica Alquist, Ph.D.

Research Interests

My research focuses on self-control and agency. I am interested in questions such as:

• What factors increase (and decrease) people's likelihood at succeeding at self-control?
• How does uncertainty mobilize individuals to influence outcomes?
• How does belief in free will affect behavior? What contributes to people's belief in free will?

If you are interested in joining my lab as a graduate student please email me at Jessica.alquist@ttu.edu. If you are interested in being an undergraduate research assistant in my lab, please fill out the application, which can be found on my lab's website.

Funding

Implications of Desire for Self-Control
Binational Science Foundation
Role: PI (with Liad Uziel)
September 2017 – September 2019

Economic Decisions under Stress
TTU Seed Grant for Interdisciplinary Research
Role: Co-PI (PI: Darren Hudson)
April 2017 – October 2018

Selected Publications

• Martin, H.K.,* Stinnett, A.J.,* Rodriguez, J.E.,* Holmes, H.,*, Alquist, J.L., & Uziel, L. (2023). Locked down and divided: Political orientation moderates the effects of considering a future lockdown. Current Psychology. Advanced Online Publication. doi:10.1007/s12144-022-04208-2
• A.J., Stinnett* & Alquist, J.L. (2022). Distinguishing free will from moral responsibility when measuring free will beliefs: The FWS-II. Philosophical Psychology. Advanced Online Publication. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09515089.2022.2139232
• A.J. Stinnett* & Alquist, J.L. (2022). Consider the tumor: Brain tumors decrease punishment via perceptions of free will. Philosophical Psychology. Advanced Online Publication. DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2022.2052830
• Uziel, L., Baumeister, R. F., & Alquist, J. L. (2021). What makes people want more self-control: A duo of deficiency and necessity. Motivation Science.
• 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., 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

*Graduate student co-author

 

Teaching Interests & Activities

Graduate Courses:

• Social Psychology

Undergraduate Courses:

• Research Methods
• Social Psychology