Kathryn Aldstadt

Biography

I am a graduate student in the psychology department working with Professor Allen McConnell in the PASS lab. I am interested in pro-environmental attitudes and behavior through the lens of social dominance orientation, self-transcendent and self-interested emotions, and the stereotype content model. I also have a strong interest in public transportation, car culture, and urban design.

Education

I graduated from Butler University in May 2022 with a major in psychology and minors in neuroscience and environmental science. In August 2022, I started my graduate education at Miami University and received my Master of Arts degree in May 2024. My master's thesis concerns how social dominance orientation and self-transcendent emotions, specifically awe, can interact to influence one's pro-environmental attitudes and behavior.

Research Interests

Aside from my master's thesis, my other large ongoing project in the PASS lab concerns our perceptions of the planet and animals according to perceived warmth and competence, as informed by the stereotype content model (SCM; Cuddy et al., 2008). In February 2023, I presented this research at the Miami University Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and won first place, which allowed me to present my research at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) regional competition. I also have strong personal interests in car culture and public transportation. If I could recommend one book to everyone, it would be Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates, as it provides a thorough analysis of incel and pick up artist culture and how even mild forms of misogyny can lead to extreme violence against women.

Courses Taught

I have taught the lab section of PSY 293: Statistics and Research Methods in Fall 2023 and am currently teaching PSY 221: Intro to Social Psychology in Fall 2024.

Publications

Aldstadt, K. M. (2024). Awe, Social Dominance Orientation, and Promoting Sustainability [Master's thesis, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center