Elaine Perunovic

Other titles

Director, Experimental Program

My research interests lie primarily in the fields of social and personality psychology, with a particular focus on the influence of culture on human thoughts, emotions and behaviours.

Specifically, I investigate how cultural contexts shape self-concept and identity, as well as the mechanisms of goal motivation and subjective well-being within diverse cultural settings.

Additionally, my work explores the nuances of contextualized personality, examining how personalities manifest and evolve in different social and cultural environments. I am also interested in the dynamics of interpersonal relationships, and how they are affected by cultural factors, including the impacts of bilingualism and multiculturalism on social interactions and personal identity.

Furthermore, my research extends to the processes of cultural adaptation and how individuals adjust to new cultural contexts, both psychologically and behaviorally.

Selected publications

Kifer, Y., Heller, D., Perunovic, W.Q.E., & Galinsky, A.D. (2013). The good life of the powerful: The experience of power and authenticity enhance subjective well-being. Psychological Science, 24(3), 280-288.

Perunovic, W.Q.E., Heller, D., Ross, M., & Komar, S. (2011) The within-person dynamics of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, affective states, and cultural identification: A diary study of bicultural individuals. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2, 635-641.

Wood, J. V., Perunovic, W.Q.E., & Lee, J.W. (2009). Positive self-statements: Power for some, peril for others. Psychological Science, 20, 860-866.

Perunovic, W.Q.E., & Wilson, A.E. (2008). Subjective proximity of future selves: Implications for current identity, future appraisal, and goal pursuit motivation. In K. Markman, W. M. P. Klein, & J. Suhr (Eds.), Handbook of imagination and mental simulation (pp. 347-358). New York: Psychology Press.

Perunovic, W.Q.E., Heller, D., & Rafaeli, E. (2007). Within-person changes in the structure of emotion: The role of cultural identification and language. Psychological Science, 18, 607-613.

Perunovic, W.Q.E., Ross, M., & Wilson, A.E. (2005). Language, culture, and conceptions of the self. In R. M. Sorrentino, D. Cohen, J. M. Olson, & M. P. Zanna (Eds.), Culture and social behavior: The Ontario symposium, Vol. 10 (pp. 165-180). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Ross, M., Xun, W.Q.E., & Wilson, A.E. (2002). Language and the bicultural self. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1040-1050.

Education

• B.A. (Hons.) University of Waterloo
• Ph.D. (Social and Cultural Psychology) University of Waterloo
• Postdoctoral Research Training (Social Psychology) Wilfrid Laurier University

Teaching

• Undergraduate courses
  • Applied Social Psychology (PSYC 3403)
  • Culture and Psychology (PYSC 3443)
  • Social Psychology Seminar (PSYC 4403)
  • Introductory Psychology II (PSYC 1023)

Professional awards

• Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada Standard Research Grant, 2010
• Nominee for the SSHRC Aurora Prize for Outstanding New Researcher, 2010
• Harrison McCain Foundation Young Scholar Award, 2008
• Short-listed for Faculty of Arts Excellence in Teaching Award, UNB, 2008
• Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2007
• Nominee for Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Waterloo, 2004
• National Sciences and Engineering Research Council Doctoral Fellowship, 2000, 2002
• Honours Thesis Award, University of Waterloo, 2000