Christopher P. Kelley

Christopher’s research focuses on the fundamental social psychological processes involved in leadership. This includes research on power, status, trust, and morality. His dissertation (May 2012) examines how the relationship between information and power impacts decision making and perception.  His master’s thesis “Age-Status” employed the use of virtual reality technology to test how age functions as a status characteristic across the life-course. His areas of specialization include social psychology, organizations, and theory construction.

He has co-authored articles in Advances in Group Processes, Social Structure and Emotion (winner of the book award for recent contribution to the literature for the Emotions Section of the American Sociological Association), a book chapter in Leadership in Science and Technology and invited entries in Sociological Compass and the Encyclopedia of the Life-Course and Human Development. Current collaborative research projects include studies on the effects of gender identity on aptitude test scores, experimental research on how interpersonal awareness affects influence, and how age and gender interact to affect a person’s status in groups (supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Time Sharing Experiments in the Social Sciences).

The courses he has prepared and taught at the University of Iowa include Sociological Theory, Principals of Social Psychology, and Paranormal Society.  He has also served as instructor for the online course Social Problems and as the teaching assistant for the graduate seminar in Theory Construction and Analysis, Sociological Theory, Principles of Social Psychology, Introduction to Sociology Principles, and Juvenile Delinquency.

In 2007, Christopher was awarded 1st place in the inaugural Sandra H. Barkan Graduate Student Mentor Awards for his work with fellow students.  In 2006 he was also awarded a David and Rosalie Braverman Scholarship in recognition for outstanding academic scholarship and contributions to the community. He has served as the Lab Manager, Director of Operations, and Managing Director for the Center for the Study of Group Processes. He is currently Assistant Managing Editor for the online peer-reviewed journal Current Research in Social Psychology, published by the Center for the Study of Group Processes at the University of Iowa.

Christopher holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from The University of Iowa, a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) and Bachelor’s Degrees in English and Sociology from The University of Akron.