Social Psychology and Personality

The Social Psychology and Personality program at Iowa State University is grounded in basic and applied research. The faculty are internationally recognized for their contributions to the areas of attitudes, aggression, culture, health, media violence, personality, sleep, judgment and decision-making, social cognition, and quantitative psychology. Several faculty in the social area affiliate with the department’s concentration in psychology and law or one or more of the department’s research clusters. Faculty are supported by external research grants from the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Institute of Justice, and private foundations.

About the program

Graduate students in the program learn the theoretical and conceptual bases of social psychology and personality, acquire strong methodological and statistical competencies, and develop critical skills in the areas of teaching and writing through coursework, empirical research, and interactions with their major professor(s). Students and faculty disseminate their research through conference presentations and publications. Most social and personality area graduate students obtain academic positions in universities and colleges, though some pursue career options in private or government sectors. Historically, all graduate students in the social and personality area have been fully funded as research and/or teaching assistants throughout their time in the program.

First year students become involved in the research programs of one or two social faculty immediately upon entering the program. The department prides itself on the relatively low student-to-faculty ratio, which allows for extensive individualized training. By the end of the first year, students are ready to begin the development of their master’s thesis research. Following the successful defense of their master’s thesis and completion of preliminary exams, each student works closely with their major professor, developing and carrying out a variety of research ideas, one of which culminates in the dissertation proposal. Students become increasingly independent throughout this process, and ultimately develop the competencies and experience to transition into research and teaching position in both academia and industry. Admissions decisions are based on grades, prior research experience, letters of recommendation, and fit with faculty research interests.

Prospective students

The primary requirement for admission to the social psychology program is a strong interest in social psychology research. A successful applicant has often completed coursework in undergraduate research methods, statistics, and social psychology. The ideal applicant would have research experience and a strong grounding in methods, statistics, and social psychology.

Graduate students admitted to the graduate program in psychology typically receive funding (tuition plus stipend) for five years as long as they remain in good standing. The application deadline for Fall 2026 was December 1, 2025. Applications are typically reviewed through February and March. Notifications regarding admission decisions are sent by mid-April. More information about admissions, the application process to the graduate program in psychology, and common FAQs may be found on the graduate admissions page.

Names of recruiting faculty members will be listed here on or around September 1.

If you have questions about the Social Psychology and Personality program or admissions, please contact the Social Area Director, Dr. Kevin Blankenship.

Interdisciplinary opportunities

Iowa State University has internationally recognized programs in neuroscience and statistics. Graduate students are encouraged to take advantage of these departments either through taking classes or through pursuing a quantitative certificate, a minor, a master’s, or a dual doctoral degree.

• Quantitative Certificate
• Human Computer Interaction
• Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Neuroscience
• Statistics
• Psychology-Law Concentration

Faculty